The craft brewing industry is continuing to grow all over the country, and Alabama is in the race to make its beer stand out from the rest. However, the climate in Alabama makes it difficult to make a beer made with local ingredients.
“The problem is that hops prefer a higher latitude because of the longer days," said Julie Howe, associate professor of crop, soil and environmental sciences.
Howe teaches one of the classes in the brewing science program. She teaches about the brewing materials used, which include hops and barley.
“We will probably never be able to compete with the Pacific Northwest,” Howe said. “Because they have the excellent conditions for growing hops. So we want to try to grow hops for selective locally-produced beers or varieties that aren't the same as those grown in the Pacific Northwest.”
The most popular use for barley in Alabama has actually been as an animal feed. Austin Hagan, a professor of entomology and plant pathology, has been working with the University to help provide information to farmers who want to pursue growing hops and barley.
"Historically, barley was primarily used to feed hogs," Hagan said. "But that production has basically dropped to zero since there is not much of a hog industry in North Alabama."
Because of this, home brewers and microbreweries have to go to the Old South Malt House in Birmingham to purchase barley and hops. Or they can travel to other states.
Adris Ludlum, an Auburn Alumnus who completed the brewing science program, does this as a home brewer.
“I go to homebrew shops or purchase the hops and barley online,” Ludlum said. “The closest one for me is in Columbus, Georgia.”
Howe mentioned that even though there are many factors that work against growing hops in Alabama, there is still a possibility of providing a niche beer from Alabama with local ingredients.
“Brewers are certainly interested in having their beer locally sourced,” Howe said. “Because they want their beer to stand out.”
The issue is getting more farmers and local breweries to invest time and money in hop and barley production in the state. There is a lot of maintenance that goes into growing and harvesting these crops, along with preventing pests and disease.
"The main thing right now is identifying a variety that can consistently produce a quality crop and provide the yields necessary to make it economically peaceful to grow barley," Hagan said.
With Auburn’s Brewery Science Program, students can learn all fields of the brewing industry. They can learn about production, the business aspect and even the biology of the hops and barley.
The program is set up right now as a graduate certificate program with 15 hours. Howe said the department is currently collecting data to see if there is enough demand to implement a full master's program.
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