Experience the Art of Beer Brewing up Close – Excursion to the Ottakringer Brewery
23 September, 2025
At the brewery, students learned about industrial standards, while a voluntary accompanying course provided an in-depth look at craft brewing. This gave them a comprehensive overview of the diversity of beer production.
To kick off the new semester, students in the bachelor’s program in Sustainable Environmental and Bioprocess Engineering took an exciting field trip to the Ottakringer Brewery, Austria’s second-largest private brewery, in early September.
From mashing to fermentation
The most important steps in beer production had already been explained in class—from malt production to mashing and fermentation. During the field trip, the students were able to directly apply and experience this knowledge: in the production facility, they saw on a large scale how one of humanity’s oldest bioprocesses is carried out.
A look behind the scenes
The tour of the traditional brewery not only offered exciting insights into modern beer production, but also the opportunity to experience the manufacturing process with all the senses. A highlight was the concluding tasting, where the variety of Ottakringer beers could be sampled.
Voluntary beer brewing course at the university
In addition to the excursion, students are also offered the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in a voluntary beer brewing course taught by Christoph Slouka (lecturer in the competence field of Chemical Engineering and Ecotoxicology). Here, they learn in a practical way how small-scale craft brewing works – an ideal complement to the industrial perspective of the excursion.
The excursion to the Ottakringer Brewery showed how closely scientific principles, applied bioprocesses, and tradition are linked. For the students, it was a successful and practical start to the semester – and a welcome opportunity to experience the art of beer brewing up close.
Further information:
Bachelor’s program in Sustainable Environmental and Bioprocess Engineering
Faculty of Life Science Engineering
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