Predicting flavor stability – Part 2

The complex mechanisms, which occur as beer ages, continue to present brewing scientists with many avenues of research. Applying the abundant laboratory results now available as guidelines or as quantities for judging flavor stability in a brewery’s quality assurance program is however no easy task. Previously published, practically formulated, relatively simple methods are described below, which allow reliable predictions to be made regarding flavor stability and do not require costly equipment. Part 1 appeared in BRAUWELT International no. 5, 2015, pp. 327 - 330 and discussed to what extent flavor stability can be predicted.

Monitoring of dangerous viruses and viroids in German hop gardens

Viruses and, in particular, viroids can significantly reduce hop quality and yield, thus causing commercial losses. The pathogens cannot be combatted by plant protection products and can be spread very rapidly during cultivation work. First infestations have to be detected quickly and snuffed out, especially if new pathogens such as the hop stunt viroid and the citrus viroid IV are involved. Since 2008, the Bavarian State Institute of Agriculture (LfL), Freising, has initiated monitoring for the stunt viroid, important viruses were added later, and testing also included the “new” citrus viroid IV.

Application of ionised air in maltings and breweries – background

This article demonstrates how broadly based the technology for producing ionised air is and what applications are possible. It is pointed out that publications on this topic consistently differ in terms of ion concentration or descriptions of methods used to generate ionised air when it comes to values for field strength, radiation etc.

Testing pasteurisation units

In particular during pasteurisation, sensitive beverages have to be handled with care. A new testing method involving a chemical indicator system has been developed that can be used for determining the actual thermal exposure without having to resort to the classic challenge test with microorganisms.

Culture detection method for non-alcoholic beverages

Quality control processes in breweries are torn between the conflicting priorities of consumer demands for impeccable and high-quality products, the requirements laid down by regulatory authorities and institutions, compliance with hygiene standards, and the brewery’s own economic interests. Therefore, it is very important to select the “right” method for quality control. With TransFast®, Doehler GmbH from Darmstadt, Germany has come up with an innovative solution.

Systematic differences between growing areas?

Throughout the world there are a number of hop varieties which are cultivated in different growing regions. For the first time, systematic differences were proven between the growing regions of Yakima (USA) and the Hallertau (Germany) based on the analysis of low-molecular polyphenols in the Perle and Nugget varieties using HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). In three crops (1996 - 1998) the Hallertau hops showed a higher polyphenol content than those grown in America [1]. A recent study now compares the two growing areas using the Cascade aroma hop variety.

How to find the small creatures that we don’t like

We’ve learned in the previous article that brewers don’t like all microorganisms. In this article, let’s figure out how we can apply foolproof methods to find spoilage organisms in breweries.

On the road to the Smart Factory

Industry 4.0 and the Smart Factory address major challenges – the securing of competitiveness, resources and energy efficiency, the quick change of sales markets and ever-stronger individualization. The introduction of cyber-physical systems as well as flexible and intelligent software solutions is necessary to create completely networked, self-organizing production systems and thus secure the sustainability of industrial manufacturing.

The Beer Monitor is the result of over 20 years of working experience in inline and laboratory beer analysis, based on over a thousand samples covering products ranging from alcohol-free beers to double bock. It uses proven density and sound velocity measurement combined in a compact sensor with a hygienic stainless steel housing. Combined with an additional CO₂ sensor from the Carbo series, a complete beer and CO₂ measuring system is created.

The greatest age of beer the world has ever seen!

Small, independent, traditional: These are the three core values, which define a craft brewery, according to the Brewers Association (BA) of Boulder, Colorado in the USA. However, the word “small” is a relative term with craft breweries. If the volume and growth of the craft beer sector is examined more closely, it is clear that the craft beer scene has ceased to be small for some time now. In 2014, US craft breweries commanded a market share of 11 percent, and the 2015 Craft Brewers’ Conference has once again set new records.

Fluorescence or turbidity? The secret of dark beers

enerally, results obtained with different brands of turbidity meters correlate very well for lager beers, but can differ substantially for dark beers. The reason for this effect can be found in the fluorescence of the sample. Depending on the optical design of a turbidity meter, the fluorescence of dark beers can cause a considerable apparent increase of the turbidity results. In this paper, four turbidity meters from different manufacturers are compared with one another.