In its 12th year of operation, Colorado State University’s fermentation and food sciences major is serving up much more than beer and sourdough bread. With a rigid science foundation and a host of industry connections, students gain unmatched knowledge and experience in the program.

“(Fermentation is) when you’re using microbes to metabolically interact with the food product, resulting in a different food product, typically for preservation reasons but also increased health,” said Jeffrey Callaway, program director.

The practice has existed since the earliest human civilizations inhabited Earth, when they needed to preserve food over the winters. Today it is used in many modern agricultural offerings, including cheese, kombucha, yogurt and beer.

Founded in 2013, the program shifted from fermentation science and technology to fermentation and food sciences in Fall 2024 — a decision made to encapsulate the role of fermentation as a branch of food science.

“Food science is a really amazing topic to study because you can really dive really deep into the specific areas of it that you’re interested in,” Assistant Professor Charlene Van Buiten said. “But you still get to learn about the other things that surround it.”

Students select from two concentrations: fermentation science and technology or food science. Regardless of their path, all students are educated on the scientific building blocks necessary to operate a successful brewery or manufacture food.

“We don’t just brew beer and sit around and drink it,” said Charlie Hoxmeier, chief brewing officer and assistant professor. “So you have to take physics, microbiology, biochemistry, organic chemistry — you have to take all of the really basic sciences and have that understanding because what we do here is apply them.”

This basic understanding of foundational sciences allows students to succeed in a rapidly shifting and demanding industry.

“Fifty years ago, people just wanted safe food,” Callaway said. “Now we want it to be convenient as well as safe, but now we also want things to be healthy, so we’re scrutinizing the ingredients and all those sorts of things.”

Beginning their third year, fermentation science students gain hands-on experience through courses that focus on the brewing processes, alcohol beverage control and management, all of which use learning spaces on campus.

“We love what we do — this is a labor of love. You don’t get into brewing to get rich. … I hope that comes across to our students. They kind of see our passion, and that helps make them enthusiastic about what they’re doing because they see how excited we are for it.” –Charlie Hoxmeier, chief brewing officer

From the Lory Student Center’s Ramskeller Pub & Grub, where students’ custom beers are available for public consumption, to the fully automated New Belgium Brewing Fermentation Science and Technology Laboratory, students are able to familiarize themselves with industry-standard equipment and procedures.

“Everything we do in (the laboratory) is done to a world-class standard, so it mimics what you’re going to see at New Belgium or Anheuser-Busch in terms of the level of skill and focus,” Callaway said.

This includes familiarizing students with the automation of a full-fledged brewery.

“We do a lot of teaching around statistical process control and how to automate consistent beer, which is not an easy thing to do because (we are) working with things that change (with) the season,” said Jeff Biegert, brewmaster and brewing instructor.

These creative endeavors culminate in a senior seminar where students are connected with industry professionals across Fort Collins who advise them on their capstone projects and professional advancement into the industry.

“All the little breweries around here, they come in, and they give guest lectures in class,” Hoxmeier said. “They offer internships to our students. A lot of the breweries, especially New Belgium, have basically built a pipeline to hire our students.”

Biegert said this partnership has led over 30 program alumni to be hired by New Belgium, a statistic contributing to over 95% of students graduating into a full-time position.

As one cohort of students bleeds into another through the cycle of enrollment and graduation, the tireless dedication of the instructors never ceases.

“We love what we do — this is a labor of love,” Hoxmeier said. “You don’t get into brewing to get rich. … I hope that comes across to our students. They kind of see our passion, and that helps make them enthusiastic about what they’re doing because they see how excited we are for it.”

This burning dedication reflects onto graduates as they progress through their professional careers and continue to advance an ever-changing industry.

“We need more bright minds to make food safe, healthy, convenient, interesting and tasty to people,” Callaway said. “That’s something that’s just going to be changing forever.”