MicroBrew Symposium: Craft Malting, Craft Brewing
The 7th European MicroBrew Symposium | The first highlight of the trade fair week for craft brewers took place on November 11th: the 7th European MicroBrew Symposium. Organized by the VLB, the symposium was held one day before the doors of the trade fair officially opened.
Led by symposium chairman Burghard Meyer, attendees were treated to a series of interesting presentations on two main topics: craft brewing – and for the very first time ever – craft malting.
The MicroBrew Symposium is an event directed towards professional brewers working in brewpubs and craft breweries. Burghard Meyer extended a hearty welcome to the brewers who had traveled from Europe and around the world to attend the symposium.
Craft Malting
The craft beer revolution started in the USA and has since taken the world by storm. Today, we are able to enjoy an unprecedented variety of beers. And perhaps the second revolution is unfolding at this very moment: “Malt shovels at the ready!” Craft malting was in the spotlight for the first time ever at this MicroBrew Symposium.
And, as a proper prelude to the topic, the first lecture was a refresher course on malting technology. Mick Holewa of VLB described the malting process from grain to malt, including the main process steps such as steeping, germination and kilning. He also touched on some key questions: Which parameters are necessary to control these steps in order to produce high quality malt? What happens to the kernel in the malting process? What equipment is needed to produce malt?
Axel Jany of Weyermann® specialty malts shared his expertise with the audience regarding the latest trends in malt for craft brewers. And Chris Bergthold of VLB let the numbers speak for themselves: How can one judge the quality of barley in terms of its suitability for malting? And finally, for the brewers, a decisive question: How can malt quality be assessed for its suitability for processing in the brewhouse?
Core topics
The afternoon session was devoted to more traditional topics. For example, Burghard Meyer spoke about wort boiling and its impact on the quality of the wort. Horst Dornbusch, Cerevisia Communications, was joined by Mick Holewa, VLB, to describe the options for producing specialty (craft) beer styles.
Production of non-alcoholic beers has also now gained in importance for craft brewers. Mick Holewa of VLB wrapped up the symposium with an overview of the techniques available to craft brewers interested in making non-alcoholic beer. There are multiple options for doing so – and without expensive equipment. Utilizing special mashing procedures can produce wort which is low in fermentable sugars, yeast strains with a low fermentative capacity can be pitched or fermentation can be interrupted before it is finished… These are just a few of the possibilities for producing non-alcoholic beer on a budget.
Conclusion: The MicroBrew Symposium was a versatile and exciting event, densely packed with information, and it provided a fruitful start to the trade fair week. It also served as a meeting place for all who are involved in craft breweries and microbreweries. It is an excellent place to gather and exchange information with contemporaries in a relaxed atmosphere, before being swept away by the hustle and bustle of the trade fair.
Authors
Christian Dekant
Source
BRAUWELT International 2019
Organizer
- Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB) e.V., Berlin, Germany
