Kate Haas is a recent alumni (’23) of Colorado State University’s Fermentation Science and Technology Program. She is originally from North Texas and grew up on a ranch, developing a deep passion for both agriculture and science. After finding out about the CSU FST program, she began attending CSU in Fall 2019. Over the next four years, she was a member of the University Honors Program, acted as the lead quality analysis/quality control (QA/QC) lab intern for the program, and worked in the FST Malt Lab to perform tests for local maltsters. Several months following graduation, Kate connected with a FST alumna, Maggie Fischer (‘21), who helped her network to find a position at the Molson Coors Beverage Company in Golden, Colorado. She is excited to be representing her alma mater at her new job.
Describe your current position and some of the responsibilities that come with it.
My current position at Molson Coors is as a beer processing specialist helping to process and deliver well-known brands, such as Coors Light and Coors Banquet. My role is more specifically down in the government cellar where we facilitate the transfer and finishing of beers as they come in from aging or filtration and head out to the packaging lines. Our area is one of the more difficult ones in the brewery due to the unique, individual nature of each filter we maintain, the mix of products we see each day, as well as the huge responsibility of ensuring packaging continues 24/7. The other specialists and I have to uphold the quality of the beer by running CIP/SIP (Clean-in-place/Sanitize-in-place) procedures on each part of the brewery that touches beer and carefully monitor beer specifications. Additionally, we have to also predict the behavior or needs of packaging and be able to troubleshoot any issues that might arise along the way.
Why did you decide to pursue your current career path?
The Fermentation Science and Technology Program has a lot of great courses dedicated to brewing. Following graduation, I felt comfortable enough to tackle a full-time position that focused on any one part of the brewing process. So, when Molson Coors had an opening for one of their processing specialists, I applied, despite my previous focus on quality and malt lab positions.
I chose to pursue the brewing industry initially because of its position at the center of agriculture, science, and society. Once I began to attend CSU, and got involved in the FST Program, I also found there to be a wealth of kind, genuine people who created an incredible network surrounding beer. While FST offers exposure to the broader fermentation field, I felt a deeper connection to this aspect of the brewing community.
How have your education and experiences in the Fermentation Science and Technology Program helped you in your career?
The FST Program really helped me to grow both my knowledge of the fermentation science field and my ability to handle challenges head-on. During my time at CSU, I acted as one of the program’s brew lab interns, working in the lab running analytical testing on in-house and commercial samples. This, plus the time I spent working in the two on-campus breweries, were excellent experiences that truly reflect that of craft beer production. The skills I developed in that time are the same ones I use today at Coors (on a much larger scale, of course) or act as a basis for me to further build upon in a true production facility.
What advice do you have for students looking to join your field?
It’s difficult for me to give advice since I’m still new to the industry, but I encourage graduating students to go outside your comfort zone and explore the directions open to you. When I graduated, I was dead set on going into a QA/QC position, but I took a chance and applied to something completely different. I still love that area of brewing and feel at home in it; however, I’m loving the position I have now. There is a ton to learn and challenges to overcome that I’ve never even heard of before. Whatever I do next, I know that I will be more prepared and better for it from the experiences I’ll have from being a processing specialist. It’s all thanks to taking a chance!
The Fermentation Science and Technology Program is in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
