Chattahoochee Technical College marked the opening of the college’s new Brewing & Fermentation Production Technology program with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Cartersville-Bartow Chamber of Commerce. This event was held Wednesday, May 10, at the college’s North Metro Campus in Acworth.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Chattahoochee Tech provided tours of the college’s new Brewing & Fermentation Production Technology lab. This facility features a three-barrel brewing lab (3-BBL) and a semi-automated canning machine. Also included in this new facility is industry standard lab equipment for quality control analysis.
The Brewing & Fermentation Production Technology program at Chattahoochee Tech is unique for Georgia. No other two-year or four-year college or university in the state currently offers this type of program. “As the number of craft breweries has grown, so has the need for qualified employees,” said Chattahoochee Tech Dean of Business and Technical Studies Marcy Smith. “Chattahoochee Tech stepped up to address this need by researching and developing this new program of study.” The craft beer industry in Georgia has experienced phenomenal growth in the past several years, according to Smith. In urban areas as well as small towns, the craft beer industry in Georgia is booming.
Chattahoochee Tech’s new Brewing & Fermentation Technology program welcomed its first students during the 2022 fall semester, with Steve Anderson serving as the program’s Lead Instructor. In order to enroll in this program, students have to be at least 21 years old. Program courses include fundamentals about brewing, distillation and fermentation. Additional coursework includes production, operations, safety and sanitation, brewery software, and associated process technologies. Students have the option to earn an associate degree, diploma, or Technical Certificate of Credit.
Chattahoochee Tech students in the new Brewing & Fermentation Production Technology program gathered with Chamber officials, college faculty and staff for the program’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. Shown center with the scissors, l-r, are Cartersville-Bartow Chamber CEO Cindy Williams, Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb, and the program’s Lead Instructor Steve Anderson.