Students in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) are finding inspiration on the Lehigh Mountaintop as they gain hands-on experience with one of the oldest industrial chemical processes. The inaugural semester of CHE 370 ‘The Engineering of Brewing, Winemaking, and Distilling’ has seen students reinforce concepts from core coursework, build teamwork skills, explore what it takes to create a unique product, and have barrels of fun as the teams create the first batches of ‘ChBEer’!
This innovative course was conceived and implemented by Associate Chair Joseph Menicucci, Department Chair Steven McIntosh, and department technicians Paul Bader and Cody Turner in close collaboration with Sam Masotto owner and operator of Bonn Place Brewing in Bethlehem.
‘The core chemical engineering curriculum is as rigorous as ever’, says McIntosh, ‘but we are committed to offering electives where students can have fun learning and exploring the many impactful applications of our discipline - from medicines to batteries, from coffee to cosmetics; and yes, now beer.’
This senior-level elective is designed to show students that the core principles they study are not just theoretical concepts, but the fundamental ingredients of one of the world's chemical products. While the Belgian Trappist monks of the seventeenth century did not study reactor design and thermodynamics, the unit operations of brewing are perfect practical examples of chemical engineering in action.
ChBE senior William Clark, who was supported by departmental gift funds to help develop the course during summer 2025, notes ‘The brewing course is amazing because we get to see practical applications of our course material. In the lab we work with heat exchangers, pumps, control systems, and mass transport theory on the daily. It’s super cool to see it all come together.’
The partnership with Bonn Place Brewing provides students with an invaluable industry perspective and access to commercial-scale equipment. Instead of working in a pilot lab, students learn directly from experienced brewers, navigating the real-world constraints of equipment capacity, raw material variability, and the need for rigorous sanitation.
'There is no better way to demonstrate the power of chemical engineering than to have students design and execute a process that results in a consumer product,' said Menicucci. 'The "ChBEer" project takes what they learned in the classroom and makes it immediately tangible and tasteable. Bonn Place has been an excellent partner in bridging the gap between academia and industry.'
McIntosh notes that ‘such innovation is only possible thanks to the continued generous support of our alumni. I utilized the collective financial support of many donors to upgrade a laboratory space in Iacocca Hall and purchase state-of-the-art equipment for the students.’
This semester’s brewlist includes:
CHBEer - a Helles Lager - by Will Clark
Coco Loco - a Fruited Sour - by Jules Ciarciello and Taylor Jeffrey
Controlled Variable - a Hefeweizen - by Will Clark
Copperhead Sunset - an American Amber Ale - by Ben Bowman and Julian Maldonado
Dark Matter - a Dunkelweizen - by Will Clark and Zach Ostrand
Deadtime - an Italian Pilsner - by Zach Ostrand and Jacob Zaiser
Haze Hashira - a Citrus Imperial Double IPA - by Marti Figueres and Gavin Seymour
Hopollo 11 - a Raspberry IPA - by Matthew Mastowski and Chase Vitale
The successful completion of the 'ChBEer' batch will not only earn students course credit but also provide them with a compelling, hands-on example of applied process engineering to discuss with future employers.
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