This session, sponsored by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA), focuses on real-world brewing challenges and shared technical expertise. The session features Ask the Brewmasters Live, a real-time version of the MBAA’s famous online forum, where experienced brewers answer all types of brewing questions and help work through real production problems. Hear attendees connect with industry professionals, ask burning brewing questions, enjoy community in action, and learn at all experience levels. Find out what makes the MBAA so unique and special in the brewing industry!

Presentation Audio:

About the Speakers

Ben Bailey, Quality Assurance Manager

Troegs Brewing Co

Ben Bailey  began his career in brewing during his studies at the University of Texas with a three-year apprenticeship at Live Oak Brewing Co., in Austin, Texas, after which, he enrolled at the University of Munich at Weihenstephan, graduating as a diploma brewmaster in 2008. Ben then worked as a quality assurance engineer for MillerCoors in Trenton, Ohio, before taking on his current role in 2010 as quality assurance manager at Troegs Brewing Co. in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Harmonie Bettenhausen, Faculty Lecturer

University of Kentucky

Dr. Harmonie Bettenhausen is a faculty lecturer at the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits at the University of Kentucky, where she teaches courses on distillation, brewing, wine, and sensory science. A trained brewer with a background in food and cereal chemistry, metabolomics, and fermentation science, her research focuses on the influence of raw materials on the quality and flavor of beer and spirits. Recently named Technical Quarterly Editor for the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, Dr. Bettenhausen's goal is to bridge academic science with hands-on production practices to support quality, education, and innovation in the global beverage alcohol industry.

Laura Burns, Director of Research and Development

Omega Yeast Labs

Laura Burns (she/her), Ph.D. is the director of research and development at Omega Yeast. After studying stress responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for her graduate thesis at Vanderbilt University, she decided the best place to apply this knowledge was in brewing. She worked in production brewing for five years as head brewer and director of quality assurance before heading back to the bench at Omega Yeast. Her undeniable curiosity drives her to tackle difficult questions that brewers face daily.

Glen Fox, Professor of Malting & Brewing Science

University of California

Dr. Glen Fox (he/him) worked for the Queensland Department of Agriculture from 1986 to 2010. After completing his PhD in 2008, he was he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Stellenbosch University in South Africa during 2008 and 2009. In 2010, he was appointed as the Senior Fellow at the University of Queensland. In 2019, he was appointed the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Brewing Science at the University of California (UC), Davis. Some of his current research focuses is on starch and protein structure and their impact on grain, malt, and beer quality and how a range of ‘omics technologies can provide a deeper understanding of quality. In 2018, he was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. In 2022, he received the outstanding service award from the UC Davis Continued Professional Education program. In 2025 he graduated with a Doctor of Science from Stellenbosch University. Glen has adjunct positions at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, the University of Queensland, Australia, and Nara Institute of Science & Technology, Japan. He has published one book, with one edited book, 16 book chapters, and over 130 peer-reviewed journal articles. He has been on numerous industry webinars and podcasts and is on the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) editorial board, the ASBC malt subcommittee, ASBC Planning Committee, the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) podcast committee, editorial board of the MBAA Technical Quarterly journal, and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling International committee.

Jason Perkins, Brewmaster

Allagash Brewing Co

Jason Perkins (he/him) is the brewmaster and vice president of brewing operations at Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine. As an avid homebrewer, Jason was eager to build a career in the craft brewing industry and in 1999 became one of the first Allagash employees. Over his two-decade tenure at the brewery, Jason has helped Allagash grow to be one of the Top 50 Craft Breweries in the U.S. (by sales volume) and a leader in sustainable craft brewing.

This seminar was sponsored by: