-
Home
-
Topics
- Raw materials
Raw materials
Insights from a home brew competition | Tritordeum, a hybrid cereal derived from durum wheat and wild barley, is attracting growing interest as a novel malting raw material for brewing. Previous studies have shown that Tritordeum malt can provide extract yield, enzymatic activity and fermentation performance compatible with brewing practice [1]. The key open question, however, has been less whether Tritordeum can be brewed and more how it behaves under practical brewing conditions when brewers are free to adapt recipes, process settings and style targets. To address this, a structured home brew competition was organized in Spain. The resulting dataset combined recipe logs, process feedback and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sensory evaluation of 18 finished beers. This made it possible not only to assess performance in the glass, but also to examine the process decisions that led to the results.
Raw materials
Saaz Comfort and Saaz Shine | Saaz Comfort (SAC) and Saaz Shine (SAH) are new Czech fine aroma hop varieties derived from the traditional Saaz (SAZ) lineage. They were bred to preserve the characteristic “noble” aroma of Saaz while improving agronomic performance, particularly drought tolerance. Both varieties show alpha acids contents and alpha/beta ratios typical of fine aroma hops. The present study focuses on the basic characteristics of these varieties, including hop resin and essential oil composition, sensory profile, resistance to drought and fungal diseases, yield performance, and, finally, their brewing value in lager beer.
Over a pint
There are areas around the world set aside for agriculture that may look green and appealing to us with their nicely organized rows of plants yielding food or textiles for our consumption, but in Mother Nature’s eyes, they’re ugly and appalling. Why? Because life in all its seeming unruliness and wonderful variety, as it once existed on the land, has been driven out, carted off, sprayed away, mown down, burnt up or simply extinguished. All of this destructive effort is usually expended for the production of a single monocultural plant species in order to feed, clothe or fuel human endeavors with little thought given to the other countless species that depend upon the same land’s resources.
Raw materials
Hop anniversary | On June 20 and 21, 2026, the Hop Research Center Hüll (GfH) is celebrating a very special birthday, namely its 100th. This marks a century since the founding – born of necessity and with a clear objective – of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hopfenforschung or German Society of Hop Research. BRAUWELT spoke to Walter König, managing director of the GfH, on the centre’s turbulent past, current challenges and plans for the future.
Raw materials
Europe | From today’s perspective, the planting acreage for spring barley in Europe is expected to fall by around five per cent. This is according to the first 2026 Malting Barley Report for Europe, which was published recently.
Energy/Environment
Challenges and opportunities | Two years ago, Holland Malt opened the world’s first 100% emission-free malt house, i.e. complete elimination of all fossil fuel practices. Today, the company reflects on the lessons learned, the challenges overcome, and the opportunities ahead. This pioneering project demonstrates how innovation, collaboration, and adaptive processes can move the brewing and malting industry towards a more sustainable future. Although the project is unique within the industry, many of the insights gained reach far beyond a single company. The obstacles encountered and the solutions developed in this pioneering effort offer the wider industry a preview of what lies ahead – both the difficulties and the opportunities. They also highlight the growing importance of a policy environment that enables energy-intensive industries in Europe to decarbonise while remaining globally competitive.
Raw materials
Hop analytics | The new hybrid aroma hop variety Huell Classic was developed specifically to create a climate-hardy replacement for such classic, now climate-threatened Central European “noble” landraces as Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Hersbrucker, Spalter, and Tettnanger. Part 1 of this article series (BRAUWELT International no. 1, 2026, pp. 5–7) covered the currently changing environment for hops in Central Europe and the breakthrough work of the Hop Research Center to combat it. This second part examines in greater detail the analytics of the new Huell Classic and its uses in the brewhouse.
Raw materials
New variety | The new hop aroma variety “Nobella” from Hopsteiner combines a classic, traditional noble hop flavour with consistent alpha acid levels and reliable performance under today’s climate conditions, bridging tradition and future requirements in aroma hop breeding.
Raw materials
Argentina | Over the past decade, Argentina’s hop industry has undergone substantial transformation, strongly influenced by the craft beer movement. Historically, Argentine hop production was closely tied to the needs of large industrial breweries. However, the exponential rise of craft beer has reshaped the landscape, creating new challenges and opportunities for growers, suppliers, and brewers alike. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of hop production, import trends, and market allocation in Argentina between 2014 and 2024, comparing them with developments in the United States and other mature brewing markets.
Raw materials
Fighting climate change | The German Hopfenforschungszentrum (Hop Research Center) in Hüll, Bavaria, has released a new hybrid aroma hop called Huell Classic. Registered with German and European Union food safety authorities as H17107, it was purposefully developed during more than a decade of genetic marker-guided breeding, as well as selections in greenhouses and trial plots. The objective was to create a climate-hardy replacement of such classic, now climate-threatened Central European landraces as Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Hersbrucker, Spalter, and Tettnanger.
Raw materials
Alpha acid values | The 2025 hop harvest has now officially come to an end. The Arbeitsgruppe Hopfenanalyse or AHA (Hop Analysis Working Group) has announced the mean alpha acid values determined in freshly harvested hops.
Current issue
Most Read
BRAUWELT on tour
Current issue
Most Read
BRAUWELT on tour
