The Brewers Forum 2021

Raising the bar: future of sustainable beer

Join Marverine Cole, award winning BBC journalist, broadcaster and beer sommelier, as she discusses some of the biggest trends across the brewing sector with panellists from around Europe. From sustainability and the “green recovery” from Covid-19, to innovation in flavours and manufacturing, and the changing shape of the modern-day beer drinker.

This panel will also launch the new “Raising the Bar” series, produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, which will be taking a look at the brewing sector across Europe over the next 12 months.

Beer packaging as a leader for circularity

There’s no beer without packaging. Containers are essential for brewers to provide safe and fresh delivery of beers to their consumers. Cans, bottles, kegs. Whatever your beer comes in, almost completely it can be returned, re-used and recycled. The brewing sector has led the way for many years, continues to make advancements and is often seen as the reference for other sectors looking to improve. In this session we’ll cover:

Unpicking and optimising the full beer packaging supply chain
The packaging lifecycle
Beer packaging solutions, the place for innovation and why this matters
EU-wide policy changes to waste management systems to improve waste-as-resource markets and boost recycling rates

Measuring and further improving beer’s footprint

As the EU works towards legislation on Green claims and declarations, the beer sector has multiple fascinating case studies of brewers and others within the beer value chain fully integrating sustainability into their businesses, pursuing improvements at every step of the way.

This session will feature a presentation of a first-of-its-kind online tool to measure impacts at every step of the life cycle, allowing brewers to benchmark against others and identify the actions that can reap the most benefits in terms of environmental impact. The Beer PEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) was developed as a pilot with the European Commission.

The session will also include some of the best practises across the industry, including a case study from the EC-funded LIFE brewery project – another highly-replicable integrated solution to recover brewery secondary materials for aquaculture-feed ingredients.

From policy to practice: Zero-Pollution Brewing

The sustainability ambitions of Europe’s beer sector are aligned with those of the EU’s Green Deal and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

This session explores how brewing has adapted to being a leader in sustainability, and as a partner of EU Green Week, what zero pollution means for the whole beer value chain. It also looks at how the European Union can shape its rules and set global standards to enable the brewing sector to bounce back sustainably post-COVID.

In collaboration with the young MEP network EU40 and the European Parliament’s Beer Club.

Looking forward post-pandemic. What to expect? What to create?

Where is the European brewing scene heading? A decade of radical changes like big mergers, multiplication of beer styles, increasing demand and the explosion of micro and small breweries has concluded with an unprecedented pandemic. Following its heavy impact on our sector, what will the next decade offer to our industry? Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink delivers a keynote speech and our four panellists will debate what’s next. How is sustainability going to impact the brewing sector? Will the sector continue to grow, and the number of breweries continue to expand, thanks to new breweries opening doors? How will regional and national brewers fit in between the two extremes of large and small brewers? Our panellists from Spain, Germany, United Kingdom and Poland offer their views and opinions on all these questions, as well as take questions from you in the audience.

Insights into a “new”, post-Covid world

This session provides views from market and consumer analysts on what trends have developed during the Covid-19 outbreak and related lockdowns. Are these trends going to last and to what extent will the beer and alcoholic beverages world return to a pre-Covid normal?

Back to the root: modernizing historical and preserved beer styles

With a history going back thousands of years, there are many traditional beer styles that have been forgotten. But history offers a rich source of inspiration to rejuvenate old brewing traditions and adapt them to modern times.

This session highlights two inspiring examples from Europe and and a less familiar, but no less inspiring one, from Africa. Lars Marius Garshol introduces us to the world of Kveik and Ulrike Genz explains how she revived real Berliner Weiße. Traditional beer culture is not limited to Europe alone. Umqombothi has been a staple for large parts of the population of South Africa. Lethu Tshabangu has fused this century old brewing tradition with saison from Europe. In this way, he has brought two worlds together.

How to use the marketing to root your brewery in the local community?

With the pandemic and lockdown, many people re-discovered their neighbourhood and local breweries with great beer! But how do those brewers now make sure their beer stands out in a very competitive market? How do you get your story to cut through? In this workshop Carole provides tips & tools for creating your own differentiating proposition in the beer market. Henri will explain how his family brewery has touched many consumers’ hearts, although they are based in France, a ‘dark market’ (where communication is prohibited on alcoholic beverages).

Diversifying the packaging mix – What solutions exist ?

Packaging can be a differentiation point for small and medium-sized brewers, if used correctly. How can suppliers serve small brewers and their smaller production volumes/batches? Cans are increasingly considered by small brewers as a viable option for packaging freshly brewed beer. The taste properties of canned beer has improved and consumers’ perception is changing. Despite some question marks over how sustainable cans are compared to other methods, this option is being embraced by brewers.

Maturating beer in re-used barrels to provide flavor

Refermenting and maturing beer in beer barrels is one thing, refermenting and maturing beer in barrels that were previously used for a different purpose is something completely different and requires specific skills which are increasingly recognized by consumers and beer connoisseurs.

The flavours and aroma-contributing bacteria that are transferred to the beer make for splendid, subtle, yet difficult to produce barrel-matured beers and what was originally in the barrel will strongly influence the profile of the end beer. Jocelyn, brew master in the excellence wine-growing area of Bordeaux, France, explains how he works with Brettanomyces and repurposed wine-barrels to develop perfectly balanced beers. Matt, from the US, shares his experience with former spirits-barrel and how he imparts specific spirits flavurs to beer.

Barrel-ageing and beer

To barrel or not to barrel, that’s the question! it’s actually perfectly possible for a wooden barrel to act as a taste agent for beer.

Barrel-aging methods are booming around the globe, from the traditional Belgian practice in ‘oud rood/bruin’ and Gueuze beers to very creative uses by rising small brewers. Old spirits and wine barrels are being used for maturing, imperial stouts, IPAs, triples and even lagers to give them a strong identity, a unique flavour profile and a story that appeals to consumers.

This process is complex and requires expertise and knowledge to understand the different types of barrels and woods and their impact on the beer. You need to know how the barrel microbiome will interact with that of the beer and when maturation needs to be stopped to give birth to a balanced product. Our top speakers share their insights and expertise. We’ll benefit from the experience of a barrel producer, Angela, and her company’s deep knowledge of wood. Brew master Rudi has practiced barrel-ageing for years, and the session ends with Jitka who is merging the vintners’ tradition with her brewing skills and barrel-ageing.

Non-alcoholic beers and small breweries

Alcohol-free beers are more varied and exciting than ever before. Normally production beer with very little or no alcohol demands costly and technical installations. However, this is beginning to change as more smaller breweries are now producing this type of beer. Rudolph Michel presents the latest and upcoming market trends for the non and low-alcohol segment in selected European countries. Martina, a researcher from the Technical University Munich-Weihenstephan, describes which techniques are available and what exciting possibilities exist to retain flavour whilst getting rid of ethanol. Manuel and Angel, two Spanish micro brewers share their experience of developing an alcohol-free IPA, in a market where the share of no/low alcoholic beers is above 10% of the beer market.

How to brew a perfect lager in small breweries – Striving for Perfection in Lager Brewing

Meet Eric Toft of Schönramer Brauerei situated in the extreme south-east of Bavaria, and Yvan De Baets, the co-founder of the iconic Brasserie de la Senne in Brussels. Schönramer is well-known in Germany for its award-winning pilsener and Helles. Although Brasserie de la Senne is appreciated mainly for its hoppy Belgian ales, Yvan has created an excellent lager that has quickly become of his best-selling beers. Eric and Yvan discuss the value of good relations with raw materials suppliers, as well as getting onto the subjects of brewhouse and bottom-fermentation do’s and don’ts.

The session is an open conversation with questions submitted by the audience. Lagers can be difficult and demanding to produce at consistently high-quality standards, but anyone serious about brewing clean, highly drinkable lagers, will benefit from Eric and Yvan’s expertise.

Is 2021 – the year of the lager beer?

More than 90% of the world’s beer production is lager characterized as pilsners or blond/light lagers.

What role does a pilsner or a light lager fulfil and how ‘naked’ is it? In this session you’ll see examples of lagers and interesting production principles for improved flavour stability purposes.

Speakers: Jens Eiken, John Brauer

Moderator: Tiago Brandão

Green recovery : investing in sustainability to boost growth

Sustainability is key and becoming even more important for the success of your business. This session focusses on three aspects of sustainability directly affecting your brewery: legislation, operation and communication.

Drahomira Mandikova from Asahi explains how the EU is shaping policy through the Green Deal and how it is impacting the brewing sector. Jan Paul Rutten will showcase the motivation behind Gulpener Brewery’s mission to build the greenest brewhouse in Europe and what benefits that has brought to this family brewery. And as the saying goes: ‘be good and tell it’, Mandi MacKay explains how Sierra Nevada communicates its achievements to a wider audience.

Hard Seltzer

Originating in the US in the early 2010s, hard seltzer – alcoholic, and often flavoured, sparkling water – has taken the North American RTD (ready-to-drink) category to another level. And now Europe is seeing a notable jump in hard seltzer launches. In this session, beverage specialist Kamini Dickie looks at why the popularity of hard seltzers continues to grow and what makes them a fresh alternative to the more traditional alcoholic drinks. Casey O’Neill, Boston Beer Company’s Director of Product Development, will share the brewer’s strategy in developing one of the world’s leading hard seltzer brands. And with consumers in search of diet-friendly and cleaner label alcoholic drinks, Rhodri Evans from the consultancy group at Exponent, a firm which consults across a wide range of areas including food and chemical regulation, will focus on the European marketing challenges from a product labelling and claims perspective.

Digitalisation of the economy

The pandemic changed our way of life in ways no one could anticipate. Yet it also accelerated trends that had already begun, such as the digitalisation of the economy. Many companies have gone online and with the lockdowns all companies needed to choose this path; be it for visibility or for selling goods directly. Breweries have also embraced this movement but have faced hurdles. Clo shows us how to go beyond awareness on social media and create meaningful conversions, whilst Hugo explains how online sales directly to consumers can be boosted for small breweries.

Accessing retail to diversify the distribution channel

With an exploding number of breweries in Europe – from 5,000 breweries 5 years ago to more than 10,000 breweries now – more brands and beer styles are available to consumers. Whilst established brewers have long benefited from their presence on supermarket shelves, smaller brewers are now competing for space there too.

This not only represents an important source of visibility and growth for new brewers, but also offers consumers a larger variety of choice. It’s proven to be vital during the closure of hospitality venues, when brewers needed to sell more through off-trade. Charles-Antoine Clabaux, from Brasserie Ardwen, will tell us how he has managed to sell his beers to larger retailers- all whilst maintaining quality, reputation and a business-driven model. Tom Maneschijn, from Untappd, will explain how brewers can use the data provided by Apps and websites such as Untappd to identify where their beers are sold – or not – and more efficiently target their distribution and marketing efforts.

Opening Session – Key Notes

The 3^rd edition of The Brewers Forum is opened by our President Lasse Aho. You’ll hear how the brewing sector shapes up on both sides of the Atlantic, with Secretary-General of The Brewers of Europe Pierre-Olivier Bergeron and CEO/President of the Brewers Association Bob Pease, giving context of how beer has fared in the midst of the pandemic, the economic and regulatory challenges the sector will face in the next few years. The session concludes with a keynote address by M. Atsushi Katsuki-san, President and CEO of Asahi Group, who will share his vision of how a Japan-based global company anticipates the future.

Biochemistry of hop flavour & aroma II

Session Chair:
Paul Lefebvre (Administrateur Brasserie Lefebvre, BE)

The impact of hop kilning temperature on the aromatic and biochemical properties of American hops
By Lindsey Rubottom, Oregon State University
American hop growers have historically dried hops in the range of 62-66°C using deep bed kilns (60 – 80 cm), but they have shifted to lower temperatures (52 – 57°C) in the last ten years, particularly for new American cultivars. With the sustained popularity of hop-forward beers featuring American hop varieties with high dry-hopping rates, lower temperature drying was hypothesized to preserve hop aroma volatiles and quality. Over four harvest years (2018-2021), six popular American hop varieties were evaluated to measure the impact of drying temperature on hop quality. Using a broad range of drying temperatures (52 – 72°C) at commercial hop farms, hop quality was evaluated via chemical, biochemical, hop grind sensory, and brewing measurements. While somewhat dependent on hop variety, the overall results indicate that aromatic hop chemistry and quality may not be dramatically impacted by kilning temperature. In contrast, hop enzyme activity is reduced at higher temperatures. These results suggest that growers may dry at higher temperatures without sacrificing aroma quality, thereby offering greater flexibility and throughput for the hop grower.

Exploring the Regional Identity of Hops in the Pacific Northwest: A Case Study involving Cascade and Mosaic Hops Grown in Oregon and Washington
By Michael Fechir et al., Oregon State University
This presentation examines the regional identity (terroir) of Cascade and Mosaic® hops grown in 2020 on 41 individual fields throughout the Willamette and Yakima valleys in the Pacific northwest USA. Hops were characterized chemically (hop acids, total oil and oil composition) and sensorially (projective mapping and check-all-that-apply). Multivariate statistical analyses revealed groupings that corresponded to regional (between states) and subregional (within states) locations. To substantiate these results, a subset of hop samples of each variety was used to brew 14 dry-hopped beers (IPA) on a 2.5 hL pilot scale to evaluate the extent to which regional differences were transferred to beer. A trained sensory panel was able to discriminate between beers brewed with the same hop variety based on regional and subregional differences. Additionally, soil chemistry & physical properties, weather & climate, and farm management practices were examined and some variables were identified as potential determinants of regional differences. These results offer initial evidence of hop differences that can be tied to subregional variation.

Reducing the environmental footprint of hoppy aroma by a novel yeast-based technology
By Simon Dusséaux et al., EvodiaBio
The contribution of hops in the environmental impact of brewing has long been neglected. Farming of hops generates up to 5 kg CO2e and requires >2700 liters of water per kg of hops, while it uses fertilizers and pesticides. EvodiaBio seeks to reduce the environmental impact of brewing by rethinking the way by which beer acquires its hoppy aroma. We have developed a natural and sustainable yeast fermentation technology to produce the key aroma molecules of hops. We use them to produce standardized and tailor-made natural aroma extracts that recreate the hoppy aroma experience more economically and with much lower environmental impact. These extracts can go beyond what is possible with hops, by allowing brewers to choose their favorite aromatic notes, while leaving out less desirable ones. This flexibility promotes fast creative development by allowing quick iterations on a single brew. Additionally, it can alleviate many challenges often encountered with hops, such as aroma inconsistency, limited supply, hop burn, hop creep, and waste management. We provide data that this technology is highly efficient in adding hoppy characteristics to non-alcoholic beer, while masking off-flavors

State of the art evidence that hop terroir affects beer flavor
By Ann Van Holle et al., Proefbrouwerij
Not only variety but also terroir may have a significant impact on the brewing characteristics of hops and, consequently, on the resulting beer flavour profiles. In contrast to extensive data on variety-specific effects available, profound insights into terroir influences are lacking. Therefore, the relevance of hop terroir was explored in detail by applying three industrially important hop varieties. Eight single-hop beers were produced with Amarillo, Cascade, and Centennial hops, originating from several geographical regions worldwide. Genetic and biochemical fingerprints of the various hop batches were generated according to the methodologies as described previously (1). The biochemical and sensory attributes of the corresponding single-hop beers were investigated to elucidate the consequences of terroir-driven variations in hop brewing features related to beer flavour. It was confirmed that terroir-related hop characteristics are key considerations for brewers to obtain high-quality beers with required and consistent flavour profiles.(1) Van Holle et al. (2019) J Agric Food Chem 67:3761-3771

Jumbo Filter as new alternative for beer clarification. Sterile Filtration

Presenter:
Dominique Michaud

Procesos y Servicios de Filtracion, S.L. is the exclusive distributor in Spain and Portugal of all products for the food and beverage industry of Sartorius-Stedim Biotech Gmbh. WE ARE SPECIALISTS IN FILTRATION PROCESSES FOR WINE, WATER AND BEER and have more than 20 years of experience.

The innovative use of the Technology Infusion Spiral® within the brewing industry for the development of new products or the improvement of existing ones

Presenters:
Carlos Ignacio Yañes & Luis Fernando Zambrano

The Technology Infusion Spiral® (TIS®) is a unique and highly innovative tool. Its industrial design was conceived to maximize the contact surface between the wood and the beer, allowing for a high performance in the short maturation times required by the industry.

During this Workshop we will share the various ways TIS® can be applied within the brewing process and some real customer experiences. We will also announce the results obtained at KU Leuven after more than 6 months of trials.

OIS&Associates LLC, exclusive worldwide distributor of the TIS®, invites you to participate in this workshop to better understand the great opportunities that TIS® offers to the dynamic and innovative brewing industry.

The Brewers Forum 2021

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