(By Sarah Kramer ’25, staff writer)
Lebanon Valley College students helped brew the 2024 Flying Dutchmen Ale.
In preparation for LVC’s homecoming weekend, the Brew Crew, which consists of biology, chemistry and molecular biology students, partnered with Snitz Creek Brewery to come up with a recipe for this year’s Flying Dutchmen Ale.
The Brew Crew met with people from Snitz Creek Brewery to figure out which grains and additives would be going into the recipe for this year. They started the fermentation process, monitored the temperature and then added in the hops before leaving the mixture to brew.
During the brewing process, they filtered the mixture and used temperature gauges and probes to determine if everything was boiling at stable temperatures. Food and drink that is prepared improperly can cause people to become ill, so Snitz Creek Brewery staff helped monitor temperatures, textures, duration and machine quality when the Brew Crew was back at LVC’s campus.
Throughout this experience, LVC students were able to use material that they learned in the classroom during their time making the Flying Dutchmen Ale.
“Lab techniques that I gained through the labs at LVC were more applicable than I ever imagined, especially with something as simple as brewing beer,” Jackie Martin, a senior chemistry and physics double major, said. “The behind-the-scenes look at what truly occurs when an ale is brewed allowed me to recognize how much chemistry goes into the production of food and drinks.”
Alumni, parents and students 21 years and older were able to enjoy the Flying Dutchmen Ale during the homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 12. The ale will also be available for purchase at Snitz Creek Brewery locations for those who missed the unveiling.