Brewers Journal Europe - Spring 2020

The magazine for the professional brewing industry

Brewers J o u r n a l

E URO P E

Issue 1 | Spring 2020 ISSN 2633-8033

BUDWEISER BUDVAR

BREWING BRILLIANCE IN BOHEMIA

10 | USA: THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION TALKS QUALITY

38 | ITALY: ENJOY A BEER IN BEAUTIFUL BOLOGNA

30 | bELGIUM: Kasteel Brouwerij LOOKS AHEAD

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l e ad e r

WELCOME

W

elcome to the launch issue of Brewers Journal Europe!

It’s a real privilege to be publishing the first edition of this new

magazine for the brewing industry.

Our goal is simple; we strive to give breweries the latest insights into brewing equipment and associated technologies, as well as the drivers impacting the supply and production of essential ingredients such as hops, malts, and yeast.

But as importantly, we want to tell the stories of the breweries that comprise this industry and the towns, cities and counties they operate in.

Beer is a universal language and the role breweries, bars, pubs and bottle shops play in their communities cannot be understated.

These businesses contribute to culture and create employment, and I look forward to telling the stories of such companies that form part of the rich brewing tapestry across Europe.

It goes without saying that recent weeks and months have been a tumultuous period not only for the brewing industry, but the global economy.

These are challenging, testing times and we are all having to work our hardest to sustain the sector we love and ensure we come through it all stronger. And we're all probably going to be in need of that very first pint at the bar when they reopen.

Lest we forget that beer is not a new invention. It has seen, and overcome, its fair share of problems, hurdles and challenges over the millennia. Wars, disasters and times of prohibition have been swept aside. Beer, and the fantastic industry responsible for its production, isn’t going anywhere, that’s for sure.

Just look at the latest research from the excellent Brewers of Europe. Its new report detailing the significant contribution beer makes to the European economy reveals that the the EU28 (in addition to Norway, Switzerland and Turkey), is the second

brewersjournal.info

editor's choice Advice and guidance on how your brewery can grasp the no and low-alcohol opportunity - page 59

largest beer producer in the world after China, with approximately 10,300 active breweries.

Total consumer spending on beer in 2018 was more than €117 billion in the EU28 and the total contribution of beer to employment is more than 2.3 million jobs (around one per cent of total EU employment).

On such employer is Budweiser Budvar, located in the Czech city of České Budějovice. It was a real honour to visit the brewery earlier this year and to taste their fantastic beer direct from the maturation tanks.

Budweiser Budvar, like the wider industry, has witnessed and overcome adversity and I hope you enjoy reading their story in this edition.

So, until next time, the very best of luck with all of your endeavours in the coming weeks and months.

Europe's brewing industry is a diverse, wondrous entity and I look forward to continue celebrating it with you all in 2020 and beyond. u Tim Sheahan Editor

Spring 2020

3

co ntac t s

contacts

A Brand of Atlantic C

Tim Sheahan Editor tim@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 592 Velo Mitrovich Deputy Editor velo@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 591 Josh Henderson Head of sales josh@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 594

The new AC Fill machine for the bottling of beer and soft drinks: Isobar fillings ystem with a nominal capacity of 3,500 to 16,500 bottles per hour

Jon Young Publisher jon@rebymedia.com Reby Media 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 1PA, UK

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Atlantic C GmbH D-54470 Bernkastel-Kues info@atlanticc.com

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SUBscriptions Brewers Journal Europe is published four times a year and mailed every April, July, October, and January. Subscriptions can be purchased for four issues. Prices for single issue subscriptions or back issues can be obtained by emailing: subscribe@rebymedia. com

Europe €29 International €49 The content of Brewers Journal Europe is subject to copyright.

However, if you would like to obtain copies of an article for marketing purposes high-quality reprints can be supplied to your specification. Please contact the advertising team for full details of this service. Brewers Journal Europe is printed at Manson Group, St Albans, UK.

up to 4 brands of beer per device different sizes & shapes of growlers stays fresh up to 2 weeks from filling modern design simple operation & easy to maintain 2,4” touch-screen & adjustable user interface RGB LEDillumination environmentally friendly

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Spring 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of the publisher. Brewers Journal Europe ISSN 2633-8025 and 2633-8033 is published quarterly by Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1PA. Subscription records are maintained at Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1PA. Brewers Journal Europe accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of statements or opinion given within the Journal that is not the expressly designated opinion of the Journal or its publishers. Those opinions expressed in areas other than editorial comment may not be taken as being the opinion of the Journal or its staff, and the aforementioned accept no responsibility or liability for actions that arise therefrom.

Brewers Journal Europe

co nte nt s

contents 38

10

44

30

26

Cover story 18 - How brewmaster Adam BroĹž and quality management

specialist Petr KoĹĄin are helping drive Budweiser Budvar through the latest stage of its expansion

comments | Hygiene & quality 10 trending | recruitment 15 in their own words | bestmalz 26 installation | Kasteel Brouwerij 30 focus | workflow 35 snapshot | bologna, italy 38 crossing continents | israel, palestine 44

brewersjournal.info

50 focus | design 53 crossing continents | Uzbekistan 56 science | microbial control 59 science | low and no alcohol 64 focus | diastaticus 68 focus | quality stablisation 75 science | kombucha

Spring 2020

5

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Consistent, Reliable Brewing Yeasts & bacteria www.lallemandbrewing.com

n e ws

trade body calls on policymakers to support hospitality sector and suppliers

T

he Brewers of Europe, the trade association

payments, and targeted reductions in VAT and excise over

representing the interests of Europe's brewing sector,

the medium term, to boost recovery and job creation.

hospitality sector and supply chain during the global

compensation (e.g. of 90%), by governments, of

COVID-19 crisis.

employees facing technical unemployment and also

has penned an open letter calling on support for the

Writing to presidents of the European Commission,

In addition, he suggested a minimum net salary

grants and loans, including through the redirection of

Council, Parliament, Eurogroup and EBC, and the national

structural funds, putting the hospitality sector at the

finance ministers across Europe, they urge national

core of the new ECB economic stimulus program, plus

and European policymakers to keep the impact on the

exceptional state aid measures to compensate for lost

hospitality sector front-of-mind when considering and

earnings under Treaty Article 107(2)(b).

proposing measures to soften the negative economic and personal effects during this period.

Photiades added: "With brewery numbers doubling to over ten thousand during the last five years and

“The virtual elimination of the on-trade side of the

thousands of new microbreweries opening as the beer

EU beer market also has a knock-on effect on the wider

sector continued its recovery from the 2008 economic

supply chain, from the farmers, maltsters and can/bottle

crisis, research published in March 2020 was showing the

manufacturers to the distributors, drivers, warehouse

significant and growing contribution of beer to Europe’s

workers and countless others connected to the trade,”

society and economy.

Pavlos Photiades, president of the Brewers of Europe wrote.

He said that it is paramount to compensate for lost earnings and support those businesses during these

“In 2018 the brewing sector generated in the EU over 2.3 million jobs, €55 billion in value added and €44 billion in government tax revenues.”

The letter says that taking the appropriate exceptional

exceptional times and to then help them getting back on

measures can help minimise as much as possible the

their feet once the restrictions start to be loosened.

impact on the on trade sector but also the other sectors,

Photiades said key supportive measures for the

such as brewing, that depend on it.

on-trade sector and wider beer value chain include

“Doing so in a methodical, innovative and significant

a combination of supportive national fiscal policies,

way will ultimately boost not just these sectors but also

which include short term refunding of tax and social

the contribution to the wider economy through jobs, value

charge payments already made, postponement of new

added and government revenues,” he explained.

Heineken appoints new president for Europe

H

Pacific at Heineken.

Jean-François van Boxmeer, chairman of the executive board and CEO at Heineken, commented on the news

eineken has appointed Soren Hagh as president of

and said: "Obviously, the key focus for us is on running the

the Europe region. Starting on 1 June 2020, Hagh

company through the current unprecedented COVID-19

succeeds Stefan Orlowski who is currently regional

crisis.

president for Europe, and whose decision to leave the

“With our first priority the health and well-being of our

company was announced on February 11, 2020. Soren

people. At the same time, we are preparing for the future

Hagh is at present, managing director of Heineken

with these appointments.

Italy and previously was its executive director of global marketing.

He joined Heineken in 2013 and prior to that, held a number of senior management positions at Lego,

"I am very pleased with Dolf’s choice of Soren Hagh leading our Europe region, and Jacco van der Linden leading our Asia Pacific region, per 1 June 2020.

"I want to express again my gratitude to Stefan

Diageo and L’Oréal, including general nanager EMEA for

Orlowski for his 22 years of great service to our company.

Lancôme.

He will leave Heineken with our genuine thanks and best

Soren Hagh will work closely with his successor to help Heineken Italy through the COVID-19 crisis.

Elsewher, Jacco van der Linden will succeed Dolf van den Brink, who is currently regional president for the Asia

brewersjournal.info

wishes for the future.

“We are confident that Soren and Jacco will be very valuable in our Executive Team, and in leading the business and respective teams in their regions."

Spring 2020

7

n e ws

Beer’s major contribution to European economy outlined T

he significant contribution beer makes to the

innovating with new craft and specialty offerings

European economy has been detailed in a new report

appealing to changing consumer tastes.

by the Brewers of Europe.

Assessing the EU28 (plus Norway, Switzerland and

According to the research, on-trade consumption has continued to drop in most countries, however there are

Turkey), which is the second largest beer producer in the

more exceptions now than before (e.g. Croatia, Denmark,

world after China, the research showed that there were

Austria, Lithuania, Portugal, Malta, and Cyprus all saw

approximately 10,300 active breweries.

an increase in the on-trade market in 2018 compared to

These were owned by more than 9,500 active brewing companies, which produced over 405 million hectolitres of beer in 2018.

The report, published by not-for-profit association

2015).

The brewing sector in Europe is also a key exporter with the EU28 countries selling more than 32 million hectolitres of beer outside the EU. Some countries

Brewers of Europe on its website, found that a significant

export more than half of their total production (notably

number of new microbreweries, more than 860 more than

Estonia, the Netherlands and Denmark). Most countries

in 2017, have been established, adding to the innovation

import significant shares of their consumption and export

and diverse products offered by the beer sector.

significant shares of their production (10% or more of

Although domestic consumption declined over a number of years up until 2013, affected by wider macroeconomic trends, this has grown in each of the last

consumption is imported and similar shares of production are exported).

The report also detailed the significant number of jobs

five years, with the biggest increase in 2018, following

that depend on the continued success of beer in Europe.

economic recovery.

Its total contribution to employment was over 2.3 million

Total consumer spending on beer was more than €117 billion in the EU28 in 2018. This in part, reflects companies

New bacteria for sour beer production

jobs in the EU28 in 2018. Head to the Brewers of Europe website at brewersofeurope.org to read the full report.

and its metabolism if you pitch it after hop addition.”

The company recommends brewers pitch 10 g/hL of the bacteria in a cooled 12°P wort within a temperature

F

ermentis has launched its first bacteria to help

range of 30 to 40° C [86 - 104°F]. The final pH reached in

brewers create sour beer. SafSour LP 652, is a

these conditions will be between 3.2 and 3.6.

homofermentative lactic acid bacteria selected for its ability to acidify beer wort as well as to provide subtle fruity and citrusy notes. Fermentis said it had a gap in the area of sour beers development so therefore started to develop its the bacteria required for kettle souring.

SafSour LP 652 is described as fairly fast and

Lallemand Brewing launches Kveik Ale Yeast

L

allemand Brewing has launched LalBrew Voss, a Kveik Ale yeast specifically selected for its

thermotolerant, designed to acidify wort down to

performance at a higher temperature and sensory

desirable pH levels for drinkable and subtle aromatic

characteristics. The yeast was isolated by Sigmund

sours; leaving the possibility to develop a wide range of

Gjernes in the 1980s, who has maintained it to this day,

profiles depending on the raw materials and subsequent

sharing it with the wider brewing community.

primary fermentation.

The company said the new product is ideal for kettle

LalBrew Voss Kveik Ale yeast supports a wide range of fermentation temperatures between 25-40°C(77-104°F)

sour beer recipes and can be pitched directly into non-

with a very high optimal range of 35-40°C (95-104°F).

hopped wort without any prior step off rehydration.

Very fast fermentations are achieved within the optimal

They explain: “It simplifies your work and it guarantees

temperature range with full attenuation typically achieved

you the same results in terms of acidification time and

within 2-3 days. The flavour profile is consistent across the

organoleptic profile [when compared to prior rehydration].

entire temperature range: neutral with subtle fruity notes

“It is essential to proceed with a non-hopped wort as Iso-

of orange and citrus. Flocculation is very high producing

alpha acids present in hops would inhibit bacterial growth

clear beers without filtration or use of process aids.

8

Spring 2020

Brewers Journal Europe

n e ws

AB InBev withdraws 2020 outlook in light of covid-19 A

B InBev has withdrawn its 2020 Outlook in its entirety due of the impact of COVID-19.

Carlos Brito, CEO of AB InBev said: “We are living in

extraordinary times. The COVID-19 pandemic represents unprecedented challenges for societies, governments and businesses across the world.

“The health and safety of our colleagues and communities continues to be our number one priority and we are doing our part globally through production of

supported by colleagues from all our markets.

“Our team in China took bold actions to adapt our

hand sanitizer and disinfectants, bottling of emergency

business, from brewing operations to connecting with

relief water and other actions.

customers and consumers, in response to a volatile

“We are working closely with governments, local authorities, business partners, communities and

environment and changing behaviours.

“Their efforts were remarkable, and their experience and insight continue to benefit our operations around the

stakeholders.

“We continue to implement our business continuity plans and are preparing for a strong recovery, learning

world.

“We are proud of the resilience and commitment of

from the experiences of our operations across the world.

our teams. Our diverse geographic footprint, unparalleled

Since the beginning of the outbreak in China, our local

portfolio of brands, clear commercial strategy and

team demonstrated tremendous resilience and agility,

talented people will continue to take us forward.”

NEW PRODUCT

SafSour LP 652 TM

A HIGHLY RELIABLE BACTERIA TO CREATE BALANCED SOUR BEERS

This homofermentative lactic acid bacteria is ideal for kettle sour beer recipe. It has been specifically selected by Fermentis for its capabilities to produce mainly lactic acid, to bring clean lactic flavor. It releases unique tropical, citrus and fruity notes and will give a nice freshness to your beer.

Discover more about this product on: www.fermentis.com

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

9

Co m m e nt

q uality

QUALITY IS ESSENTIAL

10

Spring 2020

Brewers Journal Europe

q uality

co m m e nt

craft beer and should be avoided. Lower temperatures

Bob Pease, CEO and president of the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association that represents small and independent American craft brewers, looks at the importance of maintaining quality throughout the supply chain.

for shipping and warehouse storage will preserve beer quality and beer that is stored colder will stay fresh longer.

Tests showed that beers stored at 4°C had a shelf life of 112 days before stale flavors began to develop, but this was reduced to 28 days when stored at 20°C. Warmer conditions increase the rate of many chemical reactions including oxidation, and rapid flavour changes are to be expected if consistently low temperatures are

by Bob Pease

not maintained. High levels of oxygen in beer also lead

T

to severe oxidative damage but this can be minimised

he variety of high quality, full-flavoured beers being produced by the 8,000+ small and independent American craft breweries is unparalleled anywhere in the world and demand for new and exciting styles like

during brewing and packaging.

The three components that lock in brewery freshness during distribution are: low temperatures, dark conditions and fast turnaround times (using the ‘first in, first out’ method of storage. Out

American IPA, barrel-aged beers and well-made classics

of date stock should be removed from the inventory).

continues to grow internationally. In 2018 (latest figures

Warm conditions increase the rate of many chemical

available), exports of American craft beer were worth $74

reactions in beer, including oxidation, none of them

million with the UK accounting for 16.6% of all exports,

welcome. Light induced damage to beer is caused by

Sweden 10% and all other Europe 10.3%.

sunlight or fluorescent light reacting with isomerized

One of the greatest challenges impacting craft beer

hops to produce an unpleasant, skunk-like aroma. Keep

right now, whether those shipped from afar or produced

bottles inside packaging whenever possible and avoid

just down the road, is that of quality and the flavour

heated or lighted display cases.

stability of beer after it leaves the brewery. Beer is a

Similar to packaged beer, the single most common

delicate, perishable product and quality of a beer can

cause of problems encountered in draught dispense

easily be compromised depending on the conditions

is temperature control throughout the system. The first

it is subjected to following packaging. The further it

step in solving any dispensing problem is to check the

travels from the brewery the more difficult it becomes

correct liquid temperature of the beer all the way from

to maintain that quality. Therefore, understanding how a

keg to faucet. Ideally all beer delivered to retail is stored

beer’s sensory profile can deteriorate with age is critical

cold until served, but in most cases, kegs need adequate

to delivering consistently fresh product and everyone

chilling time in order to avoid problems. Equally important

involved in the production, distribution and service of craft

is temperature of the beer at the tap, confirming that

beer should share a responsibility for maintaining product

the cooling systems used to maintain proper beer line

freshness and quality.

temperature are working properly. Changing temperature

American craft beer is in high demand and now exported all over the world, but it takes a commitment to understanding proper storage and handling techniques,

from keg to faucet by only a small margin can lead to foaming.

Draught beer is susceptible to damage from a host

and monitoring shelf life, by all involved in beer

of factors, such as age, heat, and air, but the number

distribution and sales to ensure any beer is delivered

one preventable factor affecting draught beer flavour

in high quality condition to the market. The craft beer

and aroma is poor hygiene. Beer is a food product and

movement continues to be driven by the beer drinker,

improper or irregular cleaning of draught system lines

not just the brewer or the retailer, and the beer drinker

and components—from coupler to tap —can lead to

is becoming ever more educated as to what constitutes

significant changes in beer flavour, all of them unwelcome

the appropriate flavour notes and freshness of beer. It

and will inevitably result in loss of sales due to customer

is absolutely imperative that he/she enjoys a positive

dissatisfaction and necessitate replacing beer lines at

drinking experience every time they pick up a glass

great expense. Staying ahead of these outcomes is key to

because old or stale beer will mean a bad experience and

serving great-tasting draught beer and maximizing profits.

lost sales.

Beer quality is measured by a complex set of sensory

The reputation and success of the craft brewer relies on the ability to consistently deliver a product that

characteristics that include appearance, aroma, taste,

satisfies the consumer. Together—that includes brewers,

texture and stability and maintaining and preserving

distributors, wholesalers, shippers and those at point of

consistent quality will build brand loyalty. Temperature

sale—the entire supply chain can operate as a coherent

fluctuations, sunlight, oxygen, and time are all enemies of

and unified partnership to ensuring this takes place.

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

11

HYG I EN E

Co m m e nt

Keep your kegs clean As an essential asset in any brewery, kegs require regular maintenance and servicing to keep them in top condition. But a healthy keg of beer needs dispensing through clean lines and here, Thielmann explain why beer line cleaning and keg servicing is a brewery’s golden ticket.

certain cleaning principles that can be applied to every system. In order to be effective, cleaning solutions need to come into contact with every single point of the draft line as well as every part of the associated equipment.

Despite the fact that some items like couplers and faucets can be hand cleaned, most of the system can only be reached by means of fluid flowing through the draft lines. The industry currently uses two cleaning

by THIELMANN

P

oor hygiene is the leading factor affecting

procedures: recirculation by electric pump, and static or pressure pot cleaning.

Electric recirculating pump cleaning uses a

the quality of draft systems. Besides the

combination of chemical cleaning and mechanical action

health and safety of the customers, there

to clean a draft system by increasing the normal flow rate

are numerous other problems such as

through the lines during the cleaning process.

organoleptic alteration or the accumulation

Static or pressure pot cleaning, for example Thielmann

of bacteria that can affect the cleanliness of the draft line

Cleaning Can, is the best alternative for short runs of

and the quality of the beverage served.

less than 4.5 m/14ft 7’’. This procedure is a versatile

When draft systems are not properly cleaned,

cleaning solution not only for beer but also for soft

harmful microorganisms will begin to grow in the draft

drinks dispensers. Cleaning Can pressure cleaning is

lines and associated equipment. It is therefore essential

the simplest solution to keep draft lines clean, since this

to implement a well-designed and regularly executed

method only requires the substitution of the keg by the

maintenance plan to ensure trouble-free draft system

Cleaning Can during the washing process

operation, and, to of course ensure a fresh beer packed full of flavour.

Best practice for cleaning frequency varies around the

Cleaning Can has a maximum working pressure of 5 bar and is made of stainless steel EN 1.4301 (AISI304).

Pressure pot cleaning, also known as “static cleaning”

world and is influenced by many factors such as cellar

allows cleaning solution and draft line to be in contact

temperatures, distances between keg and tap as well as

for no less than 20 minutes. They can be equipped with

dispensing temperatures.

various keg valves to clean up to five different system

Because every draft system is different, there is no definitive procedure for cleaning. There are, however,

12

Spring 2020

lines at once. It can have a different valve for all the couplers available and it can also be combined with

Brewers Journal Europe

HYG I EN E

co m m e nt

jumpers to clean up to 20 lines in a single pass.

Once finished, the Cleaning Can simply needs to be untapped and the line re-tapped to the keg...easy!

Now that you know how to keep your draft lines clean and your beer tasting great through effective draft system cleaning, let’s talk about the importance of keeping your keg fleet in top condition.

A fleet is as strong as its weakest keg

E

ven though stainless steel kegs are more likely to withstand rough handling in the brewery or in transit – damage can still occur. Added to this,

beer is becoming an increasingly international beverage

Fermenters

with consumers wanting to try beers from all across the world, wherever they are.

This however, means that beers and their packaging – kegs, are traveling further distances than ever before and as they move through more complex supply chains,

Filtration Tanks

the likelihood of them being damaged, lost or stolen increases.

The preventative aspect of servicing is vital, particularly for brewers operating on a smaller scale, where problems

Brew Kettles

with a keg aren’t usually discovered until the keg leaks, the beer goes bad, or it doesn’t dispense properly anymore.

While all this has an effect on profits, so does the

Mash Tuns

impact of having kegs out of service unnecessarily.

For a large-scale brewery with a keg fleet that numbers in the millions, there is more flexibility in the operating schedule of those kegs. The issue becomes

Lager Tanks

more critical as the size of the keg fleet reduces; the smaller the fleet, the bigger impact each keg has on the overall brewing operation.

At this level, a smaller brewer simply cannot afford to have a keg not operating efficiently, or out of service, at any time. Kegs need to be operating at optimal levels continuously because every single keg represents a larger proportion of the overall brewing capacity of the brewery. The knock on effect can affect profit margins.

As an essential asset in any brewery, kegs require regular maintenance and servicing to keep them in top condition. The good news is that stainless steel kegs can be repaired easily and also cost-effectively.

Stainless steel material delivers hygiene standards and it protects beer from UV light, pollution particles and corrosion. With stainless steel kegs, brewers can get durable, sterile containers that can be used up to a 30year period.

Kegs that are maintained under a regular servicing schedule will also experience less down-time (better profit margins…woohoo!), a longer life span, and will

STAES.COM Tel.: 0044(0)1427.89.00.99 james@abuk.co.uk www.abuk.co.uk Tel.: 0032.14.259.300 www.staes.com info@staes.com

continue to deliver the perfect brew, time after time.

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

13

Understanding Quality.

FOR LIFE.

Distinct taste and superior quality – that’s what consumers aim for when buying your product. The constant need for efficiency, variety and flexibility in production puts additional pressure on food and beverage processors.

Haffmans quality control equipment puts you at ease when it comes to product quality and optimizing the management of key parameters such as CO2 and O2 – so you can focus on that distinct taste.

Haffmans quality control devices are available for portable, lab or inline usage, and include the measurement of O2, CO2, turbidity and foam, microfiltration of gas, liquid and steam, monitoring of keg/bottle washing and pasteurization – helping you to effectively monitor and manage quality.

Contact us for more information:

foodandbeverage.pentair.com

recruitment

t r e n di n g

Find the perfect fit If we are not creating and working in an environment that we love, one that excites us and challenges us, then we are not at our best. Failing to bring the best version of ourselves to the party everyday hurts our chances of success.

So, what do you do if you’re not?

Brewers Journal Europe talks to brewing recruitment expert Julie Carling, of The Carling Partnership, to find out more. by velo mitrovich

increase in candidates contacting us in mid-January and September,” says Julie Carling, recruitment expert at the UK firm. “We put this down to people taking time to assess their careers during holidays times and an element of new year new start and the impetus to do something about it."

Where to turn

A

nd if I’m looking for work. Why should I go through an employment agency as opposed to just emailing my CV out there?

She says: “How are you going to find a new role? You

A

would expect me to say you should use a professional

growth, you care about putting value in your brand, and

candidate/client is going to work. As a candidate, we will

you care about success.

be representing you with the client, able to offer insights

ll of us are working for a brand. This could

recruiter as this will give you access to a wide selection of

be a brand of beer, a brand of brewing

active roles.

equipment, or a brand of supplies and

"We work directly with the owners’ and HR

raw materials. It’s a brand we care about,

departments of leading brewing/distilling companies

it’s what gets us moving every Monday

both global and craft.

morning, and it’s what pays the bills.

If you’re the founder of that brand, you care about

But there is another brand that sometimes gets

“We will also have a greater understanding of the culture of the business, whether the fit between

into the company/people and offer interview advise –

overlooked in all of this and that’s Brand You. What are

basically “hold your hand” through the entire recruitment

you doing to put value in yourself, in creating the best

process.”

brand that you can be?

Some work experts believe that once a year you should take the time to evaluate your job – your own personal brand. Are you doing the work you want to

Carling adds that there are other avenuessuch as word of mouth, on-line job boards, company websites, social media or simply forwarding a speculative CV. “We also have assignments that are not advertised so

be doing? Are you happy with your pay; job location;

are able to offer candidates opportunities that they would

opportunities for advancement; and career enrichment?

never know about. By working closely with clients and

If you’re not, it might be time for a change. But is

candidates we excel at matching people and knowing

there one particular time of year that recruiters see a lot

what culture they will work best in,” she explains. “Also,

of movement taking place with people looking for new

our knowledge of a role will be greater than what is

positions?

advertised and often the perfect role for a candidate is

“During 2019, movement was spread evenly throughout the year. In past years we have seen an

brewersjournal.info

not the one they consider themselves suitable for.”

And when it comes to look at a new role, is it that they

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t r e n di n g

recruitment

ON-BOARDING

DEFINE THE ROLE

OFFER

TIMESCALES

INTERVIEWS

JOB DESCRIPTION

MARKET THE ROLE

Above: The Carling Partnership's recruitment process

exposure to lots of areas of the business and scope to be involved in new product development and recipe development. With a smaller company you will most

want a new challenge, better pay, work in a new location,

likely be closer to the customer and in many cases you’ll

or a combination of the three?

have more of an opportunity to help develop the strategy

“The reasons that people look for new roles are many and varied and often, surprisingly, it is often not driven by

for the business.”

So, you’ve been at the same brewery for years and

money. These can be a new challenge, to gain more and

now you’re thinking about another brewing position. It’s

varied experience, to build their career, or somewhere

been years since you’ve sat in a job interview, what can

they can take on more responsibility,” says Carling. “A

you do to prepare yourself for this?

move to a different brewery can also lead to better

“Do your research into the company. Think about why

training – people will often move to a new brewery often

you want the job and what you can bring to the role.

because they want to work with a particular person.

Look online for interview questions and scenarios,” says

She adds: “If the brewery is expanding, you’ll have

Carling, “Ask what the interview format is going to be so

the opportunity to work on a project. A brewery which

you are prepared on what to expect. If applying through

will support development and training, sponsorship of

a recruitment company, they will talk you through the

examinations, are all important factors in make a decision

process and help you “get your brain into the right gear”!

to change roles. A move driven solely by the quest for

Key qualifications

more money is often short-lived.”

For Carling, what are the advantages of working for a large brewer?

These can vary but often working for a larger company means working in a more structured environment.

This can mean that there will be more training and development opportunities, as well as financial support for training.

In some large breweries there are more opportunities

A

nd for for people trying to break into brewing or distilling, how important is it having university or training course qualifications?

She explains: “The brewing degrees and master

qualifications offered by Heriot Watt and Nottingham in the UK are well respected by brewing companies along

to change roles and/or location, which may mean

with a number of the brewing schools in Europe. Others

international exposure. There will often be more

come into the industry through chemical engineering and

opportunities to work on projects and to be exposed to

other science based courses, often starting working in the

modern manufacturing and management technics. There

laboratory and transferring to the brewing department.

can also be the possibility of a better benefits package, although not in all cases.

And likewise, what are the advantages of working for a small brewery?

Carling says: “A smaller brewery can give you greater

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“What is important is to try and gain some practical experience of working in a brewery, even if this is in holiday time. Working knowledge of being in a brewery is attractive to clients. For those candidates in work the IBD qualifications are well respected and highly sought by the

Brewers Journal Europe

recruitment

t r e n di n g

COMPANY CULTURE

TRAINING AND

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT

RETENTION

REMUNERATION

COMMUNICATION

Above: Candidates' reasons for moving on

clients we work with.”

engagement with and development of employees it vital.

From an employer’s perspective hiring new people is

It’s not rocket science and, in the majority of cases, simply

expensive, especially if they don’t work out. How can this

listening to employees and taking the time to engage can

cost and hassle be reduced?

make all the difference.

“Yes!” says Carling. “Employees are the greatest asset

"When an employee is handing in their notice, isn’t the

of any company and recruiting and retaining talent

time to tell them you had great plans for them – by then

should be approached in the same way as selecting a

it’s too late as someone else has great plans for them!”

new brewhouse. A complete article could be written on

Carling says: "Having mentioned the importance of

this subject. No one can guarantee a recruitment will be

retaining your team we have to accept that people will

successful but if carried out professionally the risk can

want to move on – they may wish to relocate, develop

significantly be reduced.

their career in a new direction or simply just want a new

"When planning to recruit a new member of staff a

challenge. Zero turnover is not good for business, new

process should be put in place and we suggest following

employees bring fresh ideas and often new impetuous

our recruiting guide [opposite top page]."

and drive. Looking outside of the brewing sector

Finally, why do you think most people want to move

for people can introduce new dynamics, skills and

on to different breweries and as an employer, what could I

experience that can make everyone think differently and

do to keep them?

this is, more often than not, a good thing.”

Carling says staff retention is one of the major challenges for brewers today. Having recruited your team, you want a great workplace, to ensure you retain them.

Their knowledge of retention comes from speaking with thousands of candidates over the years and discussing

The Carling Partnership

the reasons why they join a company and why they then decide to move on from their roles and what does and doesn’t attract them to a company.

She says: “The reasons why employees leave organisations are many and varied – and, believe me, we have heard them all! However, bizarrely, it’s not unusual for employers not to know why they are losing their employees, which is surprising given how costly staff turnover can be.

“Companies should develop a retention plan to retain

Bill and Julie Carling founded The Carling Partnership in the UK in 2001 to address a need made very clear by the volume of calls being made to the International Brewer's Guild asking for suggestions for candidates for vacant posts. The company initially specialised in brewing, which were its roots. Since then, Carling has moved into other sectors.

employees and keep turnover low. Communication,

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B udweiser

B udvar

Brewers Journal Europe

B udweiser

B udvar

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A class of its own In the Czech city of České Budějovice Budweiser Budvar, or Budějovický Budvar as it’s known in Czechia, is undergoing a period of transition. More people want more of its beer, which has led to the investment in a new brewhouse and significantly increased capacity. But certain elements stay constant throughout and that’s the sense of harmony and balance the brewery imbues in the production of its beers. And under the guidance of brewmaster Adam Brož and quality management specialist Petr Košin, Budvar is in very safe hands indeed.

the position in the brewery’s rich, storied history.

Sat in his office, situated in one of the company’s many cavernous buildings, he’s sampling the brewery’s flagship beer; Budweiser Budvar Original. It’s a daily ritual undertaken around 10am by Brož and his colleague, quality management specialist, Petr Košin. The beer, a 5.0% ABV lager brewed using whole-cone, Saaz hops from Žatec, had been poured from one of the brewery’s many maturation tanks only moments earlier. The beer had finished cold-conditioning and it was time to taste.

The office, which he shares with Košin, looks every bit the home of an esteemed brewmaster. Folders of brewing records dovetail with sepia photographs of days gone by. You could easily transpose any of the brewery’s

by tim sheahan

W

e have to take a sip each day, it’s

hard pushed to date the very scene.

“Tasting the beer each day is a necessity. We need it,”

impossible not to,” says Adam

he explains. “We get the most complex analysis of the

Brož with a wry smile. Brož is the

beer that way. Why? Because the human mouth is the

brewmaster at Budweiser Budvar,

most well-equipped tool to judge the beer!”

and only the 10th individual to hold

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former brewing heads into the same room and you’d be

And when the beer goes through a 102 day brewing

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Tasting the beer each day is a necessity. We need it.

Adam Brož, Budweiser Budvar

process, then who can blame them. The journey of

B udvar

too much thought. And what’s wrong with that?”

Brož has followed in the footsteps of figures such as Antonín Holeček, Rudolf Smolík and Josef Tolar, from whom he succeeded, by holding the prestigious title of brewmaster at Budweiser Budvar.

There’s an understandable sense of pride in holding such a title at Budvar. Brož, like those before him, is the guardian of a brewery that came into being back in 1895, when a so-called group of rebellious Czech brewers took it upon themselves to start their own operation in České Budějovice. A business that has gone on to successfully navigate the challenges of war time, the shadow of the Communist era and also the pressures presented by the open-market.

Budvar’s current brewmaster graduated with honours

Budweiser Budvar Original, a pale lager with a sweet,

from the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague back

deep golden body and an aromatic, hoppy foam begins,

in 1999. Brož would then join Budvar, working across

of course, with the composite ingredients.

the brewery’s various departments. He became deputy

The beer is brewed with 100% Pale malt from the Haná

region of Moravia, in the southeast of the Czech Republic.

A yearly cycle sees it sown in spring, sometimes up until

brewmaster before moving to the top table in 2009, taking over from the regarded and respected Tolar.

Just as Tolar’s 24 year-old stint involved seismic shifts

the middle of March. The barley shoots and grows for

such as the country's migration from communism to an

90 or 100 days before its grains are harvested in the high

open market economy, Brož is navigating his own major

summer sun of mid-July.

challenges. And all in his stride, of course.

On the hop front, whole-cone Saaz hops from Žatec

Ongoing expansion works, overseen by Brož, involve

offer up a fine balance of aroma and bitterness, resulting

the investment in a new brewhouse and a raft of

in a characteristic reassuringly associated with beers from

additional fermentation and maturation capacity.

the Bohemian region.

The yeast employed by Budvar plays such an integral

24 new cylindroconical vessels were installed in late March 2020. These increase its main fermentation

role in its beers. The first brewmasters at Budweiser

capacity to more than 2.2 million hectolitres. Its new

Budvar created their own strain of Saccharomyces

brewhouse, with a capacity to produce 600-700

pastorianus in 1895. This strain helps delivers a finished

hectolitres per brew, is due for installation in 2021-2022.

beer that is crisp and dry, offering up the balance of rich malt with the aroma and bitterness from the Saaz.

And last, by no means least, water’s role in the beer.

Water is drawn from an Ice Age aquifer situated in Budvar’s hometown of České Budějovice. Boasting a

New bottling and canning capabilities, and improvements to the brewery’s logistics and warehouse operations are part of the expansion at the state-owned brewery, too.

It’s a major undertaking but Brož is obviously

neutral pH it’s considered to have the perfect hardness for

heartened by the increasing global demand for the beer’s

brewing and requires no treatment before it’s transformed

he, Košin and the team are entrusted to produce.

into lager.

The young beer is transferred to the brewery's

“We are a global business but we are very much local, too.” he says. “I often feel like we are the largest craft

fermentation vessels for a period of 12 days before

brewery around. We leverage decoction mashing, we use

moving to the army of horizontal tanks for a full 90 days'

whole-leaf hops, and adopt three month maturation. For

maturation.

me, being a craft brewery doesn’t depend on the size and

"With this composition of ingredients, it’s impossible to drink only one,” laughs Brož, who is in typically pensive mood. “For us, balance is the most important thing above

scale on which you operate but the attitude and ethos you adopt to brewing and the process that surrounds it.”

On a backdrop of the brewery’s much-anticipated

all else. Whether you're talking about a new beer or an

expansion, along with the wealth of skill and expertise

existing one, you need balance.”

required to make it happen, there’s additional excitement

He adds: “Sure, you can create a beer. Something that

in the air. For in a matter of weeks, the eighth iteration of

is designed to shock. But that cannot be a beer for regular

the brewery’s celebrated Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager is

consumption. For Czech people, beer is like bread. It

due to for release (At the time of writing, the beer is due for

doesn’t always have to be something you think too much

release in April).

about. Instead, it’s something to enjoy most days without

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Brewed using the same recipe and techniques as

Brewers Journal Europe

Petr KoĹĄin and Adam BroĹž head up a dedicated and talented brewing team at Budweiser Budvar

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B ud ě jo v ick ý

B ud v ar

Budweiser Budvar Beers Budweiser Budvar Original Brewed using whole-cone, Saaz hops from Žatec, pristine water from an Ice Age aquifer, Moravian malting barley and our heritage lager yeast, this classic rich and full-flavoured lager sets the gold standard for Czech brewing across the world. The tradition of cold-conditioning in our brewery cellars for seven times longer than most other beers creates a pale lager with a sweet, deep golden body and an aromatic, hoppy foam. Bold in taste, yet refreshing and perfectly balanced.

Budweiser Budvar Dark Lager Inspired by a time when Bohemian beer was brewed with more roasted and dark malts, this out-standing and world-renowned dark lager sees all the quality, taste and brewing traditions of Bud-weiser Budvar Original blended with roasted Munich and Caramel malts. This adds a black coffee and dark chocolate depth to the beer’s colour and taste, while retaining the refreshing drinkability of our classic pale lagers. Rich, sweet, dark, bold and more-ish. You don’t win ‘Best Dark Lager in the World’ numerous times by being average.

Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager Brewed using the same recipe and techniques as our famous Strong Lager, this is one of the world’s rarest and finest special edition strong beers.

Released once a year in late-spring, it is created using fresh ‘green’ hops, picked in the fields around Žatec, brought to our brewery the same day and added to the brew. Each batch is unique, making its flavour unique to that year’s harvest.

The beer is aged for a minimum of 200 days in our cellars before being released in a limited run of bottles and draft. Rich, deep gold in colour with a noticeable malt profile and a wonderful honeyed sweetness.

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B ud ě jo v ick ý

B ud v ar

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Budweiser Budvar Kräusened Pouring a hazy, light gold, this unfiltered and unpasteurised draft-only beer is crisp yet richly full-flavoured. The name, pronounced KroyZened is a tribute to the brewing process where rings or ‘kroužek’ form above the lager during fermentation. Kräusening is a time-honoured Bohemian brew-ing technique where young fresh beer is added to a finished batch in the cellars, restarting the fer-mentation and letting the yeast works its magic to add soft, natural carbonation, creating a slightly drier finish and satisfying depth of flavour.

Bud B Strong Our strong beer is one of the longest-matured lagers in the world. Aged for at least 200 days in our brewery cellars, gives it the time to develop the layers and levels of complexity that make it easy to understand why it has been named ‘Best Strong Lager in the World’. A deep gold with a rich malt flavour and slight sweetness, this is a lager to be savoured slowly.

Budweiser Budvar Free No alcohol should never mean no flavour. Quite the opposite. Just as with Budweiser Budvar Original, we brew Free using celebrated Moravian barley for a bold, sweet, toasted malt profile, and the same Saaz hops for a lightly spiced, fresh, citrusy aroma with just a hint of bitterness. Rich, full-flavoured and always satisfying, Budweiser Budvar Free sees nothing taken away except the al-cohol.

Budweiser Budvar is at the heart of the city of Ceske Budejovice

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B udweiser

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Decoction is part of the soul of our beer Adam BroĹž, Budweiser Budvar

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B udvar

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Budvar’s famous Strong Lager, it's one of the world’s

in a separate vessel. It is then mixed back in to raise the

rarest and finest special edition strong beers. Released

temperature of the mash.

annually in late-spring, it is created using fresh ‘green’ hops, picked in the fields around Žatec, brought to the brewery the same day and added to the brew.

“For us, decoction is vital to the drinkability of our beers,” says Košin.

Brož adds: “It’s part of the soul of the beer. Beer is a

Each batch is unique, making its flavour distinctive to

drink composed of more than 3000 components and it’s

that year’s harvest. The beer is aged for a minimum of 200

our duty to work with these. Decoction mashing changes

days in the brewery’s cellars before being released in a

the composition of the drink and it’s a key part of the

limited run of bottles and on draught. It's rich, deep gold

character of Budvar beers.”

in colour, with a noticeable malt profile and a wonderful honeyed sweetness.

“It is Budvar’s celebration of the hop,” beams Košin. “It’s

And when it comes to Budvar Original, another integral characteristic is the malt bill which exclusively comprises Czech Pale malt. Brewed with 100% Pale malt from the

a welcome addition to our release schedule and done for

Haná region of Moravia, it’s the table on which the beer is

joy, nothing more."

set. It’s also something that sets it apart from other beers.

The duo had the idea to produce such a beer following

“We are very sensitive to caramel additions to Czech

a trip to Portland, Oregon and the exposure to the raft of

lager. In our opinion, it shouldn’t be there! says Brož. “If

hop-forward beers imbibed during that visit.

you want to change colour with Caramel Malt then you’re

Košin recalls: "We were in the USA one August and far from home. We recognised how American brewers have

going to be changing the taste, too. Where does it stop?”

Such an approach to the production of Budvar Original

so many hop varieties and are able to celebrate them in a

is a point of contention when it comes to how the beer is

number of different ways.

defined on the international stage.

“So the following month, we harvested the hops back

He adds: “When it comes to international competitions,

home and brewed with them the very same day. It was a

there are often beers within the Czech and Bohemian

logistical challenge but very much worth it. With the help

categories that feature this addition.

of those around us, it’s our own celebration of the harvest and of the hop. We’re very happy with it."

And although Košin and Brož retain the same hop

“You also have judges tell us that with don’t fall into those categories and that we’re closer to Munich-style lagers when in fact, our beer has a higher bitterness level

dosage each year, the 2020 release is showcasing

than those. So it’s difficult, maybe we’re just in a category

a significant increase in bitterness in comparison to

of our own.”

previous beers and they’re looking forward to consumer

And for a company that’s been brewing since 1895, in

feedback on their latest creation which they jovially refer

a city synonymous with beer since 1265, award categories

to as “Jump to darkness” among the brewing team.

are unlikely to cause them too many sleepless nights.

While the maturation period for the Fresh Hopped

Instead, they’re only looking forward.

Imperial Lager is at least double that of Budvar Original,

“Expansion will allow us to produce more beer than

one constant throughout its beers is the use of double-

ever before,” says Brož. “But our approach to brewing will

decoction mashing. At its core, a decoction mash is a

remain the same. Long maturation and a commitment to

type of mash in which at least one mash rest temperature

using only the very best ingredients is at our core. It’s who

is reached by removing part of the mash and boiling it

we are.” u

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bestmalz

MALTing through generations After celebrating its 120th anniversary last year, German malt producer Bestmalz is only looking to the future. Here Dr Axel Göhler, grandson of the founder of Palatia Malz, looks at the company’s past, present and future.

produced by our family’s company was first used to make malt coffee. Fifteen years after the end of the war, my father Eberhard joined the management team.

The company moved out of its premises in Mannheim, which had been badly bombed, to Heidelberg, where our family also lived. As a result, although we children didn’t play among bags of malt, the company naturally was

by Dr Axel Göhler

M

always a major presence in our lives.

As long we went to school, for example, we worked

y family has been making beer for six

in the laboratory or helped with shipping the goods in

generations. My great-grandfather was

Kreimbach-Kaulbach to top up our pocket money. And

Technical Director at a large brewery

my two brothers and I were often allowed to attend

near Berlin. His son, my grandfather

company anniversaries or Christmas parties.

Max Göhler, moved from Berlin to

Managing a maltser

the Rhine-Neckar region, where he acquired our main production site, a 50,000-ton-capacity malthouse in Kreimbach-Kaulbach, in the 1930s. Soon after the war, he got together with other German brewers and maltsters to promote home-grown, high-quality barley, because good barley has always been the basis for high-quality malt.

By the way, back in those difficult times, bagged malt

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y older brother Martin joined the company in the 1990s and was in sole charge after 2001 when my father retired. I had the urge to travel.

I went to the USA to study, earned my doctorate degree

Brewers Journal Europe

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in St. Gallen, and later on as a consultant in an American strategy consulting firm, I travelled a lot, too, before finally setting up my own investment boutique in Hamburg.

But of course, I was always involved in the business as a shareholder and knew what was happening at the malthouse. It is probably no coincidence that I wrote my doctorate on family-owned breweries.

When it came to making decisions on major investments, such as building our first fully automatic bagging plant in 2007/2008, it was naturally discussed among all shareholders. By the way, that was a key factor for our success today.

There’s a huge difference between selling malt in bulk – in silo trucks or containers – or as a branded product in bags. We are talking about two completely different businesses. Bulk malt naturally has to be top quality, too, but selling it in bags brings a whole lot of new hurdles: plenty of technical challenges, different system requirements, greater personnel requirements in logistics, to name just a few.

As a result, when the craft beer trend spilled over from the USA with its demand for high-quality specialty malts, we had already created one of the conditions to be a player in this market.

Craft beer is an international product, which means that as a malt producer we also had to be positioned internationally. Many only see the potential profit gains, but the devil is in the details. Trading internationally with a product manufactured completely with natural ingredients – due to the German purity law – is a complex matter and not without risk.

There are currency issues to deal with, import regulations to observe, you have to build up an international dealer network, all while guaranteeing perfect quality. Those are things that are often underestimated. On the other hand, complexity also has a special appeal – if anyone could do it, you wouldn’t need

at the helm from by brother Martin in early 2015.

At the time, it was still not clear whether our strategy

Bestmalz! Last but not least, my international background

of developing specialty malts was the right one. But one

certainly also had its advantages.

thing was clear to me from the start: We had to make some fundamental changes.

Moving up

T

he considerable investments required to build up the craft malt business gave us some headaches for the first five years. The family shareholders put

their heads together to work out how to capture potential

Critical changes

F

irst of all, I bought out a co-shareholder and streamlined the shareholder structure to speed up decisions. Today, we have just three family partners

more quickly. We considered rapidly expanding the

and clear majorities. It is often the case in family-run

export business to be a core competence.

companies that ownership is spread over more shoulders

This suggested itself, as I had experience in

when the next generation takes over, because the shares

international affairs from my time in Hamburg, where I –

become more fragmented. That can mean decision-

among other tasks – had looked after the consular affairs

making is hard. Because I am the majority shareholder,

of the Kingdom of Jordan for ten years. So I joined the

it takes no time at all to make decisions and implement

company for a year on an interim basis, before taking over

them.

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bestmalz

Secondly, we have adapted our brand identity to adapt

Looking back, the measures and major projects we

the “Bestmalz” brand better to international markets. On

have implemented since I joined were essential to keep

top of that, we have changed the corporate structure,

our 120-year-old company in tune with the times. After

merged several entities under company law, and created

all, our aspiration is to sell world-class malts worldwide.

three independent organizational units.

And if we really mean “world-class”, that has to permeate

And finally, we have forged ahead with digitizing our

all areas: the product itself, the service we provide, our

processes to ensure that our business planning system

dealers and their know-how, how we store and pack

also runs smoothly. Not to forget ongoing investments in

the products. To be world-class, you have to look at the

the infrastructure for production, such as modernizing the

bigger picture.

germination lines, the steep tank and the cooling systems

Looking ahead

Intricate investment

I

t’s important to keep an open mind. We are in a

I

t certainly was a lot of work. We have just completed our latest project and will be inaugurating our new warehouse and logistics center at our Wallertheim site

very good position at the moment with a diversified portfolio. We want to tap and expand into other foreign

markets, for example in Asia and Africa. Good beer is hard

to coincide with the anniversary celebrations. That was

to come by in many countries. If we manage to further

an important step too, because we are now producing

establish the brand in the years to come, I can imagine

well over a million bags a year – five years ago the figure

the company growing to ten times the size it is now. What

was just 300,000. But I believe and hope that we will

matters for the company and our employees is that the

enter calmer waters now and have time to get used to the

business is run by people who know what they are doing

changes we have made in the company. The past years

and uphold our high-quality standards – whatever their

have been anything but dull.

family status. u

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Brewing success together.

For brewers from brewers.

braukon.com

i n s tall ati o n

K asteel

B rouwerij

V anhonsebrouck

Future proofing The rise of canning remains on a firm upward trajectory. When Belgium-based Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck made the decision to make its foray into this sector, CEO and proprietor Xavier Vanhonsebrouck turned to Krones to provide a compactlydimensioned line suitable for their needs.

Vanhonsebrouck, CEO and proprietor of Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck.

And so it’s hardly surprising that these traditionsteeped Belgian beers are also benefiting from the ongoing upturn, and their worldwide popularity is rising.

But the proprietor of this Belgian specialty brewery is not the sort of man to rest on the laurels of tradition and an enviable reputation. And because he’s a visionary, he

by TIM SHEAHAN

also charts courses that at first glance may appear to be

I

rather unusual.

emphasised his entrepreneurial boldness: for the first

of three truckloads for glass bottles you only need one

time, Vanhonsebrouck began to fill its tradition-steeped

truck for the same amount of beer in cans.”

n 2016, Xavier Vanhonsebrouck made a dream

“I believe that the future of beer packages in general

come true. Joining up with Krones, they turned a

lies in the can,” said Xavier Vanhonsebrouck. “It’s like

greenfield site at the Belgian town of Izegem, to

a small keg, and doesn’t let any light through, which

build a brewery that in this order of magnitude had

crucially improves the quality of the beer. In terms of

not been built in Belgium for more than a century.

transportation, too, the can scores highly, because it can

In 2019, he once again took a decision that

be space-savingly packed in trays or cartons. And instead

products in cans – something totally new on Belgium’s

Sustainability focus

specialty beer market. For this purpose, the brewery invested in a compactly dimensioned line from Krones.

All over the world, the beer market is being transformed.

“Craft beer is now on everyone’s lips, but for us here in Belgium these hand-crafted brews are not really anything

H

e sees the most significant advantage, however, when it comes to sustainability: “In our operations, the can is a non-returnable package.

new. Our specialty beers have a long tradition behind

So no water is required for cleaning it, and it can be 100

them, essentially they’re in a way the grandparents

per cent recycled,” he said.

of the present-day craft beer,” explained Xavier

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This high proportion is owed to Vanhonsebrouck’s

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V anhonsebrouc K

i n s tall ati o n

well-thought-out packaging concept: in the end-of-

Rouge, we’re also running our latest brand Filou on it, plus

the-line packaging, the handle is integrated directly into

small batches of other specialities like fruit-based beers,

the carton design, and can be unfolded with a single

IPAs or porters,” he explained.

manipulation. The carton itself, moreover, is made of

Since most of the beers have alcohol contents of more

recycled paper, which can, of course, be subsequently

than 8 per cent, the brewery also uses small 0.25-litre

recovered.

cans in addition to the 0.33 and 0.5-litre sizes.

For the container dress, too, Vanhonsebrouck

Vanhonsebrouck can handle up to 17,000 containers

has ensured a combination of cost-efficiency and

per hour with its new compact line. The first technical

sustainability: when sizeable quantities of beer are being

highlight is simultaneously the heart of the line: the

canned, the brewery uses preprinted cans.

Craftmate C. This meets the stringent requirements of

Only in the case of small batch sizes are blank

all those brewers who produce relatively small batches

containers fitted with sleeve labels. These in their

– and for whom Krones’ otherwise customary Modulfill

turn likewise meet the brewery’s stringent ecological

C can filler would be overdimensioned in terms of

stipulations: for instance, thanks to a perforation, the

both technology and space requirement. Thanks to its

sleeves can be very easily separated from the can – and

compact and easily accessible layout, the Craftmate can

thus from the aluminium.

be accommodated on a minimised footprint.

In order to achieve the vision of specialty beers in cans,

In technological terms, by contrast, it incorporates

in 2018 Vanhonsebrouck began looking for a suitable

field-proven features from the large can filler series, like

partner – and didn’t have to look far.

a volumetric filling system with 24 electro-pneumatically

“Krones did a brilliant job with our greenfield brewery

controlled filling valves and inductive flow meters. When

project, which is why they were also the first vendor we

it came to configuring its Craftmate, Vanhonsebrouck

contacted about the canning line – and we found their

was already thinking one step ahead, too: for example,

concept very persuasive,” relates production manager

the machine would also be able to inject nitrogen into the

Hans Mehuys.

beer or even can wines.

Production was already up and running six months

After seaming and fill level inspection, the cans are

or so after order placement. “We’re currently using the

passed to the next Krones specialist for the low output

canning line for one or two days a week – and we only

range, the LinaFlex Compact. Here, too, the engineering

need one operator for it. Besides our best-selling Kasteel

is based on Krones’ field-proven pasteuriser technology

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i n s tall ati o n

K asteel

B rouwerij

V anhonsebrouck

– it’s just that it’s accommodated in a compact machine

sustainability, we have cogent arguments to advance –

housing. This is the first pasteuriser in this order of

and I’m confident that our customers will quickly come

magnitude on the market, for instance, that can operate

to recognise these advantages.” But no matter whether

with a dynamic PU control. The Chess heating system has

it’s cans or glass bottles: when it comes to enjoying the

likewise been space-savingly integrated.

beer itself, nothing’s really changed: after all, without

For drying the cans, Vanhonsebrouck uses two Linadry units. Depending on the type of beer involved,

exception, Belgium’s beers are drunk from glasses.

As a Belgian specialty brewery, Vanhonsebrouck

the Sleevematic M installed downstream either dresses

has concentrated on making beers with top-fermented,

the cans in labels or allows them simply to pass through.

spontaneous and mixed fermentation – and produces

Whether with or without a sleeve – in the dry end, all the

almost 30 types of them.

cans are fed into the Variopac Pro WT, which groups the

The Kasteel Rouge, a high-strength beer with a cherry

containers into 6-, 12- or 24-can packs and then places

aroma, is sold in more than 60 of the world’s countries.

these in a wrap-around carton.

The latest addition to the portfolio is Filou, a Belgian Ale with an alcohol content of 8.5 per cent.

A far-sighted partner

In 2016 Kasteel Brouwerij Vanhonsebrouck joined forces with Krones to build a brewery castle on a

W

greenfield site. It’s not only the architecture that connotes

ith a project like this, it’s important to have a

grandeur; the technology installed is also a veritable

vendor that thinks exactly the way you do,”

Eldorado for brewers, since in the brewhouse different

emphasises Xavier Vanhonsebrouck. “We’re

fermentation processes and batch sizes can be run.

the first Belgian specialty brewery to have ventured the

Besides the 250,000-hectolitre brewery,

step into canning. We embrace visionary thinking, and

Vanhonsebrouck also modernised the existing 20,000-

have the future firmly in our sights – and that applies to

bph glass line, adding some new machines from Krones.

Krones as well.”

And for visitors, too, the new brewery offers a real

Now that the preconditions have been put in place

experiential treat for beer-lovers: guided tours through

with the new line, the next step for Vanhonsebrouck is to

the facility, while a visitors’ centre provides information

get consumers, too, to appreciate the idea of specialty

themed around Belgian specialty beers. The guests can

beers in cans.

then fortify themselves in the restaurant or pub, and in

“That’s not going to be easy,” admits Xavier Vanhonsebrouck. “But with attributes like quality and

32

Spring 2020

a beer boutique also buy packaged enjoyment to take home with them. u

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workflow

fo cu s

Work wisely Investigating the ways you can streamline your brewery, keep track of inventory and improve efficiencies across the operation, now more than ever, is essential. It’ll help you produce, and sell, your beer more effectively, efficiently and through more avenues than ever before.

to reduce paperwork and staff hours such as stock management, distribution planning and raw material traceability.”

Mobile-first

G

oing forward, the company is developing a

by tim sheahan

P

utting your hard-earned into brewery

new version of its software that is built to be mobile-first and work in any browser so that

customers can use BrewMan on any device. As well

software is an integral way to take help

as user experience improvements and added features

elevate your business. Through compliance,

we will also be incorporating multi-language interfaces

management and quality control software

and extend the different duty rate calculations to more

you can keep track of your production,

international countries. A beta test is due to begin in the

processes and analyse what approach works best for you and your team.

So while it may not always seem it, investing in your brewery need not be focused exclusively on the procurement of heavy capital equipment. And there is

summer with full launch later on in the year.

At sales-i, head of communications Mark McDonagh, says the most common conversation with breweries is the requirement for information on demand.

“Some of our users will visit ten or more of their

a wealth of software out there designed to help boost

customers each day and need up to date sales

productivity, improve efficiency and open-up new

information on hand in those calls to direct those

markets for your beer.

conversations. sales-i does exactly that with sales figures

"One of the key trends we've seen recently is that

as granular as day sales for each customer,” he explains.

brewers are seeking more data and analysis about their

“Alongside this, many of our users are in their growth

business so that they can discover opportunities that will

phase and don’t have sophisticated back office systems

allow them to grow in a crowded marketplace,” explains

and CRMs to aid their customer relationships. sales-i is

Sam Williams, commercial director at Premier Systems.

as close to an out-of-the-box solution as you can get

Last year, Premier launched a product called Advanced Analytics - an add-on module to BrewMan that creates graphs, views and dashboards to allow

to meet this challenge and can be up to speed and delivering results in a couple of weeks.”

The company focuses exclusively on one product

its customers to not just see sales reports but truly

in the form of sales-i. McDonagh describes it as a

investigate their data and the trends within it. The service

powerful tool that enables brewers to sell more barrels

also allows customers to subscribe to their favourite

by identifying the purchase patterns of customers – who

reports and receive immediate alerts if certain thresholds

buys when? Who has stopped buying? Who buys brew

are met.

“a” but not brew “b”. If you have hundreds of potential

BrewMan and BrewMan Production are Premier

customers, all with their own unique buying patterns, then

System's core products that cover the end-to-end

this information is almost impossible to track without a

process of managing a brewery, all the way from raw

product like sales-i.

material purchase ordering to vessel management, stock

Alongside this it works on any device, from laptop to

control, CRM, distribution and duty calculation. They have

smart phone and even offline – so when you are stuck

more than 200 breweries actively using the software.

in a cellar bar, trying to understand a customer’s order

Their services start from just £20 a month and allow

patterns and present to them, sales-i won’t let you down

small start-ups to start using a system early to help their

as all the information is at hand.

business grow.

“Software will save a brewery time and money,” adds Williams. “An obvious example is that BrewMan will calculate your month's duty return for you, saving an

Derek Silby, is the CEO and founder of Vos Voco, a new service designed to improve the profitability, quality and customer service of your business.

"While the food and drink industry features strong

enormous amount of time for your accounts team. But

brands and a thriving independent sector, there are

similarly most brewery software functions are designed

significant challenges. There is constant pressure on

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Spring 2020

35

Fo cu s

workflow

margins, customer expectations of quality and traceability continue to grow, and there are sector specific issues such as the impact of duty,” he says.

Quality system

S

ilby adds: “Technology will continue to allow productivity to grow, enable new services, and help reach customers. However most businesses

when it suits them.

This is ideally suited to smaller breweries who supply freehouses, potentially increasing sales by being easier

will have gaps in the systems they use leading to manual

to trade with. In company owned operations, information

processes directly impacting costs, increasing admin

such as stock-outs can be gathered to improve availability

time required from founders/directors, and missed

and hence sales.

opportunities to increase sales.

“We have developed a new approach that addresses

“Vos Voco was developed by operators,” says Silby.

“We understand that a solution will only be successful

these problems in areas where manual processes are in

and deliver benefits if it is easy to use and can be widely

use, providing an affordable, compatible solution for most

deployed. Our design approach ensures users can

businesses.

complete the required steps in 10-30 seconds depending

“Quality control has always been important, however

on the use, meaning it doesn’t slowdown the operation.

the ability to demonstrate compliance has become a

For the revenue solution, customers can use Vos Voco

business necessity. Whether your quality system has

for their own needs and other suppliers, avoiding “app”

been approved by SIBA or SALSA, the norm is to collect

and “log-on” fatigue which restricts take up of bespoke

data using clipboards, whiteboards and Excel. Data

company solutions.”

retrieval is slow, and it is often difficult to know the quality system is being followed by staff.”

He adds: “This engagement approach allows “trybefore-you-buy”. We visit your site for a diagnostic to

According to Vos Voco, its solution is to replace the

understand your needs and aspirations. Providing we can

paper gathering processes with collection using the app.

help you, we will create a costed proposal to be tried in a

Its approach allows nearly all processes to be replaced

Pilot.

in days not months. The ability to respond quickly keeps

"We will implement the Pilot at our risk allowing

costs low, meaning the solution is affordable by even very

customers to see the solution working before committing.

small businesses. Equally the modular approach allows it

If you proceed, fees are due, otherwise we will dismantle

to be deployed in large businesses.

the solution with no fees due. The Coronavirus may result

The company’s revenue solution is aimed at businesses taking orders over the phone. Its objective is to provide an affordable solution to brewers and industry

in you having more time than expected, and may present an opportunity to make risk-free progress.

“Vos Voco is designed to allow British companies

consumable suppliers to improve ordering productivity

within Food and Drink to take confident steps towards

and to allow customers to request restocking at a time

higher productivity, higher quality and higher profitability."

36

Spring 2020

Brewers Journal Europe

workflow

Case Study | Bike Dog Brewing and Ekos West Sacramento brewery Bike Dog Brewing was growing fast. As both their production capacity and their popularity grew, it became clear that continuing to manage their inventory, production, sales, and accounting processes with spreadsheets wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Implementing Ekos allowed the on-the-go co-owners to check in on production and sales from anywhere whenever they needed to.

The sales and keg tracking capabilities of Ekos helped them manage their selfdistribution operation seamlessly and keep track of their growing fleet of kegs. As the business grew, Bike Dog’s co-owner, Sage Smith, was able to quit his day job and commit to the brewery full time, fueling further expansion.

Bike Dog Brewing was founded as a small 3 bbl nanobrewery in 2013 by friends who had a passion for bikes, dogs, and beer. The entire business is built on the belief that good people deserve good beer (we couldn’t agree more). In 2016, the Bike Dog team bought a brewhaus with a 15 bbl system, and that’s when everything changed.

The challenge Like many brewery startups, Bike Dog first went the spreadsheets route to manage their inventory, production, sales, and accounting processes. But as their capacity grew, they began to self-distribute their products and opened an additional taproom in downtown Sacramento. It became clear quickly that spreadsheets were no longer adequate for their needs.

When they were first starting out, the co-owners were still working their day jobs — making it difficult to manage the brewery from afar. Sharing spreadsheets among team members was cumbersome, and trying to keep up with their local self-distribution customers was a nightmare. Plus, the team was having problems keeping track of kegs they sold to third-party distributors, and they wanted a way to keep tabs on them so they

brewersjournal.info

fo cu s

could get them back in a timely manner. Lost kegs mean lost dollars, after all.

The results Since Bike Dog’s team started working with Ekos in 2016, they have improved processes in every aspect of their operation. Nearly every team member — from brewers to salespeople and owners — uses Ekos to manage their dayto-day tasks.

Co-owner Sage Smith, co-owner at Bike Dog, summed it up like this: “I couldn’t run my business without Ekos. Like any good tool, everyone [at Bike Dog] is using it, and we’re not looking to use anything else.” Bike Dog’s team has experienced many benefits of using Ekos, including: The cloud-based system, which allows them to access information on the go.

The owners love to look at finished goods, shipments, and customer information in Ekos to check in on daily activity, and the sales and production teams are often in Ekos doing everything from updating inventory to making deliveries. Because Ekos is cloud-based they are able to do it from their laptops, tablets or phones on the go.

The ability to track their 600-700 kegs and identify when they go missing with Ekos’s keg tracking feature, which allows for mobile scanning of kegs and stores information about the product and batch as well as how long it’s been at a customer location.

The QuickBooks integration, which syncs all inventory and sales data to their QuickBooks account without any additional entry. This is a key priority for Bike Dog’s owners as they manage their fast-growing operation.

The need for having all their key business information in one central location will be even more necessary in the future — Bike Dog’s team plans to broaden their reach via an expanded distribution.

And in addition to the two taprooms they already have, the owners plan to add another taproom to offer their products to an even wider audience on-site. The ability to manage inventory and sales from multiple locations in Ekos will help them easily scale their business and continue to be successful year after year.

Spring 2020

37

s n ap s h o t

bologna ,

I taly

Brilliant beer in Bologna

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bologna ,

italy

s n ap s h o t

No longer barren when it comes to brilliant beer, Bologna is a fantastic city for breweries, bottle shops and bars alike. Here are some of the best spots to look out for and imbibe in during your next visit. by tim sheahan

N

early 1,000 breweries operate across Italy. These outfits not only catalyse the creation of more than 150,000 jobs across the chain but they produce a lot of fantastic beer, too. And thankfully for

residents and visitors to Bologna, the largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy, you can enjoy a wealth of these beautiful beers right there.

Like any city that’s done a fine job of recognising the growth in modern beer, all styles are catered for. If you want an Imperial Pastry Stout? Come right in. A beautiful, clean Saison? They’ve got you. A proper Pilsner? No problem. Be it an Italian product, or one sourced from Europe and beyond, Bologna’s breweries, bars and bottle shops are introducing, and catering for, a whole new wave of drinkers that enjoy beautiful beer.

Overleaf are some of the leading spots to enjoy brilliant beer during your next visit to beautiful Bologna.

brewersjournal.info www.brewersjournal.info

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venues not to MISS Astral Beers Pub Via Castiglione, 13/B, 40124 Bologna BO, Italy Baladin Bologna Via Clavature, 12, 40124 Bologna BO, Italy Beer of Bunnies 11a, Piazza S. Francesco, 40122 Bologna BO, Italy Beershop the Pretext Via Riva di Reno, 60/d, 40121 Bologna BO, Italy Birra Cerqua Via Broccaindosso, 5, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy Birreria Lupulus Via Giuseppe Petroni, 7/A, 40126 Bologna BO, Italy BrewDog Bologna Via S. Valentino, 2f, 40122 Bologna BO, Italy Harvest Pub Via Montello, 4, 40131 Bologna BO, Italy II Punto Via S. Rocco, 1, 40122 Bologna BO, Italy L’Ortica Via Mascarella, 26/B, 40126 Bologna BO, Italy Zapap Taproom Via Mascarella, 34, 40126 Bologna BO, Italy

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israel

&

palestine

The Tale of Two Breweries It really is the best of times, it really is the worst of times; it is the age of wisdom, it is the age of foolishness; it is the spring of hope, it is the winter of despair. Velo Mitrovich reports from Israel and Palestine, where – as much as he tried – he found it impossible to talk beer without talking politics.

the Canaanite sun-goddess Shemesh, or Sun, and the ruins of the biblical city are still visible on a low hilltop from the modern city.

Taybeh goes way back. According to the Bible, Jesus, after Lazarus' resurrection, retired with his disciples to Taybeh – already an established village. A church was built where he rested. From its ruins, you can look east into Jordan and south to the Dead Sea. While our bird can easily make the journey between the two breweries, good luck doing the same. Politics,

by velo mitrovich

A

history, and even more politics rule this region – the majority without logic – which is a real pity because one

bird with no interest in worms could fly

thing both breweries have is a real desire to make a joint

between the Shapiro and Taybeh breweries

brew together. What should be the easiest thing on the

in about 20 minutes. Shapiro is located just

planet to do, is probably the hardest. In this part of the

west Jerusalem, in the Judean mountain

world, nothing is easy, not even making beer.

city of Beit Shemesh. Taybeh is found just

To understand the problems Israeli brewers have, it’s

east of Ramallah, in the small mountain Arab Christian

best to look at Israel as an island. While it might share

village that it’s named after.

land borders to the north, east and south, with Lebanon,

Beit Shemesh goes way back. The city is named for

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Spring 2020

Syria, Jordan and Egypt as its neighbours, all supplies

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israel

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&

palestine

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party, he chose to make wine, not beer. Nothing has changed in Israel since then, with beer not being the first choice for most.

Since the early 1950s, there have been two main beer companies in Israel; Tempo brews a pale lager called Goldstar and a pilsner named Maccabee. Israel Beer produces Carlsberg and Tuborg under license. None are worth writing home about.

In 2005, Israel’s first craft brewery, Dancing Camel, was started. Today there are around eight good sized craft breweries that do everything themselves – brew, package and transport – and 10 to 15 small contract breweries.

Between all of them, they’ve chipped away at the two big companies and now have about 30 percent of total sales.

“It’s like everything else in this country,” says Itzik Shapiro, “we start late [with new innovations], but we’re fast, we catch on quick.”

Dani and Itzik started brewing when an older brother returned from the States and gave them a book on

Shapiro brewery, 2019

homebrewing. “Next time I come home, I want some good tasting beer.”

There were no ingredients in Israel for homebrewers,

have to arrive by ship or plane.

so every time family and friends went to the States or EU,

While this sounds like a headache, this is nothing

they were expected to bring back ingredients for the two

compared to what Taybeh Brewery goes through. Being

brothers. They started with a production of 20 litres and it

in Palestine – a country not recognized by Israel, the

grew from there.

USA, most of the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,

“We thought we were the only one’s home brewing in

and others – it is like being on an island, surrounded by

Israel,” says Dani, “but we found out there were others like

an island that you have some major issues with. Supplies

us.”

coming to Taybeh have to go through Israel and past

For a time they were the first and only commercial

its border guards. Beer going out has to go through the

brewers in Jerusalem but as their passion expanded, they

same.

needed more room, so they moved to Beit Shemesh.

Even when maintaining the politest and respectful

“With our first real expansion, we started with four

of attitudes, only until you too have experienced first-

10-barrel fermenters,” says Dani. “When we filled them

hand the problem of dealing with young, bored, and

up, we thought that was it, we’d never have to work hard

armed Israeli border guards, can you appreciate the daily

again, we had made it.”

problems Taybeh has in its quest to make excellent beer.

“Things happen here that no other brewery in the

While the two brothers enjoyed making beer, they realized early on they needed an expert brewer. Yochai

world has to put up with,” says Dani Shapiro, who with

Kudler, who trained in Germany, was brought in from

his brother Itzik started Shapiro Brewery. During your

almost day one and has stayed with Shapiro ever since,

time in both Israel and Palestine, you will hear this refrain

giving the brewery great continuity. The result has been

frequently.

American beers made in a German style.

“We don’t go crazy here,” says Dani. “We want

But not this.

“If we could only get everyone around a table,

everything drinkable and enjoyable. We don’t see any

Israelis, Arabs, Jews, Muslims, and Christians, and all

point in getting beer as sour or as hoppy as you can, at

have a couple of beers, we could sort all of this out in an

15% ABV for beer geeks. We like it mellow, interesting, and

afternoon,” says Dani.

for everyone.”

Styles include IPA, lager, winter ale, pale ale, wheat,

Israeli craft beer

oatmeal stout, a barrel aged chocolate porter, and a new sour.

While TBJ was there, Shapiro’s – and Israel’s – first

A 46

lthough beer was first created in this greater

kettle sour was being brewed, which was excellent.

region, when a noted Jewish rabbi decided to

Dani says it took Shapiro’s a couple of years to build up

turn water into a pleasing beverage for a wedding

the courage to make a sour, due to fears of wild yeasts

Spring 2020

Brewers Journal Europe

israel

&

palestine

Ori Sofer, Shapiro Brewery

c ro s s i n g

co nti n e nt

the brewery which is undergoing a massive clean. While no one at Shapiro is religious, to sell beer to people that are, the brewery and beer has to be certified kosher.

contaminating the rest of the brewery.

Dani says they went to the surrounding hillsides and

While TBJ was visiting, the last batches of beer were being brewed and a clean-up was beginning for Passover.

picked flowers, wild herbs and other plants to source

During this eight-day period, no yeast can be used so the

ingredients for the sour. After experimenting, they decided

brewery shuts down completely.

to go with an almond flower – blossoms – sour, which is

Because many people in Israel are surprisingly not

being brewed with a double fermentation method. It’s first

religious, Shapiro had to be working at almost a double-

fermented with wild yeast from the almond flowers and is

time-speed before Passover to ensure these customers

then given a second fermentation with Saison yeast.

would still have beer over the Passover holidays. Then

“We had to go through something here that no other brewery has to with this,” says Itzik. “Because our beer is kosher and insects are not kosher, we had to have a rabbi

immediately afterwards, they have to put the petal to the metal to catch up on orders.

“The good thing about this period is, when we shut

oversee the almond blossoms to make sure there were

down, we shut down,” says Dani. “I don’t answer my cell

no insects in it.”

phone for any work questions, it’s a great break from

“We have things happen here that no other brewery in the world has to put up with,” echoes Dani, pointing to

brewersjournal.info

work.”

When asked about how they see their future, Itzik says

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and not what is reported on the news.

“People thought I was crazy; that I was out of my mind to open a brewery here, but I didn’t listen and it worked,” Nadim says, in a talk that he has repeated many times.

When living in Boston, Nadim became a homebrewer.

When he returned to Palestine, he thought why not continue with beer and create a unique Palestinian beer. “In 1994, our first batch was 500 litres, now we’re

People thought I was crazy; that I was out of my mind to open a brewery here, but I didn’t listen and it worked Nadim Khoury, Taybeh

producing around 600,000 litres annually,” he says.

To get your question out of the way, while you would think Palestine is all Muslim, there are around 50,000 Arab Christians living there as well. Besides the complicated export market – more on that in a second – it is these Christians who Taybeh is targeting. For Muslims, Taybeh

what most craft brewers won’t: he’d like to see Shapiro

makes one of the few 0.00% ABV beers. But, while

bought by Goldstar.

Nadim is talking and you’re trying in your mind to match

“That’s my dream, I’d like to be connected with them.

production figures with exports and local consumption,

They have better labs than we do; they have better

you soon realise that there are more than Christians in

tech support; and better distribution that we could ever

Palestine who are drinking Taybeh alcohol beer.

hope to have. I can offer them beer that tastes good, not industrial beer.”

Palestine's first

W

While the Shapiro brothers might complain of having to import all of their ingredients – just like Taybeh has to do – one thing they don’t have a problem with and that’s water. For Taybeh, that’s a different story.

On the hills surrounding the village of Taybeh is an Israeli army radar and communications listening post

hile both Shapiro and Taybeh produce

and three Israeli settlements – technically illegal – built

excellent beers, use pretty much the same

on land captured after the 1967 war. While Palestine’s

ingredients, and would be considered a craft

population has doubled since then, Israel continues to

brewery, that is where all similarities end. The look and

retain 87 percent of water for exclusive use, controlling

feel of the Shapiro Brewery – even how the team looks –

every well and pipeline in the West Bank – its name for

would put them at home in any craft brewery in the UK or

the Palestine region.

North America.

The three settlements on Taybeh land have priority

Taybeh is one of a kind in many, many ways.

access to an unlimited amount of water, which at times

Nadim Khoury and his brother David returned to the

have left taps dry in Taybeh. If you’re making a product

village of Taybeh in 1994 after living in the States for

such as beer that is highly dependent on water, there

20-years. The Oslo Peace Agreement was in place and it

is no polite way of saying this: you’re screwed. In 2017,

seemed that for the first there would be a Palestine state

Taybeh Brewery had to purchase tanks of water which

and peace with Israel. For the two patriots, it was the time

cost the company around seven times what an Israeli

to go home and help build the future.

company would have paid.

While the political future has not panned out the way they hoped, their dream and optimism remains alive.

When you speak to Nadim and his daughter Madees – the Middle East’s first and most probably only female brewer – you have to realise that this is what drives them.

“While regular breweries use anywhere from eight to 12 litres of water to make one litre of beer, we’re figured out a way to use less than four litres, reusing the water multiple times in production,” says Nadim.

If making beer can be a challenge, exporting it can be

Lucky for beer drinkers, producing good beer fits into their

even harder. To drive from the surrounding settlements

plans.

to the Israeli port of Haifa, depending on traffic can

Besides the brewery, the family has opened up

take anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours. With

probably the only eco-friendly hotel in the entire region, a

checkpoints, restrictions, and other issues which can vary

winery which is using local varieties of grapes, and while

from day to day, it can take the brewery as long as three

TBJ was visiting, an ultra-modern distillery was being

days.

installed. In a land with high unemployment, the Khoury’s

You can imagine what happens to the quality of beer if

are offering employment. In a land with strong negative

it’s on the back of an open truck for that length of time in

perceptions, the Khoury’s are offering tourists a relaxing,

the summer.

beautiful place to stay so they can see the real Palestine

48

Spring 2020

While this number changes, Taybeh exports beer to

Brewers Journal Europe

israel

&

palestine

c ro s s i n g

co nti n e nt

Collaboration

Taybeh Beer: "Doing business in this country is unlike anywhere else in the world."

I

asked Nadim Khoury about doing a collaboration with

around a dozen countries. Because the Khourys want to install Palestinian pride and awareness, on the label it says, “Product of Palestine.” While this is no problem

the Shapiro brothers. He and Madees know them and there is mutual respect. While I was visiting Shapiro,

Itzik called Nadim, his phone number is in Itzik’s contact

is selling beer in Israel, it is in the USA which required

list. But Nadim shook his head. “I would like to, but now is

Taybeh to change the label to read “Product of the West

not the right time.”

Bank.”

Besides brewing and giving tours, Madees also

Unfortunately, it is hard to see when the “right time” will ever come. To say that relations between the Israelis

manages import, export and distribution for Taybeh.

and Arabs are complicated, would be putting it mildly.

She says that from her perspective, she can see the

This article has only touched on some of the problems

discrepancies in how Israeli and Palestinian companies

and while it is easy to point a finger at the Israelis, there

are treated.

are some issues where it is definitely a two-way street of

Last year Taybeh was expecting a shipment of bottles from Eastern Europe; Israeli breweries also had orders on the same container ship. While everything was exactly the

stupidity. To add to this volatile mixture, relations between Arab Muslims and Arab Christians can be tense.

In September 2005, hundreds of Muslim men from

same, the Israeli breweries got their bottles two-months

neighbouring Deir Jarir torched homes in Taybeh after a

before Taybeh.

30-year-old Muslim woman from Deir Jarir was believed

“Doing business in this country is unlike anywhere else in the world,” she says, shaking her head.

The pity with all of this is somewhere along the

to be romantically involved with a Christian from Taybeh.

That said, on 19 April 2013 Israeli settlers attempted to take over Taybeh's monastery and its adjacent chapel.

line, you almost forget that Taybeh is producing some

Youth from Taybeh and surrounding Muslim villages

excellent beers.

including Deir Jreir, Ramun, Silwad, Kafr Malik and Ein

Its flagship beer is it’s Golden, which in Arabic means

Yabrud, joined together and drove out the settlers. Today

“delicious”, says Nadim. With pride, he goes on. “This was

brothers and the best of neighbours; tomorrow enemies.

our first beer, launched in 1995. It’s hand-crafted in small

You never know which way the wind will blow.

batches in German traditional style using a top fermenting yeast and cold lagering.

“It has an ABV of 5% which you don’t even feel. On hot days I drink six or seven bottles, and never feel it.”

Other beers include Dark, Amber, Light, White, it’s nonalcoholic brew, and a new IPA. While Taybeh’s Golden is excellent, as is its White and Amber, it’s IPA tastes like someone created it who really isn’t sure what IPA is

But one thing for certain is this. For someone like Nadim to stick his head above the parapet and make a Peace Beer with the Shapiro brothers, it could only end in absolute disaster for his family and business.

I asked Dani Shapiro the same question.

“It sounds easy, I wish it was easy, but it’s not,” he said.

“Someday though, it will be.”

Like he said, we just need to get everyone around a

supposed to taste like. However, with all the problems in

table and have a couple of beers. They’ve tried everything

getting supplies in, you cannot see Taybeh dry hopping or

else, the Dani Peace Plan just might work where all others

anything else which would use up additional hops.

have failed. u

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

49

design

fo cu s

Stand Out in a Saturated Market Craft beer is no longer just for the few. Everyone and their grandma can enjoy the flavours of a good NEIPA these days. This means the industry is growing, the market is becoming increasingly saturated, and the challenge of standing out is harder than ever. For many breweries new and old, this is a daunting task. As designers, David Freer and Jonny Mowat see this challenge as an exciting one, with infinite possible solutions. Here they present a few different areas to consider when trying to make a splash in the vast craft ocean.

L

ook at other industries and see

from which could grow your business. Workshops

how businesses working within that

and residencies are the best way to learn what

industry differentiate themselves from

makes you tick, so the design work is true to

the competition. What can you take

who and what you are. If your designer doesn’t

from those industries, rather than just

understand you, you run the risk of commissioning

looking at other breweries? Cannabis is one space

a trendy bit of folio work for them—that doesn’t

to look at right now, with seemingly thousands of

work in the long haul for you.

brands vying to be the next big thing.

Which ones are making it, and why? There

When we began the Fyne Ales (Scottish brewery) rebrand, we spent several days on-site where

suddenly seems to be a huge number of new

we learned about the fascinating ins and outs of

mattress brands, all offering their own take on

running a brewery on a working farm. It was from

changing your sleep for the better. What aspects

that trip we decided to reposition them a ‘farm

of their social media advertising could you take

brewery’, which truly sets them apart in the Scottish

on board? Following on from the sneaker and

craft market.

streetwear epidemic we have in the Western World,

Embrace tribalism

breweries started to treat their beers in the same way, causing customers to queue outside the door for exclusive ‘drops’ of limited beers.

Let your designers get to know you

A

loaded term in our current political climate, but don’t write off the power of tribes: it’s only human to seek out a select few who

share your idiosyncrasies and taste for hops. Find

I 50

f you’re employing a designer—whether it’s a

your people, the people who like the beer that you

freelancer or a big integrated agency—it’s more

like, that do the same hobbies you do, that have the

than a transaction. It’s a relationship, the fruits

same patter that you have, and make beer for them.

Spring 2020

Brewers Journal Europe

design

fo cu s

what they could and commissioned a solid logo and basic brand from us—you really do need to start with at least that—and leaned on their personal network for the rest. The brewmaster’s pops (an architect) built the bar-top, a woodworker friend carved their tap handles, a local antiquer restored some old newspaper clippings as wall art.

Sometimes, it takes a village.

You get what you pay for

I

f you’re a brewery in the small business category, budgets are tight and counting the pennies comes first in most decisions. That

said, if you can assign a budget to marketing and branding, do it. Gone are the days of making a logo yourself, slapping a watercolor your aunt painted in the 70s on every bottle, and making it big in the craft beer world. Getting this stuff right takes time and money.

However, that doesn’t mean you have to break

At our new home in Denver, there’s loads of

the bank. Some bigger agencies will require

breweries who do this to great effect. Are you

upfront commitments and retainers in the tens of

nostalgic for Nintendo 64 and that carefree 90s

thousands. Others will be happy to begin a working

feeling? Check out the craft brewery Grandma’s

relationship for far less, careful to only deliver what

House, with its kitschy decor and Mario Kart

you really need, hopeful to grow their business as

tournaments. If you’re a metalhead who’d prefer to

your grow yours*.

headbang while drinking quality craft, there’s Black

Look at the Tyree Whisky Co for inspiration—they

Sky. One of our favourite examples of brewery

came to us for the bare minimum, but we did it

tribalism is Mikkeller, who are so entrenched in the

right. Now, we’re working with them on each release

running community they’ve got an online shop of

as they expand and thrive.

branded running kit and send a crew to the Berlin Marathon every year.

Use what (and who) you've got

Never stop tooting that horn

O

ne characteristic that’s sure sign of a successful craft brewery is the ability to

D

your uncle is a second-to-none cobbler?

press releases, interviews and other traditional

Collaborate with him and release a range of

means, today’s masters of craft are finding new

beer-inspired brogues. Okay, maybe that’s a reach,

ways to constantly be on the minds of beer drinkers.

but the point is to lean into what and who you’ve

Write an email newsletter and a beer blog. Produce

got.

slick, attractive photos for Instagram but hand over

on’t know any graphic designers, but

produce constant content. In addition to

Our client in lovely Illinois, McHenry Brewing

the keys to employees for character-building stories

Company, didn’t have a six figure budget for sexy

and behind-the-scenes laughs. In the impermanent

branding and interior design. They scraped up

internet age, more is better. u

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

51

zomin ,

uzbekistan

c ro s s i n g

co nti n e nt s

SETTING STANDARDS in Uzbekistan A new state-of-the-art brewery went into operation in Uzbekistan at the start of this year. In its first expansion stage, the Zomin Brewery has been designed for an annual output of 280,000 hl and in doing so, becomes one of the largest breweries in Uzbekistan. The production facility was equipped with the innovative plant technology of Ziemann Holvrieka. Here, Dr Vadim Tikhonov from the company tells the brewery's story.

by Vadim Tikhonov

T

products and services.”

The idea became concrete at the end of 2017, when the contract for the Greenfield project was signed.

Ziemann Holvrieka acted as general contractor for the process technology sector, from the malt intake to the bottling plant, including all utilities. Toshkentvino Kombinati was responsible for construction and the buildings.

Making Zomin a location

W

e did not want to produce at our headquarters and deliver our products from

oshkentvino Kombinati, with its history of more than 150 years, originated from

there. Rather, we have chosen a region that

is gaining in popularity among tourists and the local

a winery on the banks of the Salar in

population: Zomin, the Switzerland of Uzbekistan,” recalls

Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent.

Mahmudov.

Today, four large wine and spirits factories

The Zomin National Park (in Uzbek called “Zaamin”)

and 12 wineries are part of the company, which produces

is located about four hours by car from the capital

award-winning white and red wines as well as vodka,

Tashkent in the southeast of the country on the border

cognac and soft drinks. Since 2012, a glassworks has

with Tajikistan and has an area of about 480 km². Zomin

been part of the company.

is known as a climatic spa resort and for its unique flora

“Due to the opportunities in the beer market, we have

and fauna. The national park is a popular recreation area

decided to diversify further and to build our own brewery,”

for residents of the near and far surroundings. In addition,

explains Mirabid Mahmudov, CEO of Toshkentvino

Zomin is located on the tourist route between Samarkand

Kombinati. “When we started to bring the idea of the

and Tashkent.

brewery to life, we also visited the trade fair Drinktec, where Ziemann immediately convinced us with its

brewersjournal.info

The Zomin region should not only be the location, but also form the core of the brand with its numerous positive

Spring 2020

53

c ro s s i n g

co nti n e nt s

zomin ,

uzbekistan

cold block area.

The new brewery was equipped with the process control system Braumat V7, whereby the media routes in the cold block area are defined by means of swivel bends.

Logistical hurdles

A

fter extensive structural preparatory works, the actual implementation began in mid-2018.

Components and materials had to be transported

by land on the last nearly 3,000 kilometres, since neither Uzbekistan nor one of the neighbouring countries has a seaport.

It was also clear that “Greenfield” really meant “on the green field”. The nearest small town is a few kilometres away. However, the associated logistical challenges were mastered by the Ziemann project management and the first brew was successfully produced on December 15, 2018.

The official inauguration ceremony took place on December 27, 2018, which was also reported on Uzbekistan television and other media. Since April 2019, the Zomin Pilsner with 12% original wort, bottled in a green 0.5-litre glass bottle, has been available on the market.

Its label proudly announces a brewing tradition “since 2018” that will hopefully last a long time. “The market response is consistently positive. We also have many interesting ideas on how we can further strengthen and

associations. For this purpose, a corresponding product

expand our Zomin brand. Uzbeks and tourists can be

had to be developed, namely an all-malt beer with a

equally excited,” concludes Mahmudov.

German character, but without high gravity.

Uzbek beer consumption

“We did not just want to set new standards with our product in Uzbekistan, but we really wanted to use innovative brewing technology,” says Mahmudov.

Toshkentvino Kombinati decided to equip its new brewery with a grist mill type T-Rex, a mash kettle with Colibri agitator, a Lotus lauter tun, an internal boiler Shark

B

eer is a relatively popular alcoholic beverage in Uzbekistan. In summer, the demand can be so strong that the regional offer is not sufficient.

as well as the proven whirlpool Wortex with conical

However, the Uzbek beer consumption of 11 litres

bottom, tangential inflow and various side and bottom

beer per capita per year is very low compared to other

outlets for hot trub separation. The brewhouse was

countries (Germany: 106 litres).

designed for a maximum of 12 brews per day with a castout volume of 110 hl of hot wort.

For the cold block, Ziemann Holvrieka supplied

With regard to alcohol consumption, spirits with a share of 75 % are clearly ahead of beer that has a share of only 18%. The fact that there is any significant alcohol

the entire process pipework as well as a total of 16

consumption in the predominantly Muslim country is due

fermentation and storage tanks, each with a volume of

to the more than 70 years of communism between 1920

1,050 hl. The interface to the bottling plant consists of four

and 1991, which brought the religious life virtually to a

bright beer tanks, each with a volume of 510 hl.

standstill.

The tanks and the other plant components were

There are big differences in the price of beer in

transported to the construction site by ship and truck.

Uzbekistan: for 0.33 litres of imported beer, you have

The turnkey project also included the essential process

to pay US $2 and only US $1 for 0.5 litres of local beer.

components and utilities, such as filter and yeast

It is gratifying for the breweries of the country that an

propagation cellar, brewing water treatment, refrigeration

exception has been made in this year’s increase in the

plant as well as the CIP system for the brewhouse and

excise duty on alcoholic beverages for beer. u

54

Spring 2020

Brewers Journal Europe

L SECTOR

M I C R O B IAL

CO NTR O L

Getting microbial control for small brewers in high-volume markets With more people choosing to buy their beer from supermarkets rather than pubs, there’s never been a better time for craft breweries to enter this market. However, competition is fierce and brewers’ choice of microbial control method could be key to their success. Oliver Rudman, application engineering specialist for the Separation and Purification Sciences Division at 3M, the science-based technology company, explains.

by Oliver Rudman

perfected as part of their unique brand and that their customers expect every time.

Key to achieving these goals is microbiological control, and brewers now have a choice of options. Traditionally, breweries have relied on pasteurisation techniques, but developments in filtration technology offer a credible alternative in the form of cold stabilisation, which also brings some additional benefits.

Pasteurisation involves heating beer to a temperature at which microbial life can no longer exist. There are two common variants of the process. The first, and more traditional, is tunnel pasteurisation, where cans or bottles of beer are moved on an enclosed conveyor before being immersed in, or sprayed by, hot water.

Flash pasteurisation

T

pub or restaurant if it had a good selection of craft beer.1

(HTST) processing. In HTST processes, beer is heated

Yet increasingly, they are drinking at home. Indeed, 16

to high temperatures for just a matter of seconds, or

per cent would consider switching where they do their

the beer is sent through a thermal bypass system to kill

shopping based on the range of craft beer a supermarket

off any bacterial life. Through the process, the room-

offers.2 Supermarkets have jumped on these trends,

temperature shelf-life of a beer can be increased by more

reporting sales growth of up to 40 per cent, and are doing

than 120 days and, provided the line pressure is tightly

their utmost to stock a wide variety of such beers, with

regulated, it preserves all the flavours and gasses created

some offering selections of up to 90 craft and speciality

during the brewing process.

he popularity of craft beer with consumers shows few signs of abating. According to the last Craft Beer Report (2019) published

by UK association SIBA, 24 per cent of consumers would be more likely to visit a

H

owever, this method has recently been superseded by flash pasteurisation, often referred to as high-temperature, short time

But many breweries choose not to use flash

beers.3 It is welcome to see routes to market widen for craft

pasteurisation. While it preserves the makeup of the beer,

beer but seizing this opportunity will require the stringent

the process can cause early oxidation4, and sometimes the

requirements set out by supermarkets to be met by

denaturing of flavours, leading to staleness. According to

breweries, and this can present significant production and

Henry’s Law, by heating the beer, its gas saturation index is

cost challenges - particularly for smaller, independent

lowered, reducing its ability to retain dissolved gasses such

operations.

as carbon dioxide - which can result in flat beer.

While a perfectly balanced flavour profile attracts

Further, the equipment required for pasteurisation can

the connoisseurs, moving into wholesale selling means

constitute a significant capital investment and the process

brewers need to ensure batch consistency and longer,

is hugely expensive at large scales owing to rising energy

more reliable shelf lives. Beer sold in supermarkets needs

costs and the large amounts of water needed.

to be microbiologically stable, so stray bacteria can’t turn

Therefore, many breweries – especially the smaller

the product cloudy or encourage ongoing fermentation

ones – are turning to sterile filtration. This process,

(which can have explosive results). Breweries need

also known as cold stabilisation, relies on the use of

to account not just for how long a beer sits on the

filter membranes that are capable of catching even

supermarket shelf, but also time spent in transit and even

the smallest of microbial life - down to 0.2µm in size, if

in the customer’s home as it waits to be drunk.

necessary (although most beer can be considered sterile

And the beer must taste the same, batch after batch, to preserve the flavour profiles that brewers have

56

Spring 2020

if it is filtered down to the 0.45μm). Using the process, a brewery could expect to extend the shelf life of its beer

Brewers Journal Europe

M I C R O B IAL

by 120-180 days when it is stored at room temperature.

CO NTR O L

s e c to RL

direction of the best filter for its process.

Because sterile filtration takes place at ambient

Perhaps the only drawback to cold stabilisation in

temperatures, there is less chance of oxidation or the

comparison with pasteurisation is the increased spend

denaturing of the flavour components in the beer

on consumables it requires. Blocked filters need to be

occurring, thus maintaining its profile. By choosing the

replaced at the end of their working lives. However,

correct membrane for the specific beer being produced

through recent advances in membrane technology, the

(and the relevant spoilage bacteria to be filtered) the

rate at which this blockage occurs has been reduced

process can be highly optimised.

and they are now more easily cleaned—making the cold

Sterile filtration doesn’t require the application of heat to work, so there is no need for heat exchangers

stabilisation process far more economical.

Filters often become blocked by a build-up of

or cooling systems, saving energy costs. Further, the

colloidal material such as protein and agglomerations of

optimum line pressure required for sterile filtration is

carbohydrates, rather than micro-organisms. By tweaking

around one barg, whereas pasteurisation plants are

the base chemistry of the filter membranes, the likelihood

regulated at approximately 10-14 barg.

of these substances binding to them can be reduced, lowering the rate of blockage, and by modifying the

Cold stabilisation

construction of the filters to, for instance, increase their filtration areas, a further extension to their working lives

T

herefore, the need for booster pumps, and the

can be achieved.

As we have seen, cold stabilisation possesses

energy costs associated with running them against

a number of advantages over more traditional

a high differential pressure, can be avoided.

pasteurisation processes to achieve microbiological

Moreover, unlike pasteurisation plants, these filters and

stability. As breweries, particularly smaller ones, become

their housings require very little floorspace and are easy

more aware of these benefits, they will be able to

to fit and maintain.

compete confidently and cost effectively for space on

Some breweries claim that membranes can strip

supermarket shelves. u

flavour from the beer by trapping flavour components,

References

but as sterile filtration is much gentler on the product,

1&2 www.siba.co.uk/2019/03/14/siba-british-craft-beer-

it typically results in a fresher, more natural flavour than

report-2019-industry-growth-new-jobs-fresh-challenges/

that achieved with flash pasteurisation. Rare cases where

3.www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/05/are-craft-brewers-

there is an impact on taste can often be caused by the

selling-out-the-indies-in-supermarket-move/

use of an unsuitable filter, and test work carried out by

4. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.2050-0416.2011.

application engineering teams can point the brewer in the

tb00508.x

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y b e R

Brewers J o u r n a l

p o d c a s T

Listen online at brewerspodcast.reby.media On Spotify - Stitcher - Apple Podcasts - Google Podcasts Podcast Addict - Acast - or wherever great podcasts live

L ow

and

N o

A lcohol

B rewing

s c i e n c e

Grasp the low and no alcohol opportunity The growth in no and low alcohol products presents a real opportunity for craft brewers to enter and disrupt a growing market dominated almost exclusively by the big global players, says Andrew Paterson, technical sales manager at Lallemand Brewing.

for consumers is the mainstay of their business. Until now the no and low category has been dominated by lager and wheat beer styles. With craft brewers entering the game the potential for innovation within the sector is almost limitless.

While clearly a market in growth there are real barriers to entry to the no and low market for Craft and Global brewers alike. These can broadly be broken into three distinct areas. The first of these is flavour; it is not easy to develop a low alcohol product. There are various

by andrew paterson

methods than can be employed and most require capital

I

investment in plant and machinery.

and no alcohol beer. While technically a category in its

larger brewers. The assessment of this market access will

own right rather than a style per se, sales of low and no

ultimately control how much effort is put into new product

alcohol beer are outperforming the beer industry as a

development and where investments should be made.

n the craft beer industry we are used to transient

This leads us to the second issue; this capital

developments in beer styles which seem to come

investment might be achievable at the larger brewers

and go over the years. These can be short lasting;

but is probably beyond the reach of most craft brewers.

Brut IPA anybody? Popular in the medium term,

Finally there is the question of how to assess the market

Saison; or long lasting with multiple reiterations,

potential of newly developed products.

IPA, American West Coast IPA or NEIPA. One style which seems likely to buck this trend is low

whole with a current European market share of 6%.

For the craft brewer the route to market for no and low alcohol products is far more of a challenge than for

At Lallemand we recognise the need for a reliable

Big brewing companies are investing heavily in the

method of creating a credible tasting, low alcohol beer

trend with the largest global brewer AB InBev predicting

without the need for capital investment. This led us to

that no and low will make up 20% of its global sales by

review the current methods of creating low alcohol beer

2025. Others are entering the market with innovative new

without specialist equipment and see how we might

products such as Heineken Zero and Carlsberg 0.0%.

apply our knowledge and cutting edge research in the

The growth in no and low alcohol products presents a real opportunity for craft brewers to enter and disrupt

areas of yeast, fermentation and carbohydrate chemistry to improving these techniques.

a growing market dominated almost exclusively by the

The high temperature mashing technique

big global players. AB InBev CEO Carlos Brito almost summed it up perfectly when he said: “Choice is key, the NABLAB category is no longer about having one or two alternatives to traditional beers: it’s about mirroring the choice found in the traditional beer category with a wide range of no and low beers�.

Herein lies the advantage for craft brewers.

Craft brewers have always been more agile and innovative than the global players, while creating choice

brewersjournal.info

T

he most often used method for creating low alcohol beer in craft breweries is based around the process of high temperature mashing.

Understanding this method requires a certain degree of knowledge of mashing biochemistry. Essentially the

Spring 2020

59

S c i e n c e

L ow

and

N o

A lcohol

B rewing

60

Mash Temperature 0C

Mash time (min)

95

74

78

82

86

60

S1

S5

S9

S13

S17

70

S2

S6

S10

S14

S18

80

S3

S7

S11

S15

S19

90

S4

S8

S12

S16

S20

70

80

90

74 78 82 86

Figure 1: Table detailing the trial mash temperatures and times used in this work as well as the initial results from starch testing of the worts

95

Sugar

Degree of Polymerisation (DP-n)

Fermentable by Brewers yeast

Glucose

1

Y

Maltose

2

Y

Maltotriose

3

Y/N

Maltotetraose

4

N

Maltopentaose

5

N

Maltohexaose

6

N

Maltoheptaose

7

N

High Molecular Weight (HMW)

>7

N

Figure 2: The different length sugars and HWM dextrin material in a brewery wort

idea is that you alter the fermentability of the wort by

used for mashing and the resultant dextrin profile of the

using a high mash temperature to inactivate the beta

wort. Most microbreweries lack the facilities for an in

amylase enzyme, which generates the vast majority of

depth investigation of this dextrin profile and therefore

fermentable sugar in a brewery fermentation. At the same

results are based on trial and error. Work we have done

time you allow enough residual alpha amylase activity

has elucidated the effect of differing mash temperatures

to break down the starch molecules within the malt into

on this method and allowed us to create some guidelines

longer chain dextrins and sugars, thereby preventing

for brewers wishing to create low alcohol beers using

starch positive and hazy beers.

this technique. Please see our following best practice

Using this method will not produce alcohol free

document for recommendations of mash temperatures

beers, as no matter how mashing is conducted some

and yeast strains to use when targeting different alcohol

fermentable sugars will be produced. The amount of

levels in low alcohol beer.

alcohol that can be generated from these fermentable

The experiment

sugars can be altered to some degree by using specific yeast strains which are not capable of fermenting the sugar maltotriose, in this case Lalbrew Windsor and Lalbrew London. This has the effect of making the wort more unfermentable than it otherwise would be when using yeasts strains which are capable of metabolising this sugar.

Clearly in addition to the correct choice of yeast the key to the success of this method is the temperature

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I

n order to create our best practice document, we designed a study to investigate the effect of temperature on the mashing process. We undertook

trial mashes on a laboratory mash bath for a series of different times and temperatures. See fig 1. The worts from these trials were first tested with iodine to give an idea of

Brewers Journal Europe

A lcohol

B rewing

860c

740c

950c

820c 860c

DP1

DP4

DP5

780c 740c

780c 950c

DP6

820c

s c i e n c e

DP2

N o

DP3

and

DP7

HMW

L ow

Figure 3: Graphs showing the variation in different sized sugars and HWM dextrin material in worts produced from different high temperature mashes

74

78

82

{ { { { {

86

95

Too much fermentable sugar

Too much fermentable sugar

Good potential

Possibly too much starch

Too much starch and fermentable sugar

Figure 4: A heat map showing amounts of HMW dextrin and fermentable sugars produced in the mashing trials. The colour gradient from white to dark red shows increasing concentration

the level of starch breakdown within the wort.

Following iodine tests these worts were stabilised

See fig 1. Interestingly we saw that starch breakdown

at high temperature before being sent to one of our

was almost complete at 74 and 78 degrees, temperatures

laboratories in the eastern US for further analysis by

that would ordinarily be considered very high for a

size exclusion chromatography (SEC). This allowed us

brewery mash. At 82 degrees iodine tests suggested that

to investigate the breakdown of different sized sugars

starch breakdown had occurred but to a lesser extent

within the wort from one glucose unit up to a chain of

than at the lower temperatures. This is what we consider

seven glucose units (DP-1 to DP-7). Figure 2 shows the

to be the sweet spot for low alcohol beer production

sugars present within a brewery wort from DP-1 to DP-7.

using the high mash temperature technique. Above 82

Figure three shows the initial results obtained by size

degrees we saw that there is limited starch breakdown,

exclusion chromatography detailing the proportions of

this would lead to hazy and starch positive beers.

sugars created at different temperatures from degree of

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

61

S c i e n c e

L ow

and

N o

A lcohol

B rewing

Figure 5: 3D bar chart showing the size distribution of sugar chains from DP-3-DP-30 in worts created by high temperature mashing

polymerisation 1 to degree of polymerisation 7, as well

of polymerisation. See fig 5. This allowed us to look at the

as higher molecular weight dextrins (HWM or High DP

relative abundance of various DPs of sugars all the way

dextrins).

from DP-3 to DP-30.

The findings of the size exclusion chromatography

A clear peak can be seen corresponding to the

revealed that at the lower temperatures of 74 and 78

mass of maltoheptaose at 82 degrees indicating good

degrees higher proportions of fermentable sugar (DP-1 to

breakdown of starch to longer chain unfermentable

DP-3) were created. This was in line with our expectations

sugars at this temperature, but as previously seen,

from the previous work done using iodine. Interestingly

without being starch positive.

the results also suggested a significant amount of

Other considerations

fermentable sugar was created at 95 degrees. This can probably be attributed to starch hydrolysis due to the high temperature. When looking at the longer chain sugars (DP-4-DP7), we saw that greater proportions were created at the higher temperatures of 82 degrees and 95 degrees. Interestingly at 86 degrees less of these longer chain sugars were produced. This would indicate that at

I

n addition to the mash temperature there are other considerations one must take into account when brewing low alcohol beer. Worts created using this

method must be low in starting gravity to prevent too

this temperature alpha amylase activity is significantly

much sugar being produced. The worts we used were

reduced leading to an increased amount of higher

between 1.020 and 1.027.

molecular weight dextrin material but less longer chain

This can lead to a lack of body which can be

sugars due to temperature mediated hydrolysis. Analysis

combatted using lactose and chloride heavy water as a

of this data allowed us to produce a heat map showing

mouthfeel enhancer. In addition the lower amount of malt

the potential of each temperature for creating low alcohol

creates a lower pH buffering capacity when compared

wort. See fig 4.

to an ordinary brewery wort. The pH must be monitored

Finally we subjected the worts to MALDI-TOF mass

and controlled to within normal brewing specifications

spectrometry. In this technology the worts were vaporised

throughout the process. Failure to control pH can lead to

and the constituent sugars ionised by irradiation with a

astringent and overly bitter beers through extraction of

laser before being accelerated through an electric field.

tannin material and excessive hop utilisation.

The point (time of flight required to hit the detector) at

Finally this work could not have been possible without

which the ionised sugars hit the detector corresponds

the help of our excellent teams in the R&D laboratories.

to their accurate molecular mass (mass to charge ratio;

Special thanks go to Sivakumar Pattathil at Mascoma, NH,

m/z) and therefore, correlate accurately to their degree

USA and Jeff Zhang at AB Vickers UK. u

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Brewers Journal Europe

Best Practices

Low alcohol beer

Recommended low alcohol procedure

The sugars present within ordinary brewery worts

This method produces low alcohol beers by creating a wort of low fermentability. It utilises a combined method of high temperature mashing, low original gravity and fermentation using a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that will not metabolise maltotriose to limit alcohol production. In this case Lalbrew® Windsor or Lalbrew® London.

Brewery wort contains fermentable sugars of low molecular weight and unfermentable sugars of high molecular weight. The ability to ferment these low molecular weight sugars varies by yeast strain (Figure 1). This method aims to maximize the level of unfermentable dextrin in the wort and minimize the level of fermentable sugar (Figure 2). Utilizing Lalbrew® Windsor and Lalbrew® London for fermentation prevents the metabolism of maltotriose further limiting alcohol production by fermentation.

Glucose DP-1

fig. 1 Fermentable by brewing yeast

Low molecular weight

Maltose DP-2 High molecular weight

Maltotriose DP-3

Fermentable by some strains of brewing yeast Maltotetraose DP-4 Not fermentable by brewing yeast

DP-5

the Method

The aims of low abv mashing procedure

fig. 2

1 - Mash a well modified ale malt at an initial temperature between 82-86°C (180-187°F).

2 - Target a low OG between 1.020 – 1.027 (5.1-6.8°P) 3 - Lauter as normal but ensure pH and gravity remain within normal brewing levels.

(5.1-5.4) Acid additions may be necessary.

4 - Boil as normal, again being careful to maintain normal pH levels. It is also possible to add lactose at this stage to increase mouthfeel.

Less of this

5 - Ferment using maltotriose negative yeasts to lower the potential alcohol yield.

Either Lalbrew® Windsor and Lalbrew® London.

more of this

Important things to consider • The pH needs to be tightly controlled. This can be done with acid additions or by using acid malt in the grist • Mouthfeel can be enhanced by using lactose and water enriched in chloride • Kettle hopping should be kept to a minimum • This work was done with well modified British ale malts

Table showing the example abv levels and fermentability achievable using this method

Calculated potential alcohol yields

fig. 3

% UNFERMENTABLE

Mash temperature °C (°F)

Mash time (min)

most brewing yeast strains

POTENTIAL %

maltotriose negative strains

maltose negative strains

most brewing strains

(Windsor or London)

maltotriose negative strains

maltose negative strains

(Windsor or London)

(Slants available on request)

74 (165.2)

60

2

24

89

1.3

1.0

0.03

78 (172.4)

60

24

42

94

1.0

0.8

0.02

82 (179.6)

60

44

57

95

0.7

0.6

0.01

86 (186.8)

60

63

71

96

0.6

0.5

0.01

95 (203)

60

53

62

96

0.8

0.7

0.01

For more information, you can reach us via email at brewing@lallemand.com

www.lallemandbrewing.com

D iastaticus

fo cu s

C ontamination

Bad yeast! Bad! All it takes is one single cell of the wrong yeast to cause a can of beer to explode, to give it an off-flavour, and to drive down your reputation and kill your cash-flow.

But, an easy, fast solution might be at hand to this long-time problem. Velo Mitrovich reports

diastatic yeasts, they tend to mostly affect craft breweries hardest for reasons we’ll go into.

The diastatic yeast, traditionally referred to as Saccharomyces diastaticus – but actually the same species as the ale yeast, S. cerevisiae – causes problems in breweries due to its ability to produce an enzyme that converts dextrins in beer to sugars, which are then fermented into alcohol and carbon dioxide. While there are times when this is actually desired, such as when

by velo mitrovich

brewing a sour or dry saison, the majority of the time it’s

A

not since this fermentation stage can take place after the

disposable aluminium pan filled with popcorn kernels, oil

or additional nutrients for survival, according to Dr Brian

and salt, you put it over a flame or heat, keep shaking it,

Gibson, principal scientist at VTT.

company that seems to stick-around over the years, like it’s been Superglued to store

beer is bottled or canned.

While the number of wild yeasts is near-legion, what

shelves, is Jiffy Pop Popcorn. Although

makes diastatic S. cerevisiae such a problem is that

it should have gone out of business

unlike other contaminants, it can utilize the complex

years ago, superseded by microwave

carbohydrates left in beer after fermentation – in other

and packaged popcorn, it’s still here. Consisting of a

words, continue to ferment – without the need for oxygen

and pretty soon you’re rewarded with the sound of pop-

Both regular brewing yeast and problematic diastatic yeast belong to the S. cerevisiae species which makes

pop-pop.

Jiffy Pop is being brought up in this article, not

detection difficult. Luckily, the diastatic variant carries

because of its popcorn, but because of its collapsed foil

the extra gene STA1, which is what tests try to zero in

cover which expands as the corn pops, ultimately looking

on. However, this can be easier said than done and, just

like a pasha’s turban. During the last two hot summers in

because the gene is present, it is not always an indication

particular, something similar has been happening with

you will have problems.

How much is the S. diastaticus yeast costing the

beer cans.

In what seems like on too many occasions, further secondary fermentation in cans is leading to the tops expanding like a Jiffy Pop lid, and either causing the

industry is a question without answer anywhere in the world, except when it comes up in specific lawsuits.

Most probably, many small craft breweries aren’t

opened can to shoot out a stream of beer like foam from

aware their beer is contaminated unless a pub owner,

a fire extinguisher, or actually exploding – as in KABOOM!

supermarket or customer directly complains to them

And, although it hasn’t happened here – yet – in the States, exploding beer bottles have led to injuries and the ever-bloodhound-following lawsuits.

about exploding cans or off flavours.

In most of the contamination cases, the end result with diastatic yeast is just the beer tasting pretty horrible.

With this, customers just chalk it up to an inexperienced

What is going on?

brewer and move on to another’s, never to return to yours.

A course, you’re then left wondering why your sales have suddenly dropped.

D

iastatic yeasts – also lumped together in the ‘wild

Other causes

yeast’ category – can infect your beer. While the damage these yeasts cause doesn’t always

lead to bottles or cans exploding, according to Kristoffer Krogerus of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, what they can consistently cause is off-flavours, increased alcohol levels, a drier mouthfeel, and over-carbonation and gushing.

Although major breweries can have problems with

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W

hile diastatic yeasts are the leading cause of refermentation in cans and bottles, there can be other factors as well such as ingredients

used in the beer, exceptionally warm weather conditions and/or the beer not being cold-stored. Being able to find

Brewers Journal Europe

D iastaticus

C ontamination

fo cu s

the exact cause can be a real challenge.

It should be noted here that there are more than 8,000 strains of yeast and that any of these can be considered

Left vs Labs

‘wild’, except for the commercial pitching yeast that you are intentionally adding into your wort.

If you have ever created your own sourdough starter, you are aware that there are wild yeasts in every room of your house, outdoors in your garden, in your car, on those strawberries in your lunch, and floating around in your brewery.

Last year a very fruity American beer called ‘That’s What Happens When You Let Dad Outta the House’ led to a summer of exploding cans. The beer, a collaboration between Evil Twin and Hoof Hearted Brewing, was a sour IPA made with pineapple, guanabana, vanilla and milk sugar. If this mixture is added early in the fermentation process, there will be little to no chance of refermentation in the later canning stage.

So, why add the fruit later?

By adding fruit in the very last stage, it means a much fruitier flavour beer and it is easy to taste the difference.

Unfortunately, you’ve also increased considerably the chance of yeast contamination.

Because craft brewers like to push the envelope in creating new beers by adding ingredients the big players wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot stick, it’s why most times yeast contamination is a craft brewer’s problem.

Some brewers have taken a lesson from the wine industry and are using potassium sorbate and sulphites to stop further fermentation from taking place and to help preserve flavours and colours. But this is not a 100 percent guarantee.

Potassium sorbate does not stop or inhibit the fermenting in any way, according to wine and beer making supplier Ed Kraus, but what it does do is to stop the yeast from reproducing themselves. “During a typical fermentation, the wine yeast will go through several re-generations. By adding potassium sorbate to a wine, you’re making sure that the current generation is the last generation of yeast.”

But Kraus warns that some yeasts will live longer than others, which always leaves the possibility of refermentation occurring, even months down the road.

While adding sulphites will destroy some of the yeast cells, it won’t destroy all of them.

Another problem in using sulphites is that they need to be listed in your ingredients panel. Many consumers try to avoid wine with sulphites and you could lose beer customers if they see it on your can or bottle.

In theory, if fruity beer left the brewery cold, stayed cold during shipment, was warehoused cold and kept cold in the supermarket, and then consumers didn’t allow

US Colorado-based Left Hand Brewing Company filed a $4 million lawsuit against yeast supplier White Labs, alleging that the San Diego yeastspecialist supplied Left Hand with S. diastaticus-contaminated brewers yeast in 2016.

Left Hand used exclusively White Lab yeast in its popular Milk Stout Nitro, Extrovert IPA, and Warrior Fresh Hop IPA. In early July 2016 it started to receive complaints of very high pressure in bottles of its Milk Stout Nitro and off-flavours in its Extrovert IPA. This led to the company recalling beer from 37 States, destroying $2 million in product, as well as thousands more barrels of unpackaged beer.

This was followed by significant decreased sales, which lead to major financial loses and damages, that, nearly two years later, seem to still be troubling the company.

Left Hand tests showed the cause of their problems to be diastatic yeast from White Labs. They changed suppliers and the problem disappeared.

No surprise, White Labs has denied Left Hand’s claims that their yeast was infected.

“There is no specific proof on where the contamination originated from, as each White Labs culture undergoes a rigorous testing process from start to finish, which includes 61 quality checkpoints throughout the propagation cycle,” the yeast supplier said. “Additionally, every batch of yeast is tested to confirm it is contamination free prior to shipping. We cannot provide further comment due to the ongoing litigation.”

Not being privy to all the information and material of the court case, it’s hard to get a feel for who will come out on top.

However, you have to wonder, it the source was White Labs, then you’d think a lot more of their customers would also be affected and also joining in the lawsuit. But, this hasn’t been the case.

The litigation continues...

the beer to become warm, there would be no problems even if there was wild yeast contamination. With small

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Spring 2020

65

fo cu s

D iastaticus

C ontamination

The big questions with these exploding fruit beers are: Is the commercial yeast used contaminated; is the natural

Exploding Corona

sugar in the fruit feeding live brewers yeast that still exists in the cans; are there diastatic yeasts already in the can

In July 2017, Gonzalo Luis-Morales, was working at the New York City restaurant, The Frying Pan, when an unopened bottle of Corona spontaneously exploded as he placed it into an ice bucket, according to the New York Post. A piece of glass lodged into Luis-Morales’ eye causing him total vision loss in the affected eye, among other damages.

Shortly after the accident, the restaurant stopped carrying the beer brand all together in support of the injured employee. Brewing giant Constellation Brands Inc., bottle manufacturer OwensIllinois Inc., and distributor Manhattan Beer now all face negligence lawsuits for Luis-Morales’ injury.

The lawsuit alleges that Corona manufacturers skimp on safety precautions during the production process and lack adequate quality controls to ensure product safety.

Attorney John Danzi claimed that other employees of The Frying Pan were also injured from exploding Corona bottles before Luis-Morales and that the incident represents an ongoing trend.

and the addition of fruit is like throwing petrol on a fire; or are there wild yeasts in the fruit that is being added?

To this list can be added: Is there yeast contamination coming from your workers’ clothing, hair, etc; is your brewery less than 100% clean; did the problem come through dry hopping or wort ingredients; is there yeast in your environmental air; or, is the problem coming from the bottling side of your operation?

In a review of contamination events throughout Europe over a 10-year period published in the MBAA Technical Quarterly, it stated that 71% of S. diastaticus contamination events were traced to the bottling hall.

While the gut reaction is to make the first port of call for an investigation with your yeast provider, your contamination could have come from literally out of the air.

Burning Brothers Brewing in St Paul, Minnesota, issued an apology after its cans started exploding. It brought in two different external testing labs and contracted a thirdparty quality control specialist to try to figure out exactly what the problem was. Although Burning was able to attribute the cause to a strain of wild yeast, none of the brought-in team was able to pinpoint where the strain was coming from.

A test solution

B

reweries have told TBJ that current tests take time – anywhere from several days to a week –

craft brewers who only sell by the keg, this is actually the

are complicated, and do not always give a true

world they’re living in, with their kegs staying constantly

assessment as to whether or not the presence of gene

cold. But, they start bottling and suddenly they have a

STA1 will cause problems. This can lead to beer being

yeast problem that they might have had all along.

dumped that would have been fine being sold.

Some breweries say that consumers don’t allow milk

Brian Gibson of VTT Technical Research Centre of

to become warm for days on end, so why should they

Finland tells TBJ that the research centre specialises in

treat beer any differently? However, many consumers are

real world problems – including yeast – and that they saw

used to pasteurised beer which can take the heat and see

diastaticus contamination as a major problem in the beer

no issue in letting it get warm.

industry.

Should breweries then have a big label on their cans:

“Why is this a specific problem with craft breweries

“Warning: this can may explode if allowed to become

and becoming more common? It’s because craft brewers

warm!”, have their beer in cans that look like dynamite; or

are more reluctant to pasteurise and filter their beer,”

should they just make beer that won’t explode?

says Gibson. “Along with this, craft brewers are more

An industry guide for brewers published by Craft

experimental in the yeast and other ingredients they use.”

Beer & Brewing notes that “the recent trend of adding

"At VTT we have discovered why some strains with

unfermented fruits and extracts to unfiltered beer

the gene are active, and therefore problematic, while

just before packaging represents an extreme risk for

others are not. The difference was due to a deletion in the

refermentation.” Flash-pasteurizing the finished beer

promoter of the STA1 gene – in other words, the genetic

or adding the fruit before fermentation decreases the

sequence in front of the gene controlling how much the

viability of the yeast and lessens the risk of explosion.

gene is expressed", explains Research Scientist Kristoffer

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Brewers Journal Europe

D iastaticus

Krogerus from VTT The team then developed a new genetic test, which can be used in exactly the same way as the current industry standard, but which can differentiate the

C ontamination

fo cu s

your brewery, and the money lost in missing production deadlines and disappointing your customers – but it could be a lot worse.

How did you detect it? Do you have an excellent

problematic strains with the active STA1 gene from those

system of checks in place to catch things like this, or

with the inactive form of the gene.

was it down to just luck? Do you know how it entered

According to Krogerus, traditional genetic test can only detect whether the strain contains the STA1 gene or not.

It cannot differentiate spoilage yeasts from non-spoilage

your brewing chain? And, are you sure the problem was diastatic yeast?

If it did make it out the door, how did you find out?

yeasts. Previously, one would have to combine the

While talking about exploding beer bottles and cans is

genetic test with a microbiological test, where the yeast

more interesting, in most cases the yeast just creates over

is grown on special agar plates – a process that takes

carbonation and a bad flavour. Nine times out of 10, when

several days.

most of us experience a bad product, we don’t contact

“The new method offers breweries savings in time because results can be achieved in hours instead of weeks, and also cost savings and a more reliable quality

the company, we just chalk it up to experience and never buy it again.

Months could go by before you start connecting the

control. It also decreases the times beer batches are

dots between sudden poor sales and the chance of S.

unnecessarily recalled from shops or discarded,” says

diastaticus affecting your beer.

Krogerus.

Gibson says that the test is suited for the largest down

Without actually seeing it in operation to base our opinion, but going solely on reports, TBJ thinks that the

to the smallest brewery. VTT is now looking to license the

tester created by VTT Technical Research Centre of

test through a third-party vendor.

Finland can become your brewery’s best friend. We only

If your brewery has a batch that has S. diastaticus

hope that a commercial company sees the potential in

contamination and you’re lucky enough to catch it early

it and helps to get it out the door and into your hands as

on before it goes out the door, good for you. You’ll be

soon as possible.

out the time and money that had gone into producing the beer, the time and money spent thoroughly cleaning

brewersjournal.info

BJE will continue to follow the developments taking place in Finland. u

Spring 2020

67

fo cu s

Quality

S tabilisation

Making beer great, again and again….and keeping it that way Quality is much easier to talk about than to achieve. It is the culmination of all the steps taken with care and attention to deliver what is promised. Beer stability is a consideration in many of those steps and therefore it can be elusive to achieve.

Murphy & Son's Adam Johnson tells all.

by Adam Johnson

from the maturation tanks. This was a fantastic experience, however except for the occasional lightstruck bottle, beer from Budvar is also consistently good in package, whenever and however sampled. How do brewers with reputations for high quality maintain beer stability?

Beer stability

B

competitive industry brewers

W

to be commercial pressures dictating shelf life and

face a tough challenge. Quality

compromises made. Predictive shelf life trials can vary

is an area where many brewers

depending on the size, complexity and the level of

orking in the brewing industry can be great fun although in a highly

eer is generally less stable than many other alcoholic beverages such as wine and spirits. Unfortunately, there is always going

believe they can transcend the ordinary and deliver

resource available to the brewer but simply storing,

something remarkable. Quality has many definitions and

sampling and recording simple quality parameters

interpretations however, a personal favourite is;

such as flavour, clarity, foam and carbonation are often

“Consistently delivering or exceeding what is promised”

overlooked by some breweries. This often provides

As a definition this work well within the scope of

invaluable feedback for setting best before dates,

expectation from the customer/consumer. A customer

improving stability and quality and a more realistic view of

may be happy with the quality of a cheap burger from a

how customers experience the beer.

fast food bar on the other hand if they received the same

The subcategories of Beer stability are Physical,

standard burger in a gastropub with an elevated price tag,

Flavour, Biological and Foam stability. Most brewers

they may well be rightly disappointed.

have a rightful respect for brewery hygiene and controls

Brewers especially face the challenge of consistently

and checks in place to minimise the risks of problems

delivering what is promised. Raw materials have inherent

with biological stability. Beer foam is a complex area and

seasonal variation. Popular hop varieties can be difficult

better explored through reading a variety of technical

and/or expensive to procure. Brewing is typically a batch

articles to get a good grasp. I would particularly

process with customers’ expectations and knowledge of

recommend the works of the “Pope of Foam” Professor

beer varying massively.

Charlie Bamforth and our ‘Beer Foam- what you need to

Despite the challenges, many brewers brew great quality beers. Unfortunately, it is often the case that the beer does not maintain quality throughout the designated

know’ blog by Iain Kenny found at www.murphyandson. co.uk/blog Physical stability changes typically exhibit an increase

shelf. Drinking beer fresh from the tank is great but not

in haze & an increase in colour. This is coupled with

always practical and the best brewers invest significantly

unpleasant oxidised flavours. Dependant on the beer

to ensure quality remains high throughout the designated

style brewed, many brewers will target a specific level

shelf life.

of clarity. Beer haze can be defined as small particles

Recently I was fortunate enough to visit Budvar brewery in the Czech Republic and drink beer straight

68

Spring 2020

suspended in beer scattering light, which we perceive as decreasing the transparency of the beer.

Brewers Journal Europe

Budvar in České Budějovice. Adam Johnson enjoying beer straight from the maturation tanks

Many of our products assist with beer stability however we offer a consultative approach trying work FOC U S Q U A L I T Y S T A B I L I S A T I O N within the brewers philosophy

Low protein malt

Oxygen Pick up Mash Protocol higher gravity cut off

Adjuncts

Reduced Polyphenol malt

Target Gravity

Wort boilTime and Vigour

Dry Hopping rates & Methods Ionic composition especially calcium

PVPPPolyphenol reduction

Centrifugation & Filtration regime

Cold Maturation -Time & Temp

pH Control especially through sparging

Hop TypeWhole leaf, pellets & extracts

Time & Temp in pack

Optimised Kettle finings use

Whirlpool efficiency

Iron and copper content

Silica gel Protein reduction

Tannic acid -Protein reduction

Enzymes (e.g.Clarex/ Clarity)Protein reduction

Adam Johnson Murphy and Son 2019

A summary of factors involved in physical beer stability

Example of clarity with targets for certain beer targets (90ÍŚ Scatter)

quantifiable figure; Typical units are EBC, ASBC, NTU and FTU. <0.8 EBC for beers they want exceptionally bright such as a pilsner or red ale

Very small particles <2 Micron may be considered colloidal as they are too small to settle under the influence of gravity over time. Larger particles such

~5 EBC for a hoppy IPA ~100 EBC for an NEIPA Maintaining these targets throughout the product shelf

as brewing yeast (typically 5-10 microns in diameter)

life, showing care attention and consistency is a common

will typically settle naturally given enough time. Haze

physical stability goal for the best brewers.

measurements are made through instruments, which emit and measure light at a fixed angle. This gives a

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Spring 2020

4- A summary of factors involved in physical beer stability

Brewers Journal Europe

Q UALIT Y

STAB I LI S ATI O N

FOC U S

Raw materials

Processing

u Buying low nitrogen malts e.g. 1.6-1.8%

u Effective mashing and wort separation

Nitrogen

achieving complete starch conversion and low wort turbidity u Effective wort boil, trub formation and separation. Hot break carry-over can have a disastrous effect on clarity and stability. u Selection and correct usage of appropriate brewing aids. u Cold maturation time and temperature, shorter times at very cold temperatures have been shown to be more effective at achieving improved stability than prolonged storage at warmer temperatures e.g. 3 days at -2 ÍŚC rather than 3 weeks at 0 ÍŚ C u Centrifugation and filtration require careful controls if used! E.g. prevention of oxygen pick up.

u The use of low protein and polyphenol

adjuncts such as Sugar, Maize and Rice to dilute haze precursors. u Low polyphenol malt is available and can be used to dramatically reduce polyphenol levels u Avoid running to low gravity as most malt polyphenol is extracted during the last runnings. u Hop selection and rates. E.g. T45 vs T90 u Ensure sufficient calcium levels in the water profile; this will assist with protein precipitation. Calcium is also important for yeast flocculation and precipitation of calcium oxalate (beer stone) upstream in the process. u Control of metal ions, especially Copper and Iron, as these accelerate oxidation.

auxiliary finings can be used as clarifiers in their own right.

Principally removing protein although it can also have

Common treatment strategies

up to a tenfold decrease in yeast count. Auxiliary finings can work nicely in conjunction with centrifuges to further remove protein and improve clarity and stability.

I

n this section, the focus will be on producing clear

Isinglass is a fantastic beer clarifier providing rapid

stable beer. If this is not the brewers intended goal, an

sedimentation of yeast and some protein material,

understanding should still be useful in producing other

formulations such as Allkleer are relatively forgiving and

clarity goals. Protein, polyphenol, polysaccharide and

form stable sediments with optimum rates. Although

yeast are all common causes of haze in beer. Effective

arguably the best beer clarifying agent, many brewers

raw material selection, processing and treatments need

are now looking to retain vegan friendly products so are

to align to produce clarity and physical stability.

looking at other tank clarifying options. Isinglass remains the clarifier of choice for cask-conditioned beer.

Brewing aids

Tank clarifiers such as Super F may be slightly less forgiving than Isinglass, they are however suitable for

C

vegan friendly beer production and do not require

orrect use of Kettle finings such as Protafloc can

special storage conditions. Tank clarifiers can be used

provide multiple benefits including improved

independently or to supplement other beer clarification

clarity and stability, a low dose rate with a

strategies.

convenient addition point makes them a very popular

Traditional stabilisers- such as silica gels and PVPP

processing aid. Optimum use of finings upstream will

(PolyVinylPolyPyrolidone) have been used in brewing

make downstream clarification much easier, even without

industry for many decades by targeting the common

sophisticated clarification equipment such as centrifuges

precursors for colloidal haze, haze sensitive proteins

and filters.

and polyphenols. Silica gels target haze sensitive

Auxiliary finings can be silicate or carbohydrate based

proteins through absorption. Different types and grades

and like all finings agents work by aggregating particles

are available to suit various processing options. PVPP

to increase their relative size. Although often used in

treatments selectively target polyphenols associated

conjunction with isinglass, especially for cask beer,

with haze during beer aging, there is also some evidence

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

71

FOC U S

Q UALIT Y

STAB I LI S ATI O N

favourite of OILRIG (Oxidation Is Loss and Reduction Is Gain) still applies when discussing electron transfer.

Potential measurement and control points

Oxygen is often present in triplet state, which is not very reactive but when activated by light or heat energy or catalysed by metals such as iron or copper forms highly

u Checking empty vessels to see if they

reactive radicals. These interact with beer compounds to

have been purged of oxygen effectively u Clarification areas such as centrifugation or filtration u Line flushing and beer transfers u Bright beer tanks prior to packaging u In pack

the detriment of beer quality; stale flavour compounds, increased beer colour, increased astringency and accelerated chill and permanent haze formation.

A well-respected head brewers’ adage; “If it is measured it can be controlled” Measurement of key parameters is crucial to putting controls in place through the brewing process, ensuring consistency. Although beer was made before we could measure specific gravity, pH and temperature doing so now would feel like driving with your eyes closed.

showing that beer treated with PVPP also shows reduced

Oxygen has been less commonly measured in craft

astringency. Both treatments are insoluble and are

breweries due to the prohibitive costs of appropriate

typically applied in maturation or just prior to filtration

equipment along with the resources needed to maintain

where they are removed.

the equipment in good working order. Better instruments,

Brewers Clarex (Brewers Clarity is the same product

which are more practical and cost effective are now

repacked for the craft market). Although enzymes have

available and allow the brewer to measure dissolved

previously been used to improve physical stability,

oxygen (DO) are available.

brewers Clarex/clarity has become extremely popular

Some dissolved oxygen meters have a very wide

in recent years. Larger brewers see economic and

measurement range 4ppb to 20ppm and this would allow

processing advantages and craft brewers find ease of

the meter to be used to optimise wort oxygenation.

use and low dose rates appealing. A wide variety are also

Live yeast cells have a great capacity for absorbing

utilising the endo-protease to produce gluten removed

oxygen and can readily protect against the effects of

beers

oxygenation in beer. Packaging with a controlled volume

With the immense popularity of hop forward beer

of viable yeast such as 0.75-1million cells per ml can

styles, clarification and stabilisation preferences modified

vastly improve the keeping qualities of beer. However,

to suit these styles retain the fresh hop aroma and flavour

great controls need to be in place to control attenuation.

the brewer has spent time and money building into the

As pasteurisation is not typically employed and even

beer.

when other microbial stabilisation controls are in place

Rather than traditional filtration options many brewers

such as “sterile filtration” are employed and the yeast re-

are opting to use finings, centrifuges or extended

seeded the yeast handling & hygiene standards required

conditioning times to achieve the clarity goals whilst

are very high.

retaining precious aromas. To achieve stability goals

Summary

brewers are selecting from the clarification options outlined above & stabilising upstream in the process wherever possible.

Oxygen

Q

uality is much easier to talk about than to achieve! It is the culmination of all the steps taken with care and attention to deliver what

O

is promised. Beer stability is a consideration in many

xygen control throughout brewing is much

of those steps, therefore it can be elusive to achieve.

discussed and a critical factor for flavour and

Endeavouring to do so may feel like a never-ending task

the physical stability of beer especially post

much like Sisyphus in Greek mythology or the painting

fermentation and clarification. We thankfully live in an

of the Forth road bridge in Scotland. However, a recent

oxygen rich environment but aside from the oxygen

article suggested the never-ending paint job wouldn’t

required at the start of fermentation for the synthesis of

need to be undertook again for over 20 years due to new

saturated fatty acids and sterols; oxygen in brewing is the

techniques and materials so there may be hope for the

enemy.

brewer trying to achieve beer stability. Murphy and Son

Being highly reactive, the old chemistry teacher’s

72

Spring 2020

are certainly still investigating ways to help! u

Brewers Journal Europe

y b e R

Brewers J o u r n a l

p o d c a s T

Listen online at brewerspodcast.reby.media On Spotify - Stitcher - Apple Podcasts - Google Podcasts Podcast Addict - Acast - or wherever great podcasts live

K ombucha

s c i e n c e

Producing kombucha at your brewery As kombucha volumes continue to rise, and growth rate in craft beer sales slows down, brewers are looking for new ways to profitably grow. One option to consider is producing kombucha. Kombucha shares some of the process steps of beer making such as brewing, fermentation and packaging, although with some major differences, explains Hannah Crum at Canada's First Key Consulting. by hannah crum

bacteria (Acetobacter or Gluconacetobacter) and the yeasts (Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Saccharomyces species). These live in the pellicle and also hang from the bottom of it. A “starter liquid” from a previously fermented kombucha, also known as “backslop”, is then added to the sweet tea mixture. Alternatively, a SCOBY can be procured from commercial laboratories: different SCOBYs will result in different flavour profiles in the final product.

The yeast in kombucha prefer simple sugars. Sucrose (“table sugar”), which is made up of glucose and fructose, is ideal. If more complex sugars are used, this can lead to oversouring and off flavours.

Fermentation temperature is key to the health of the organisms and to flavour development. Compared to

T

lager yeasts which work best around 48 to 58 oF (9 to 14

he brewing of the unfermented “liquid” is

oC), or ale yeasts which produce good results around 68

significantly different in beer vs kombucha

to 72 oF (20 to 22 oC), kombucha fermentations are often

brewing. The need for milling of the grains,

warmer around 75 to 85 oF (24 to 29 oC).

mashing and lautering in beer brewing does not exist in kombucha brewing. For

These warmer temperatures speed the formation of ethanol which spikes early in the fermentation process.

kombucha, the base ingredients are water, sugar and tea.

Then, when exposed to oxygen, some of the ethanol is

Tea can come in its raw solid form or in the form of tea

converted into organic acids which lower the pH of the

extract. All that is needed is to ensure the tea flavour is

kombucha. This lower pH gives kombucha is signature

adequately extracted (somewhat similar to what is done

tang, and it is not conducive to some of the microbial

for hops), and that the sugar is well dissolved, and the

growth, including mold growth.

sweet tea is rendered sterile through boiling. This can

Another point of difference between beer and

take place in the same kettle where beer brews are made.

kombucha fermentations is oxygen exposure, which for

From there, this sweet tea (kombucha’s “wort”) is then

beer fermentations only takes place at the very start of

chilled before fermentation.

fermentation to enable yeast growth. Beer fermentations are most often (although not always) done in closed

Fermentation

fermenters. Open fermenters increase the chances of microbial contamination from the ambient air, which

O

can compete with the pure yeast culture and create

ther than in the case of sour beer production,

offflavours. An exception to this would be the production

a pure yeast culture is used in most beer

of some sour beers, which similarly to kombucha, have a

fermentations. The yeast culture is chosen

higher acidity and lower pH.

on the basis of the desired flavours and its process

In addition to fostering yeast growth, oxygen exposure

performance. In kombucha, a mixed culture is used. The

can also drastically change the beer flavour stability. In

yeast cells live in symbiosis with bacterial cells in a mixed

the case of kombucha, the presence of oxygen during

culture called a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and

fermentation is desirable and important. Fermenters are

yeast).

open, with just a tightly woven cloth above them, which

A pellicle of cellulose is grown by the dominant

brewersjournal.info

allows CO2 to escape and oxygen and microorganisms

Spring 2020

75

s c i e n c e

K ombucha

to enter. Oxygen is a vital ingredient for kombucha

kombucha. For instance, the presence of Brettanomyces

because it helps in the conversion of some of the ethanol

yeast is considered a spoilage organism for most

produced by the yeast into various compounds including

beers (an exception being a Lambic style beer, for

organic acids previously mentioned.

instance) as it can cause a “barnyard” flavour. Microbial

Beer’s sensitivity to potential microbial spoilage from other organisms requires good cleaning and sanitation procedures. These requirements also apply to kombucha

crosscontamination can easily happen through ambient air, and any crevices in the tanks, hoses, seals, etc.

A way to mitigate this risk is to designate a totally

production. Microbial contamination from other

separate area (ideally a separate building) for kombucha

nonintended microorganisms can alter the flavour of a

production. When this is not possible, dedicated tanks,

kombucha batch.

hoses, lines, valves and CIP system will also help

Scaleup in kombucha production can be tricky. Just

reduce the risk. However, the challenge remains when

as adjustments in yeast pitch rate, wort oxygenation

equipment is shared between the two product streams

and fermentation temperature are needed to match

(e.g. tanks or fillers). Because of these risks, some beer

the desired beer flavour at different fermenter volumes,

breweries opt not to produce or handle kombucha in their

process adjustments may be needed when scaling up

breweries.

kombucha fermentations.

Culture Management

Producing kombucha at a brewery

J

represent a risk to the production of “regular” (i.e. nonsour beers), it is likewise for the production of

76

S

COBYs are famous for being highly reproductive

ust as the production of some sour beers

Spring 2020

and a sign of a good quality batch is that the SCOBY will grow when left at room temperature.

Every batch of kombucha, when brewed with the right

Brewers Journal Europe

K ombucha

s c i e n c e

ingredients and temperature conditions will yield a culture that can be used again (similarly to a good beer

BE BOTH BREWERY AND BIO-REFINERY?

fermentation yielding a good crop of yeast that can be repitched). The SCOBY also will grow to the size of the vessel such that the larger the opening of the tank,

European co-product specialists Duynie provide strategic and sustainable services in collecting, distributing and overall

the larger the resulting SCOBY will be. This effectively

management of co-products. Specialising in the brewing, distilling, malting, potato and fruit processing and biofuel industries.

prevents contamination from external organisms by essentially creating a “lid” (which also helps create a more anaerobic fermentation condition underneath the SCOBY).

One of the best practices for kombucha breweries is to keep some extra cultures on hand in a “SCOBY Hotel”. This stock needs to be carefully maintained (e.g. with added kombucha or sweet tea) so as to maintain its viability.

SCOBYs are more resilient than lager or ale yeasts (which lose viability more rapidly and need to be stored at colder temperatures). The stored SCOBYs are like an “insurance policy” in case of microbial contamination, poor SCOBY performance, or when volume scale up is needed.

Often SCOBY pieces or disks will be used to start a largersized batch, but given time, the new layers

BENEFITS OF WORKIG WITH DUYNIE GROUP

can get quite large and unwieldy. They also continue

Sustainable - Making maximal use of co-products helps our suppliers improve their enviromental performance.

to thicken if left for extended periods of time. When

Reliable - Supporting our suppliers to help achieve maximum production.

brewing kombucha in large tanks, the vessels need to

Innovative - Innovation is at the heart of Duynie Group and continually strive to add value to co-products.

have a manway that operators can safely go into the tank and physically remove the excess culture for cleaning by pushing it out the opening. It is quite heavy as it is

Email - info@duynie.co.uk Phone - 01977 516 540

CREATING NEW VALUE

hydrophilic and can absorb over 100x its weight in liquid!

Excess culture has a variety of uses and can be offered as compost or animal feed to local farms, used to make SCOBYbased food products (e.g. SCOBY fruit leather) or even used for beauty treatments. While SCOBYs could potentially be sold as a byproduct, most companies don’t have a way to monetize it at this time and usually give it away to anyone who will use it.

In addition to sensory evaluation of every batch, the kombucha brewer pays close attention to the product’s final gravity, pH, titratable acidity, carbonation and alcohol by volume (ABV). Not unlike for beer, close ABV control is needed, and this is particularly critical if the product will be sold as a nonalcohol beverage (i.e. with an alcohol content of <0.5% by volume). Other parameters might become critical depending on the brand (e.g. color).

There has been increased activity in the kombucha field by some highvolume and craft beer brewers.

Examples include: KomBREWcha, which is a 3% ABV Kombucha owned by AnheuserBusch InBev; MolsonCoors’ Clearly Kombucha (which produces a line of beverages with an ABV of <0.5%), Boston Beer Company (e.g. Wild Ginger Blueberry Kombucha with 4% ABV), and Deschutes Brewing Co. (e.g. Humm Zinger Kombucha Radler with 4.3% ABV).

Leveraging the knowhow and creativity of beer and kombucha brewers alike, more offerings and further volume growth is expected. u

brewersjournal.info

Spring 2020

77

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