Offered: Fall and Spring

Spring Dates: TBD
Fall Dates: September 6 – November 2, 2023
Course Tuition: $1495 ($1196 for Certificate Alumni, Pink Boots Society, Home Brewers or Brewers Association Members Discount)
Course Duration: 8 weeks
Learning Format: Online

Instructors: Nick Posloski, Steve Rockhold, Phil Leinhart, Oralee Corbett, Mike Gerhart, Mark Benzaquen and Rod Waite

Download a sample Business Operations in Craft Beer Syllabus

In the Business Operations Track, you’ll learn about how the many components of craft brewery operations and supply chain must fit together to build a profitable, efficient, and sustainable business. Students will address key topics such as sourcing and procurement, quality systems, new brewery start-up and capacity planning, forecasting, production planning, inventory, logistics, and environmental sustainability.

UVM has partnered with Ekos Brewmaster, the industry leading software solution for managing the business side of your brewery.  We integrate the Ekos software into each of our learning modules, so that you will benefit from using the software in real world case studies.  Whether you are looking to be hired by a brewery or start your own brewery, knowledge of how to use Ekos, combined with the practical understanding of brewery operations, will help you to run a more efficient and effective business so that you can be more successful.

Participants will examine

  • Making Craft Beer
  • Sourcing, Procurement and Receiving Materials
  • Forecasting and Inventory Management
  • Quality, Maintenance, Utilities and Safety
  • Environmental Sustainability and Enabling Systems
  • Overview of Craft Brewery Planning Processes:
    • Long-term Planning I – Location and Design
    • Long-term Planning II – Capacity
    • Mid-term Planning – Demand Planning
    • Short-term – Operations Planning and Scheduling
  • Operations and Supply Chain Risk Management – Assessment, Mitigation and Contingency Planning
  • Human Resources and Staffing considerations

Schedule

Week 1:  Brewery Operations and Supply Chain Fundamentals
Week 2:  The Brewing Process and Required Resources/Ekos Brewmaster: Setting Up Your Brewery
Week 3:  Long Term Planning – Building a Craft Brewery, Considerations, Location, Sizing, and Capacity
Week 4: Sourcing, Procurement and Receiving Materials
Week 5: Demand Management -Forecasting, Inventory: Receiving and Shipping
Week 6: Mid and Short Term Planning and Scheduling
Week 7: Quality
Week 8: Maintenance, Utilities, Environmental Sustainability