Acclaimed Brewmaster Joins Penn College Faculty

In launching its new brewing and fermentation science degree, Pennsylvania College of Technology has enlisted the expertise of acclaimed brewmaster Timothy L. Yarrington.

The Spring Mills resident will serve as an instructor for the new major, which begins in Fall 2017. Yarrington, along with other faculty and administrators in the college’s School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications, is working to establish the industry-standard instructional space, located in the Hager Lifelong Education Center.

Yarrington is recognized in brewing circles as a national award-winning brewer, as well as an expert on brewery construction and operations.

Since 2007, he has served as founding brewer, head of brewing operations and brewmaster at Elk Creek Café + Ale Works in Millheim. During his 10 years at the popular central Pennsylvania destination microbrewery, Yarrington has crafted over 40 unique beers. His connection to Elk Creek was forged through his freelance brewery consulting business, Brewstructure Consulting LLC.

Previously, Yarrington worked in Manhattan as a brewmaster at Times Square Brewery Restaurant II. He began his brewing career at The Long Valley Pub & Brewery in Long Valley, New Jersey.

During his time at Long Valley, he captured one gold and two bronze medals at the renowned Great American Beer Festival, held in Denver, Colorado.

The brewmaster says he was attracted by Penn College’s “practical, hands-on, experiential teaching approach – which is what the brewing industry is looking for.”

He believes the new brewing and fermentation science degree will give students a “comprehensive, broad view” of the exciting, ever-evolving and expanding industry.

“For me personally, having been in the industry for as long as I have and having watched the evolution of this industry, I’m looking forward to passing on my knowledge in an academic setting,” Yarrington said. “Through my experiences, education and my individual philosophical approach to brewing, I have developed an incredible respect for the antiquity and tradition of the craft. I look forward to instilling that respect even as we engage in very modern, science-driven inquiry.”

Yarrington graduated from the Master Brewers Program at the American School for Malting and Brewing Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, in 1995. That same year, he passed the Institute of Brewing and Distilling Associate Membership Examination.

The Baltimore native also holds a Bachelor of Science in wildlife science from Penn State.

Penn College’s Associate of Applied Science in brewing and fermentation science – the first of its kind in Pennsylvania – is a response to the craft brewing industry’s need for skilled employees.

The major will combine the science, technology and management skills required to meet the growing consumer demand for unique craft beers.

Graduates of the Penn College major will be prepared to take their skills into the craft brewing arena – estimated to be a $22 billion industry in the United States, according to the Brewers Association. The industry has witnessed significant growth in recent years, and the association expects the trend to continue for an extended period.

Potential students are also invited to register for Penn College’s Open House, set for Saturday, April 1.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.