Successful premiere for VLB Draft Beer Conference

Bergamo | Around 90 experts from the European brewing industry met in Bergamo, Italy, from 31 August to 2 September 2026 for the 1st VLB Draft Beer Conference – Cleaning, Filling & Tapping. The new international event focused on technological, hygienic and quality-related challenges in keg filling and draft beer systems.

The technical sessions covered the process chain from keg cleaning and filling to dispense quality. Particular attention was paid to process monitoring, hygienic design, traceability, safety and the handling of non-alcoholic beers. Contributions from breweries, equipment manufacturers and consultants presented current operational practice as well as new technological approaches. The growing importance of alcohol-free and 0.0% products was reflected in several presentations, including Radeberger Gruppe’s long-term experience with filling alcohol-free beer into kegs and concepts for hygienically flexible filling.

Ahead of the event, Daniele Gotti, Managing Director of Co.Mac srl, underlined the company’s commitment as Platinum Sponsor: “We are delighted to be participating in this event as the Platinum Sponsor and look forward to welcoming attendees to our facilities.”

Further presentations addressed high-speed keg lines, iron pick-up in beer, alternative dispense concepts, transponder-based traceability, advanced hygienic solutions, one-way kegs and automation. Discussions showed that reliable draft beer quality depends on consistent process control beyond the filling line itself – including keg logistics, cleaning routines and dispense technology at the point of sale.

The technical program also highlighted solutions for increasingly demanding product portfolios. Stefan Schuhriemen of KHS, Gold Sponsor of the conference, presented hygienic and flexible filling of 0.0% beer and mixed beer beverages. Referring to the KHS Innokeg Contikeg, he highlighted scalable capacity, recipe-controlled processes, precise filling technology, high availability and cybersecurity. “It was our pleasure to demonstrate the latest developments in draft beer technology, keg filling, and dispense systems in Bergamo,” Schuhriemen said.

Technical visits: Keg filling and keg production in practice

A strong practical component was provided by the three technical visits. At Comac in Bergamo, participants inspected a newly built high-performance keg line shortly before its Factory Acceptance Test. Particular interest was generated by the high degree of automation and integrated control technology, including a laser scanner used to verify keg suitability before processing.

On Tuesday afternoon, Heineken Italy, represented by Claudio Caldini Manager Quality & Technology South Europe Hub and his team, opened its Comun Nuovo brewery to the delegates. The tour included brewhouse and filtration control rooms, packaging operations and the brewery’s 600-keg-per-hour line. The installation uses a modern train system designed to achieve higher performance than conventional walking-beam concepts. The visit concluded with an aperitif at the brewery.

The conference ended on Wednesday with a visit to PolyKeg in Grumello del Monte. Participants gained insights into the production of non-returnable kegs, from components and bags to final keg production and warehousing. Automation, quality control and traceability were key topics throughout the tour. Sergio Sonzogni, CEO and Founder of PolyKeg and Gold Sponsor of the event, summarized: “It was a pleasure to open our doors, share our know-how and spend time with professionals from across the draft beverage industry.”

Positive conclusion

The lively discussions underlined the relevance of draft beer technology as a specialized but important field within brewing and beverage packaging. The open exchange between brewery experts, suppliers and consultants contributed significantly to the positive atmosphere – also between competing manufacturers. VLB Event Coordinator Martin Dubrowsky and VLB Managing Director Dr. Björn Klotzbücher were pleased with the successful premiere of the conference: “We can certainly imagine continuing this format of a compact conference dedicated to a specific topic in the brewing and beverage industry in the future,” said Klotzbücher.