BRAUWELT International 1-2025

Brewing consistently high-quality beer is a skill. Every detail is important, and as the well-known saying tells us, this is often where the devil can be found. Therefore, in this issue of BRAUWELT International, we once again look at intriguing queries and quandaries from the field as well as at the solutions that have been discovered in order to at least hinder the devil from making too much mischief in the minutiae.

Inhomogeneous malt – From harvesting the barley in the field to shipping out the finished malt, there are numerous influences on the grain that lead to inhomogeneity. Our author and experienced maltster Karl Weigt explains why this is the case in his article on p. 12, while sharing measures that can be implemented to improve homogeneity.

Do hops possess terroir? – Does the geographical origin of a hop variety, like that of wine grapes, really make a difference? If this were the case, it certainly would be noteworthy from the point of view of sensory analysis and marketing. Our hop experts have delved into this thought-provoking enquiry by testing the US variety Amarillo in order to clarify whether any distinctive differences between the hops cultivated in the US and Germany can ultimately be detected in the finished beer. Turn to p. 6 for the fascinating result.

“What do yeast cells actually need?”, – asks Dr. Klaus Litzenburger from the Research Center Weihenstephan, since breweries are reporting complications in their fermentation processes with increasing frequency. The consequences of these issues can be enormous, and the reasons, manifold. Exploration into the causes begins with raw materials and even extends beyond the lager cellar. On p. 17, you will find possible causes for these difficulties as well as practical solutions for keeping your yeast fermenting smoothly and effectively.

How can research help daily operations at the brewery? – Before we turn our attention to AI, let’s linger on the topic of yeast for just a moment: By employing a new method, a team of researchers has discovered how to differentiate and separate young and old yeast cells, and have proven that the differences between the generations of yeast do indeed have an influence on beer quality. With this newfound knowledge, fermentation processes can now be controlled with greater precision (p. 23). Turning to p. 26, we follow a research project into the fermentation cellar, where a joint investigation between a university and a brewery is being conducted on the use of AI in fermentation. We find out what predictions AI made from the process data collected during the project.

Journeys end in brewers’ meetings – Major events are also in the pipeline: With both the CBC in Indianapolis in April and the EBC Symposium in Budapest in May of 2025, conventions and conferences are just around the corner, where there will be plenty of opportunity to exchange ideas, look for solutions to your own conundrums and answers to any questions you might have. To get a taste of what’s on the horizon, go to pages 55 and 57.

That’s all for now – happy reading!

Authors

• Lydia Junkersfeld