Campus-brewed booze adds to student life

Every university student’s dream may be coming true at the University of Saskatchewan.
Warren Kirkland, president of U of S Students’ Union, is proposing to establish a microbrewery on campus.
Kirkland believes a microbrewery, which brews small amounts of beer, will encourage academic involvement and add value to the academic experience.
“The idea behind the involvement of academic units is to engage those departments whom already discuss the brewing process ⎯ the chemical and biological processes that go into making great beer,” Kirkland said. “In fact, a notable number of chemical engineers in the department brew their own beer at home as a result of learning the process in the classroom.”
According to Kirkland, talks about a potential microbrewery are optimistic so far.
“The question is, would the students’ union construction and operation of a microbrewery add to the learning or research of the academic community here at the U of S? Initial thoughts are that they can,” he added.
Richard Florizone, vice-president of finance and resources at U of S, has considered the feasibility of this idea and remains optimistic.
“We are one of the leading schools in agricultural and bioresources research.Establishing a microbrewery links with chemistry and biochemical engineering, which is an idea we want to explore,” Florizone said.
Students in the chemical and biochemical engineering department at Western have considered the idea of starting a microbrewery on campus; however, the department did not believe a microbrewery is a new technology.
“I think the idea of a microbrewery is too restrictive. It should be broader and have more of an environmental focus,” Amarjeet Bassi, professor in the chemical and biochemical engineering department, said.
He explained the ethanol used in microbreweries could help produce more environmentally-friendly gasoline and help reduce greenhouse gasses.
“The idea of producing ethanol-blended gasoline is much broader and has more engineering applications,” Bassi added.
Members of the chemical engineering club at Western were also hesitant about whether they would be able to pass off the idea of a microbrewery as a research project.
“Alcohol fermentation is not the most technically challenging process compared to the project we are working on and so we’re not fully convinced that their goal is to have this as an academic initiative,” P.J. Dunn, treasurer of the chemical engineering club, said.
Rather than focusing their energy on beer, the club has been working on a microalgae project for their mega-project.
“We want to incorporate student interest and involvement outside of the classroom,” Dunn said.
“The general consensus is that the microalgae project will engage more students and it will get more people involved over a longer period of time,” Jacob Margel, third-year representative of the club, said.
Outside the academic benefits, Kirkland felt a microbrewery would work to bring students together and eventually become a source of revenue for the student union.
“If the option of adding [the beer] to our existing bar is feasible, it would pay for future renovations in a creative way, rather than relying on the raising of student fees to pay for such costs,” Kirkland said. “We also hope it would add to the general student experience and pride of the institution.”