Cheers to Spring Break!

A faculty-alumni collaboration is resulting in a new brew to be released next week during Spring Break. 

Although she graduated from Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing & fermentation science major nearly a year ago, Devin (Shellhammer) Smith, head brewer at Clarion River Brewing Co., asked her former instructor, Timothy L. Yarrington, to partner on crafting a traditional British beer. (Their enduring alliance is just one example of how Penn College alumni continue to team up with their professors long after graduation.)

“We both wanted to brew something neither of us has done before,” Yarrington said. “However, Devin also expressed interest in learning more about my approach to traditional/archaic British beer styles and, particularly, techniques for cask conditioning and dispense via beer engine. We settled on a traditional British-style barley wine. These are complex, malt-forward beers with high (9-12%) alcohol content.”

Smith concurred: “Neither of us have brewed this style of beer yet, and we really wanted to focus on a traditional English style. Tim is super passionate about English beers, and Tim’s passion for tradition has rubbed off on me. We decided to go with a bold beer that will also age well, considering it’s a high alcohol content and pretty niche thing.” 

The duo collaborated on the recipe, choosing imported floor-malted British grains, hops from the U.K. and a traditional British ale yeast. They are conditioning two casks from the batch and will dispense one via beer engine at Clarion River Brewing, in Clarion, and the other at Elk Creek Café + Aleworks, in Millheim, where Yarrington is founding brewer, head of brewing operations and brewmaster.

“I expect the beer to be unique and exceptional in today’s landscape,” Yarrington said. 

The new brew’s name is “Premature Burial,” and it’ll be released at the Clarion brewery on Thursday, March 13. (PennWest Clarion students will be back in session, following their Spring Break this week. Penn College’s Spring Break occurs next week, March 9-15.) The Millheim release will likely occur the following week. 

Yarrington said he typically doesn’t collaborate with other breweries on developing a beer, but he accepted Smith’s invitation to Clarion River Brewing. He explained: “I have just never found the idea very compelling. While collaborating on a style, developing a recipe and selecting ingredients can be fun, the visiting brewer often is a spectator with little ability to influence the final outcome. Working with a former student is different. Through me and my approach, our students develop a specific way of engaging the challenge of beermaking as well as words to communicate brewing ideas clearly. I knew we could agree on and communicate our approach through this common language. Also, I enjoyed having Devin in the classroom and working with her in the lab. We have kept in close contact since her graduation, and I have gotten together socially several times with her and her husband, Bryan. I really support what they are doing at Clarion River Brewing Co. (which the Smiths co-own) and knew we would have a fun day if nothing else. It was fun and, at times, even eventful, presenting some unexpected challenges for our collective brewing brains to overcome – which we did!”

Smith recently won two medals in the prestigious Denver International Beer Competition. She captured a silver in the British Brown Ale category for her Leatherwood beer and a bronze in the Belgian Tripel category for her Liquid Long Johns brew.

Penn College’s brewing & fermentation science certificate is a one-year program. Call the college’s School of Business, Arts & Sciences at 570-327-4521 for more information.