Brewing, Analysis and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Rice Wine: An At-Home Interdisciplinary Practical Project during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Under the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, an interdisciplinary project about the brewing and analysis of traditional Chinese rice wine was performed at home by junior students of the chemistry major at Huanggang Normal University under the remote guidance of teachers during the spring lockdown semester of 2020. Students were exposed to the concepts of yeast metabolism, analytical testing, and sensory evaluation in terms of real project study and completed a series of hands-on activities at home using readily available materials, utensils, and self-made devices. In the spring semester of 2021, experiments were conducted in the general lab with other students in the same program to compare the results of the two groups of students. The results were that the “home” results were credible, the students were trained not only in laboratory skills but also in analytical and communication skills, and, significantly, the majority of students enjoyed the content and activities. This paper illustrates an effective experimental design procedure that can be conducted at home or in the laboratory in response to uncertain changes, such as a pandemic lockdown.