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Beer production technology

Demonstration brewery and malt house: from steeping barley to bottling beer.

Basic information

About the plant

The Czech University of Life Sciences Prague is home to a unique project: the Pivovar UM! CZU university brewery, which combines the tradition of Czech brewing with the enthusiasm, passion, creativity and scientific approach of CZU students as well as other experts and brewing enthusiasts. Right in the Food Pavilion, beers of many styles are brewed: from classic Czech lagers and Pale Ales with all their modern variants (IPA, NEIPA, WCIPA and more) to the latest favourite of young drinkers, refreshing fruit sours.

The beer is brewed by the permanent staff of the Food Pavilion, including students, by individual CZU students as part of their theses, and trainees from the secondary school of food technology in Podskalská Street in Prague also take turns here.

How we do it

The brewery is designed as a scientific and research facility, so it is equipped with a 130 litre brewhouse and five 110 litre cylindroconical tanks. This makes it possible to brew smaller batches and try out new recipes and ideas when needed, keeping Czech tradition alive while experimenting with new technologies, processes and ingredients.

In cooperation with experts, new varieties of raw materials are tested here, above all hops, hop products, derivatives and essential oils. Students work with various preparations for adjusting the mineral content typical of individual beer styles and use hop oils, which improve the flavour and aroma of beer while reducing losses during production. Other ingredients and substances that support the flavour profile of a given style, and of beer as such, are tested as well.

The result is beer that combines craft, science and a passion for a unique and traditional drink: BEER. Come and taste beers with a university soul: authentic and unique, classic and modern, full of enthusiasm, passion, craft and UM!.

Take a look

The plant on video

What we make it from

Our ingredients

**Malt**
Malt is one of the fundamental ingredients in beer production, and our research brewery is no exception. For our beers, we use barley and wheat malts, as well as rye and oat malts; oat and wheat flakes are also frequently included. The combination and variety of malt blends for each specific beer represent the initial work of art created by the brewers who craft our excellent beers for you.

**Hops**
Hops are the spice and soul of every beer; they provide bitterness, act as a preservative, and lend a wonderful aroma to every poured pint. They are used in the form of whole cones, pellets, or even essential oils. At our brewery, we use countless hop varieties to offer you-our fans-interesting and refreshing beers. You may also encounter beers featuring hop varieties that are still being tested, giving you the chance to be among the first to evaluate the impact they will have on the bitterness, flavor, and aroma of the finished product.

**Water**
Water is a fundamental building block of every beer and the most widely used raw material-not only for the brewing process itself but also for maintaining the cleanliness of the brewery's equipment and facilities. Our students are able to experiment even with this raw material and observe the impact of the water's composition and various properties on the resulting beer.

**Yeast**
Pivovarské kvasinky jsou dělnice, které ze sladko hořkého roztoku, který na varně připravili naši sládci, vytvoří to finální UM!ělecké dílo, kterým bezesporu pivo je. Využíváme a testujeme rozmanité druhy kvasnic a to především v sušené podobě.

Craft products

Our products

Products from this unit are sold in the Um! shop.

**Ležák UM!**
Ležák Um! - a classic Czech lager. It is brewed using three types of malt and three drought-resistant hop varieties, giving it a pleasantly full body and a distinctive bitterness. We collaborated on this batch with the brewery in Řeporyje, blending university enthusiasm with the expertise of artisan brewers. The result is an honest, characterful lager that will delight any lover of traditional Czech beer. Cheers! Your brewing UM!artists from the Food Technology Pavilion

**Žitný ležák UM!**
The UM! Rye Lager is a true masterpiece created by our brewers; the blend of barley and rye malts gives this lager a distinctive flavor, combining fullness and lightness with exceptional drinkability-all complemented and underscored by the pleasant bitterness and aroma of the hops used. Don’t hesitate to raise a glass with us and toast to good health with this unique brew. Your UM! brewer-artists from the Food Pavilion

**Indian Pale Lager (IPL)**
Another lager in our lineup is based on the recipe of an English-style pale ale. However, it is brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast, creating a distinctive style of bitter pale beer. Try one of our lager varieties-you won’t regret it. Cheers! Your brewing artists from the Food Pavilion

**Navoněná**
NAVONÓNÁ is a light, top-fermented and unfiltered beer based on three types of malt and three types of hops, thanks to which it acquires a unique color and, above all, an irresistible aroma that draws you into the world of citrus, peaches and apricots. Skillfully brewed by our students, this ALE is a light refreshing yet wonderful beer, suitable for any occasion. You will always come across NAVOĚNA in our menu, so even here this beer is available to you whenever you feel like it. Cheers! Your brewing artists from the CZU Food Pavilion

**Pšeničné pivo UM!**
Wheat beer is more at home in the Czech lands than one might think today-a fact attested to by the vast number of fans and enthusiasts of this distinctive style. A blend of wheat and barley malts, special yeast strains, and light hopping creates a beer that is light yet full-bodied and highly drinkable, greeting you with its signature aromas of banana and clove. Our brewers have crafted a traditional pale version for you; all that remains is to taste it. Cheers! Your brewing artisans from the Food Pavilion

**Amber**
Amber is a full-bodied, top-fermented, unfiltered semi-dark beer. Thanks primarily to the use of Red X malt, it boasts a beautiful amber hue and a pleasantly tart flavor, rounded off by the fragrant, floral-fruity notes imparted by Enigma hops. It is the perfect companion for gatherings with friends and colleagues, embodying the "Studentský UM!" spirit through its balance and youthful, playful character. As a staple of our permanent lineup, you can enjoy it to your heart's content whenever the mood strikes. Cheers-and bottoms up! Your brewing "UM!artists" from the CZU Food Science Pavilion

**Red Fussion**
RED FUSSION-a pale, tart, top-fermented sour ale-is characterized by a pleasant acidity and a bold fruit flavor. Raspberries, sour cherries, and blackcurrants are added during the maturation process, allowing them to retain all their essential and intriguing qualities. This beer is playful, juicy, and packed with interesting flavors that will delight anyone eager to discover unique beer experiences. With its lower alcohol content, RED FUSSION offers a refreshingly original treat. Cheers! Your brewing artisans at the UM! Brewery (Food Pavilion)

**Mandarin**
Mandarin is a tart, top-fermented beer-a "sour." Our researchers and brewing artists have combined the most intriguing and unconventional ingredients to create a beer with a bold, fruity flavor and aroma of mandarins. These notes come not only from specific hop varieties but also from the mandarins themselves, added during the maturation process. Its lower alcohol content makes it a light, refreshing choice-perfect for summer, yet a delightful, unique treat at any time of year. Cheers! Your brewing artists from the UM! Brewery at the Food Pavilion

**Gose - malina ibišek**
Gose-style beers fall into the sour category, so they usually pair beautifully with fruity notes. Our brewery "UM!ělci" (artists) have combined hibiscus-which lends an intense red-to-burgundy hue and a touch of tartness-with raspberries, whose signature flavor makes this beer incredibly drinkable. Like our other sours, this beer is a great choice even for those who aren't fans of traditional malty or bitter beer flavors. Your brewery artists from the Food Pavilion

**Milkshake - mango jahoda**
MilkShake-an unconventional name for a beer; you might picture a milkshake or some other dairy-based drink, but don't be misled. It is the lactose in this specialty beer that gives it a velvety smoothness and pleasant sweetness, subtly complemented by fruity notes from added mango and strawberries. Yet, a gentle, unobtrusive bitterness leaves no doubt that this is indeed a beer-and a unique, delicious, and refreshing one at that. Have you tried it yet? No? Well, don't hesitate-cheers! Your brewing artists from the CZU Food Science Pavilion

**Oat Brut IPA**
As the name suggests, this is an Oat Brut IPA-and it truly lives up to the name; our brewers have crafted a super-attenuated IPA that is so dry it almost feels like "dust" on the palate. After the first sip, you might feel like nothing-absolutely nothing-has happened, but then the passion fruit flavor unfolds, and the fruit's slight acidity further accentuates the beer's extreme dryness. Yet, the hop bitterness and subtle beer notes remain present. Can't wait to try it? Then don't hesitate-come pick up your Oat Brut IPA at the *Řemeslné potraviny* (Artisan Foods) shop in the CZU Food Pavilion. Your brewing artists (UM!ělci)

**SpecifikUM!**
SpecifikUM! is-and always will be-a unique beer that blends traditional brewing foundations with the fresh, experimental approaches of CZU students. A passion for brewing and an innovative vision are the essential-and equally vital-ingredients of the SpecifikUM! line. Look forward to intriguing, distinctive combinations of flavors and aromas that give these beers their unique character. Our small-batch 100-liter brews further underscore their uniqueness and exceptional quality. So don’t hesitate-savor every sip of this university specialty. Your brewing "UM! artists" from the CZU Food Science Pavilion

Visit us

Some pictures from brewery

Team

Our experts

Tomáš MudrákBrewmaster

God bless our beer

More technology

Other units of the pavilion

1st and 2nd floor

Meat processing

Production of smoked meats (hams, frankfurters, sausages, špekáčky, salamis) and fermented meats.

1st and 2nd floor

Milk processing

From Jersey milk from the farm of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague to high-quality dairy products. We explore the journey of milk from its initial processing to the final product. We combine high-quality raw materials, modern dairy technologies, and hands-on education for students of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.

3rd and 4th floor

Bakery, confectionery and pasta production

Bread and rolls, fine pastries, confectionery, pasta and the pavilion's own mill.

1st and 2nd floor

Fruit and vegetable processing

Juice pressing and bottling, drying, freeze-drying and jam making.

Basement

Oil pressing and processing of medicinal plants

Pressing of oilseeds and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants.

2nd floor

Gastronomy: kitchen and restaurant

A professional teaching kitchen, a tasting room and a restaurant with a daily menu made from pavilion products.