{"id":201528,"date":"2022-06-23T08:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-23T12:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/?p=201528"},"modified":"2022-07-06T14:35:13","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T18:35:13","slug":"brewing-the-next-generation-of-beer-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/news\/brewing-the-next-generation-of-beer-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"Brewing the Next Generation of Beer Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With more than 380 breweries and brewpubs and counting across the state, North Carolina\u2019s brewing industry is booming. SmartAsset\u2019s most recent annual beer study<\/a> ranked Asheville the fifth-best city in the nation for beer based on several factors, including the total number of breweries and breweries per 100,000 residents. Wilmington and the Triangle area are also expanding their brewery options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the state continues to claim a top spot for beer brewing, North Carolina State University is expanding its brewing education for students by offering a new Brewing Science and Technology minor through the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences. Sebastian Wolfrum<\/a>, the lecturer for the minor and recently appointed manager of the Wolfpack Brewing Lab, brings years of international experience to train the next generation of brewmasters while also fostering meaningful collaborations with breweries across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expanding Beer Education<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wolfrum grew up outside of Munich, Germany, where he also trained as a maltster and brewer. He worked for several years in the industry before moving to North Carolina in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI moved here really not quite knowing how wild that ride would be in terms of the beer industry and the growth,\u201d says Wolfrum. \u201cWhen I got here, there were 20-some brewers in North Carolina. It already felt, compared to what I knew from Germany, exciting because everybody can make any style of beer. And then, all of a sudden, it grew completely out of proportion over the years that I’ve been here and it’s been super exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wolfrum has worked with several different breweries in the Triangle area, including the Bull Durham Beer Co., the first brewery in a minor league ballpark, and Natty Greene’s Brewing Co., the second-largest craft brewery in North Carolina. He also was a founding member of the NC Craft Brewers Guild. Through these collaborations, Wolfrum learned about NC State\u2019s impact on the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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