Members and guests of the EBC Brewing Science Group met over two days (6th and 7th September) under the chairmanship of Dr. Carsten Zufall of the Cerveceria Polar, Caracas, for their biennial get-together. At this, the 9th Technical Meeting, scientific exchange and discussions around brewing science and technology was very much in the foreground of the group’s activities. This is already the second time that the meeting had been held back-to-back with the EBC Symposium; this had proven to be a winning combination of events since the highly acclaimed hop symposium took place two years ago in Wolnzach in the centre of the largest German hop growing area. Had there been only a handful of delegates wanting to attend both events, their number had increased to a sizeable 16 this time around. All in all approximately 25 members and 15 guests had heeded the invitation to come to the world-renowned Carlsberg Research Centre in Copenhagen, among them a respectable number of eight professors of brewing science and beverage technology in Europe. In other words, a high-calibre group keen to share and be informed about the research activities of their colleagues.

From organic hops to dry-hopping

he first German Hop Day was held in August of 2009 in the Tettnang region and was a resounding success. With around 100 participants in attendance from eleven countries on three continents, the event’s organizers, the Association of German Hop Growers, the HVG and the Association of Tettnanger Hop Farmers, were more than satisfied with the result. The second German Hop Day is planned for September 21st and 22nd 2012 in Wernesgrün, and the bar against which this event will be measured is already high.

Brewing down wonder

How did Australasian brewers buck the rationalisation of the global brewing industry? With a stiff upper lip, by the looks of it.

The Beer Academy has created a new annual award of “Honorary Beer Academy Sommelier” to recognise people who have made an exceptional contribution to promoting the public understanding of beer.

Brewers from around the world received awards from an elite international panel of judges in the 2012 Brewers Association World Beer Cup. The ninth bi-annual competition boasted the strongest field of entrants on record, with 799 breweries from 54 countries and 45 U.S. states entering 3,921 beers in 95 beer style categories. A 17.7 percent increase over 2010, the entries were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards in their respective categories. Judges presented a total of 284 awards.

Even long after the end of the harvest in Europe, there still is uncertainty about the availability of malting barley. Depending on the concessions of the maltsters and brewers, this amount can vary. The weather conditions in 2011 have lead to substantial quality problems.

124th Annual MBAA Conference in Minneapolis, the City of Lakes

The 124th Annual Conference of the Master Brewers of the Americas Association (MBAA) was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota from 13 to 15 October this year. The international brewing conference drew a large attendance from industry representatives, scientists, global and craft brewers from all around the world. The preconference classes “Pub Brewers Mini Camp” and “Beer Steward Seminar” started the congress in Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday, 13 October. The “Pub Brewers Mini Camp” is dedicated to small craft or micro brewers and addressed, among others, topics like malt analysis, hop selection, yeast management and operating ratios. The “Beer Steward Seminar” was aimed at educating beer professionals about beer when it has left the brewery and enters the wholesale and retail markets. The sensory-intensive class dealt with the understanding of the basic sensory system, with product presentation and with consumer behavior.

Flexibility is our strength

In the heart of the apple-growing region in the Etsch Valley, ten kilometers south of Meran in a town called Lana, there is a company that almost no consumer is aware of but probably has at one time or another purchased its products. The company is called Iprona and is based here. It produces natural foods of the highest quality on an industrial scale at reasonable prices.

Brau Beviale celebrated its 50th anniversary from 9–11 November in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg.

On 10 November 2011, gold, silver and bronze European Beer Star awards went to beers from 20 countries, while beers from 13 countries qualified for the 49 gold medals at Brau Beviale in Nuremberg, Germany. This year, the number of participating beers went up to 1,113, an increase of 16 percent over 2010 (955 beers). The jury that chose the world’s best beers in all 49 beer categories (previous year: 45) consisted of almost 100 (previous year: 88) brewmasters, beer sommeliers and specialized journalists from 26 countries. They evaluated the beers on the basis of the purely sensory criteria that all beer consumers are familiar with: colour, aroma, foam and of course flavour.