Beer enthusiasts rejoice! The Corporate and Continuing Education program at SPSCC is offering a number of courses just for you this fall. Check them out!

Backyard Hops: Growing for Home or Market

August 26 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Growing hops on a small scale to supply both hobbyists and the booming regional craft beer industry can be done sustainably and profitably. Join us at the Parsons Family Farm for this hands-on class where we’ll take part in hops harvest while learning the history of hops production in WA State, what hops needs to thrive in the Puget Sound region, basics of planting and care and pests that can affect the plants. We’ll hear from local brewery Top Rung about the difference between using dry hops versus wet hops and why breweries are doing it. Then we’ll follow the hops we harvested to Top Rung for a brewery timed tour and complement our learning with a sample of fresh Hop Beer.

This class is for 21 and over.

Location: Parsons Family Farm 
Fee: $49.00

Brewing Science for the Home Brewer – IPA

Two part class:
Part 1 – Saturday, September 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Part 2 – Saturday, September 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

A 12 hour class aimed at describing the essential brewing science underpinning the process of brewing. In this class, we’re brewing Indian Pale Ale (IPA).

Aimed at both inexperienced and experienced home brewers looking to increase their understanding of the science of brewing. And how better to learn than to take part in actual brewing! On the first day of class, we’ll walk through the brewing process inside Fish Brewing, taking a lunch break on your own at the pub across the street. To allow our IPA sufficient brew time, there will be 3 weeks between the first day and second day of class. You will come back after to see what happened with the beer and learn how to bottle and store your creations. There is a lot of standing so wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers. Must be 21+ to attend.

Topics covered in detail will include; Brewing raw materials Brewing Calculations Brewing practices Yeast handling Beer aging Packaging techniques Beer flavors Brewing equipment design and manufacture Question and answer session

Location: Fish Brewing Company
Fee: $85.00

Behind the Brew with The Olympia Bike and Beer Tour 

September 10 or September 17 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Join us on a special Behind the Brew edition of the Olympia Bike and Beer Tour. Starting at the Schmidt House we will go over bike safety and talk about the origins of beer making in the Pacific Northwest.

After exploring the Schmidt house we will embark on a 12 mile bike friendly route that will take us down to Tumwater Historical Park and around Capital Lake to our first stop and tasting session at the Fish Tale Brewery. Next we travel up to the Capital Campus grounds where we stop for pictures and will talk about how lawmakers have shaped beer in Washington state. Zooming down to the Oly Taproom we make our second tasting stop for some local refreshments before heading over to Port Plaza Park for pictures a top a viewing platform overlooking the marina.

A quick bike ride over to Three Magnets Brewery for our final stop and tasting session before heading back around Capital Lake to our starting point at the Schmidt House.

Bring your bike, helmet and sense of adventure! Don’t have a bike and helmet? Register for the Bike/Helmet Rental Option of this class and we’ll provide them for you!

These tours are fun for everyone! Soda will be provided at tasting locations for anyone under the age of 21. Registration with an adult is required for individuals under 18.

Fee: $40.00

So You Want to Start a Brewery

Saturday, September 23 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Opening a brewery sounds like a dream job that includes days of dreaming up special recipes and tasting your product, but that is not even close to the reality of what it takes to run a brewery. Come and learn what opening a brewery really entails including legal requirements, financing, licensing, cleaning, distribution, and mountains of paperwork. Casey Sobol of Top Rung Brewery will share his journey from garage to brew house, including what he wishes they knew when they got started.

Location: Top Rung Brewery
Fee: $40.00

Registration is open now>>

Register online, by calling us at (360)709-2020 or in person at the Lacey Campus.

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