BRAUWELT International 4-2026

The international brewing and beverage industry is undergoing an unprecedented era of transformation. Companies must adapt and find their own paths – and yet opportunities always present themselves.

I, ROBOT, INSPECT BARLEY – Testing the quality of grain and malt at delivery is time-consuming and resource-intensive, but AI may prove helpful under certain circumstances. In “Modern grain inspection – AI vs five lab technicians” by Ramuñas Berkmanas of the Lithuanian company GrainODM, we present a study that compares the evaluation of grain samples by AI and by humans (p. 169).

A GLIMMER OF HOP ON THE HORIZON – The hop industry is feeling the impact of declining beer sales just as much as brewers are. Accordingly, the key question in our interview with Managing Director Pascal Piroué and Supply Chain Manager Martin Schöttl-Pichlmaier, both of the hop company Simon H. Steiner, was as follows: How should hop marketing and hop trading companies position themselves to be able to embrace the future with confidence? You can find answers on p. 184. Naturally, the hop plant is known for its versatility, so it comes as no surprise that additional applications are in development. Dr. Christina Schönberger of BarthHaas in Nuremberg highlights ways in which hops can be used in innovative beverages with functional benefits and in other drinks that are currently trending (which, incidentally, can also be produced in breweries). Read more on p. 172 in her article “Not just a supply for bitter compounds.”

WORTS AND ALL – Even simple measures can make a big difference. While wort losses are often recorded digitally, they are not properly analyzed. In collaboration with a brewery and as part of a bachelor’s thesis, an Excel-based tool for automatic measurement of wort losses was developed that automatically consolidates production data and presents it in a clear format (p. 188). Up into the 1970s, calcium bentonite was used for beer clarification, and it resulted in beer losses and issues with foam. However, the situation is different if sodium bentonite is utilized for this purpose. In another brewery project, trials were conducted with sodium bentonite, including as an alternative to PVPP. On p. 198, the authors explain how stabilization works using this agent and what results have been achieved at the brewery.

JUICY DETAILS – What started as a regional experiment has exploded into a global phenomenon, with almost every brewing nation in the world producing the style: ‘hazy’ or ‘juicy’ IPA has come to dominate the global craft beer landscape and has become ubiquitous throughout the beer-drinking nations around the world. Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe, discusses the popularity of these beers, the origins of the beer style and future trends (p. 219).

Authors

• Lydia Junkersfeld