Southern Illinois News

Beer lovers across the country are getting a taste of Southern Illinois thanks to a collaboration between Lazy Dog Restaurants and fermentation science students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The California-based restaurant company offers a quarterly “beer club,” giving members a sampling of craft beers specifically developed within a certain theme. Autumn’s “Mad Science,” kit features an the eight-pack of beers developed by four collegiate brewing programs: Colorado State University, University of California-Davis, University of South Florida and SIU.

At each institution, students were responsible for developing the beer’s concept, brewing a sample batch and working with brew masters to fine-tune formulation. Once a recipe was set, they worked with marketers to name the beer within the “Mad Science” framework. Subscribers to the service receive two cans of each of the beers featured in the quarterly club release. The beer is also available on tap at the 40-plus Lazy Dog restaurants across the country.

SIU’s entry, called “Time Traveler,” paired medieval Belgian yeasts from the fifth century with 21st century hops to create their beer. Lazy Dog Beer Club calls the brew, “a dry-hopped Belgian ale,” and in promotional materials for the release, said, “The pilsner and biscuit malts and corn sugar in the ingredients create a light, biscuit malt flavor with tropical fruit taste.”

Brandon Harris, a senior in fermentation science from Austin, Texas said he is proud that a brew he helped to develop is getting national exposure.

“It’s interesting to know that something that we spent time on was professionally brewed and distributed,” he said. “It’s a really good feeling.”

Matt McCarroll, director of the SIU Fermentation Science Institute, said the restaurant chain reached out to the program about participating.

“I think we were able to get that opportunity just by being positioned with the program which we have developed here,” he said.

Lazy Dog Director of Public Relations Sara Swiger said, “What we really liked about SIU is that its bachelor of science of fermentation science one of seven programs nationally recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, plus it is an added bonus that we have locations in Illinois, so they’re on home turf.”

The chain counts two Chicagoland restaurants among the 45 in the country, with a majority of locations in California.

Information about each brew and the colleges that developed them is included in a booklet sent out with the subscription kit.

“This is very exciting for us for a couple of reasons,” McCarroll explained. “One, it helps get the word out about the program at SIU and, equally or more importantly, it gives our students the opportunity to experience bringing an idea to fruition –a beer that starts out on paper and bringing that to a finished product that actually gets out to consumers.”

The “Mad Science” collection was brewed in collaboration with Melvin Brewing of Alpine, Wyoming and subscription members received two 16-ounce samples of each of the four collegiately-developed beers in their kit. Lazy Dog made a donation to each of the university’s scholarship funds to assist student pursing brewing professions.

Photos: Brewing beer at the SIU Fermentation Science Institute

^{SIU students Nicholas Galindo, an English and photography double major from Villa Park, (left) and Giovanni Ravenna, a restaurant management Major from Elmhurst, perform a step in the fermentation process to make beer Wednesday during a fermentation class held in the agriculture building. Ravenna, who previously completed a 'wine to vine' class said that he loves the fermentation class. Galindo has already had a practical outcome from the fermentation class as he has been offered a job at Little Egypt Beer.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

^{Matt McCarroll, PhD, Director, Fermentation Science Institute at SIU, gives some tips about the fermentation process to Nicholas Galindo, an English and photography major from Villa Park, (left) and Giovanni Ravenna, a restaurant management major from Elmhurst, on Thursday during a lab in the agriculture building. A fermentation department has been approved at SIU.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

^{Matt McCarroll, PhD, Director, Fermentation Science Institute, explains the roles of alpha and beta enzymes in the fermentation process Wednesday during a lab in the agriculture building at SIU.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

^{SIU student Nicholas Galindo of Villa Park measures barley during a lab as part of a beer-making class offered through the newly formed Fermentation Science Institute. Waiting their turn are students Daniel Serrano, Jonatas Goulart Zanardo and Sannya Bermardino, (from left) all are biomedical science majors from Brazil.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

^{Matt McCarroll, PhD, Director, Fermentation Science Institute, explains the chemistry behind the beer-making process Wednesday during a lab in the agriculture building at SIU.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

^{SIU students Nicholas Galindo, (left) of Villa Park, and Giovanni Ravenna of Elmhurst, work together Wednesday during a lab for a beer-making class.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

A student in a beer-making class lab measures the temperature of barley he is heating as part of the fermentation process. The course is offered through SIU's Fermentation Science Institute.

THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO

^{Chemistry notations are written on the board Wednesday by Matt McCarroll, PhD, Director, Fermentation Science Institute in a lab for a beer-making class.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

^{With a big bag of barley in the foreground, Matt McCarroll, PhD, Director, Fermentation Science Institute, (right), answers the questions of student Jonatas Goulart Zanardo, a biomedical science major from Brazil. The barley is the main ingredient that is fermented to make beer.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

^{SIU students in a lab for a beer-making class, (from left) Diel Serrano, Breno Borba, Sannya Bermardino, Matheus Porcu, all biomedical science majors from Brazil, heat barley over a hot plate as part of the fermentation process in making beer on Wednesday.}

^{Richard Sitler, The Southern}

les.odell@thesouthern.com

(618) 351-5036

Original source can be found here.