The Brewers Journal Sep-Oct 2016, iss 5 vol 2

the magazine for the professional brewing industry

Brewers T H E

J O U R N A L

September~October 2016 ISSN 2059-6669

Camden Town Jasper Cuppaidge TALKS expansion and acquisition

P.25

cloudwater: the move to cans

P.44

sierra nevada: why the uk is key

P.62

tracking: how to fight ÂŁ50m losses

In a not too distant future...

Craft brewing is dead!

Craft brewing as we know it has become unsustainable, A victim of its own success. Ever increasing use of the “craft” hop varieties sends demand so high that brewers can no longer get them. Beer drinkers worldwide mourn as their beloved brews slowly disappear. Their breweries bust, ex-brewers wander their abandoned taprooms.

Citra...

But no... It doesn’t have to be this way!

The dream is over.

A job in insurance beckons.

By working together with Simply Hops the craft brewers dodge the potential disaster of spiralling demand. Incredible skill and creativity of the brewers leads to greater diversification of hop usage to usher in a new era of amazing beers!

“we speak hops” We talk about the issues that matter to the craft brewing industry such as the shortages of some hop varieties. We want to be part of the discussions that will shape the future of craft brewing. You might think we are being dramatic (we think so too). You may agree or disagree with what we say... Either way, we exist because of craft brewing so we’ll help you in any way we are able. @SIMPLY HOPS

SIMPLYHOPS

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his comment is being written in the middle of London Beer City. A programme of events that bookends the long-running Great British Beer Festival. This year, London Beer City has surpassed itself with the wealth of beer-related content on offer across the capital. A massive well done, and thank you, to the teams behind it. London Beer City also holds a special place for me as it was this time last year our team were busy scampering around trying to drum up interest in the new magazine we were about to launch. For every glazed over look received at the Great British Beer Festival, there were several genuinely interested ones (I like to think, anyway).

We had somehow managed to strong-arm Logan Plant at Beavertown, John Keeling at Fuller’s and the team at Weird Beard to give up their valuable time for interviews for the launch issue, which I remain incredibly grateful for. But it was then time to garner interest and ensure the magazine would reach the right people. We hope we’re doing that and we are indebted to those that continue to give us feedback on the publication. When someone, such as Weyermann's John Middleton, tells you they’ve seen the magazine on the desks of breweries he visits (and not in the bin!) it is incredibly rewarding. But we are always striving to go further and make The Brewers Journal a title that does what a decent trade publication should, to give you a reason to open every issue, and even better, a reason to keep it.

We are going to shake up the format in the coming months to ensure the magazine stays fresh and relevant. We’ve also got the Brewers Lectures launching in December, a series of half-day events that feature a wealth of fantastic minds from in, and around, the brewing industry. For more information on that, please head to page 18.

In this issue, our first birthday issue, we speak to Steve Grossman, brand ambassador of Sierra Nevada, and brother of its founder Ken. “Making good beer is not easy. To make it to a consistently high quality, and to make it consistent, full stop, is very challenging. To have a brewer that really knows what they are doing, that is all important. And that is what will ensure you have longevity and success,” he tells us. He was a pleasure to speak to and has a genuine passion for the industry that is clearly shared by the team when you look at the sheer number of new beers they continue to put out. Resting on their laurels? Unlikely.

www.brewersjournal.info

Editor's choice Why Camden Town Brewery's Jasper Cuppaidge wants to prove naysayers wrong by growing the company while continuing to produce beer to the quality Camden has made its name from - Page 36 Jasper Cuppaidge, founder of Camden Town Brewery and this issue’s cover star, also took time out to his busy schedule overseeing the production of their new brewery in Enfield to talk expansion, the politics of acquisitions and his excitement at being part of the AB InBev family. The future is undoubtedly a positive one for the brewery, but the honest Cuppaidge says he still takes negative reactions to the company’s takeover decision to heart.

In addition to catching up with the team at Brewery De Brabandere about their legendary Petrus sour beers, we look at the issues driving the investment in vessels and tanks, as well as focusing on the growing importance of keg and cask tracking in the face of, frankly, ludicrous £50m losses that hit the industry each year.

Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoy the issue. As mentioned earlier, feedback on how we can improve is actively encouraged so please get in touch via my details overleaf.

Have a good one!

Tim Sheahan Editor

September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 3

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contacts Tim Sheahan Editor tim@brewersjournal.info +44 (0)1442 780 592 Monique Hinton Sales executive monique@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 594 Jim Robertson Head of sales jim@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 593 Randolf Krings European sales randolf-krings@t-online.de +49 611 5324 416 Richard Piotrowski North America sales richard@rebymedia.com Rhian Owen Head of content rhian@rebymedia.com

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SUBscriptions The Brewers Journal is a bimonthly magazine mailed every January, March, May, July, September and November. Subscriptions can be purchased for six or 12 issues. Prices for single issue subscriptions or back issues can be obtained by emailing: subscriptions@ rebymedia.com

ACI’s DRI-Line Series are a proven bottle and can drying solution for filling line speeds from 100’s to 1000’s of bottles or cans per hour. They provide an efficient and effective drying solution for cans prior to ink jet coding, glass/PET bottles pre-labelling, and removing all moisture prior to packing. In addition the DRI-Line Series has been specifically designed to minimise running costs as well as lessen operational and maintenance issues.

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6 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

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c ontent s The challenges and opportunities this presents for new wave breweries Potential scenarios you will face when conducting business in the UK marketplace The sustainability of different brewery business models If you ever wondered where diversity in beer is heading in the UK this book is your essential guide.

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Cover story

36 - Why Camden Town Brewery's Jasper Cuppaidge wants to prove naysayers wrong by growing the company while continuing to produce beer to the quality Camden has made its name from

the brewers lectures 18- The full lowdown on the first Brewers Lectures event taking place in London this December

In profile: Brewery De Brabandere 50 - Albert De Brabandere on his hopes for the brewery's Petrus sour beers in the UK

COMMENT 20- Hardknott's Dave Bailey on Due Diligence 25- Cloudwater talk the move to canning 29- Rob Lovatt on the art of Helles

sHOW PREVIEW: BRAUBEVIALE 56- Key companies and products not to miss at this November's event in Germany

Interview: WEYERMANN 32 - John S Middleton on the changing UK brewing landscape book review 34 - Beer Means Business, Csaba Babak the big interview: Sierra Nevada 44 - Brand ambassador Steve Grossman on the important role the UK plays in Sierra Nevada's export proposition

www.brewersjournal.info

technology: keg tracking 62 - The products and services designed to help combat the annual £50m losses in kegs and casks technology: tanks and vessels 70 - Trends and developments in the sector science: ENZYMES 74 - Enzymes in beer production science: Saccharomyces 78 - Its uses in the brewing industry

September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 7

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Muntons are a little different from your average maltster. Yes we make malt but we also do much more. We also make a wide range of ingredients, including a large selection of proven malt extracts designed specifically for brewing and made from our own top quality brewing malts. These include brewing quality malt extracts that are used as brew length extenders, ideal where a brewery is reaching its brewing capacity or wants to make something a little special.

Another product which is capturing market interest is our ultra-dark malt extract, which is used to add a touch of dry bitterness and is perfect for final beer colour adjustment.

But what really makes us different is that, not only do we make a huge

range of malt, we can also replicate the craft brewing process in our own 1hl pilot brewery, housed in Muntons’ stand-alone product development facility - the ‘Centre for Excellence’.

This state-of-the-art stainless steel brewery affords us the luxury of being able to test brew new malts that we are developing. The facility is available for our customers to use as well.

Muntons ‘Centre for Excellence’ is also where you will find Sophie De Ronde, Muntons Brewing Technologist, who is happy to provide technical brewing advice and help with recipe development. This service is being used more and more as brewers take advantage of the opportunity to experiment and test new beers before committing to full scale brewing production.

Sophie De Ronde - Muntons Brewing Technologist checking a test brew in the Centre for Excellence

So yes, Muntons are a little different, in a good way. We really care about our customers and their products - you could even say we have a ‘passion’.

Muntons are the 2015 RMI Analytics Global Brewing Supply Maltster of the Year.

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Katie Richardson Muntons UK Craft Brewery Sales Executive: 07979 537759 Jake Mortiboys Muntons UK Craft Brewery Sales Executive: 07920 293902 Muntons, Cedars Maltings, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 2AG 01449 618300 info@muntons.com www.muntons.com

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Simply specify the exact type of grain you want malted. You could even supply your own locally grown or sourced grain!

Malting Box will then malt the grain to your specification here in the UK using our own purpose designed and built equipment.

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scottish businesses FORM CLAN BREWING COMPANY

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he Craft Beer Clan of Scotland has tied with Williams Brothers to form the Clan Brewing Company.

The Clan Brewing Company, a partnership between Craft Beer Clan of Scotland and Williams Brothers, is to focus on the speciality beer market with four whisky barrel-aged beers. The four beers, brewed at Williams Brothers, have used barrels from Speyside, Highlands, Lowland and Islay.

The beers are already exporting to markets in Japan,Singapore, Beijing and Hong Kong.

Clan Brewing Company is headed by craft Chris Miller who grew Harviestoun Brewery and has more than 20 years’ experience in the

sector and has launched the world’s first co-branded whisky-finished beer, Ola Dubh. His new venture is formed with Scott Williams, founder and brewmaster of Williams Brothers Brewing Co, as well as international whisky ‘guru’ Charles PB MacLean.

Miller explained: “This series of four whisky barrel-aged beers shows off Scotland’s regional whisky variations, the variety and depth of beer styles and the brewing excellence of Scotland’s craft brewers.”

He said that the second and third batches of the four brews – double the size of the first – are now maturing in whisky barrels and will be packaged later this year to meet demand.

Around 80% will be exported to

key markets internationally where there is a strong demand in Scotch whisky and Scottish brewing, owing to partnerships already established by the Craft Beer Clan, and the support of Scottish Development International (SDI) and Scotland Food & Drink (SFD).

He added: “With the help of SDI and SFD, we’ve worked hard over the past two years to showcase Scottish craft brewers and their beers to international markets such as China, Hong Kong, UAE, mainland Europe and South America.

“We’ve enjoyed great success, helping Scotland’s craft brewers export and expand, benefiting their local economy but also the Scottish economy overall.”

FULLER'S COLLABORATES ON SUMMER BEERS

Savauin New Zealand hops and Jester hops from the UK. Young from Fuller's explained: “Like Fuller’s, Yeastie Boys is an awardwinning brewery – although compared to us, they are relative newcomers to the craft beer scene.

"It’s been a real anglo-antipodean bonanza though combining not just hops from other sides of the world, but cultures too.”

Stu McKinlay, director of the

Yeastie Boys, said: “We’ve been inspired

by Fuller’s brewers for many years and for us, this was the equivalent of a band sharing the stage with their most influential heroes.

"And, one step better, actually liking them too.”

It has also worked on the London Beer City beer with Fourpure, Five Points Brewing Company and Beavertown on an "ultra-hoppy" 4.8% ABV pale ale.

Fuller's has collaborated with four craft brewers to produce two beers available over the summer.

Georgina Young, Fuller’s deputy head brewer has worked with New Zealand's Yeastie Boys to create Double Summer – a New Zealand-style pale ale, "bursting with melon, lychee and passion fruit flavours" from Nelson

www.brewersjournal.info

September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 11

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Enterprise Tondelli launches Isobaric Hop Injector

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nterprise Tondelli has tied with manufacturing partner Simatec from Italy to roll out its Isobaric Hop Injector, a system designed to remove spent hops resident in a pressurised conditioning tank.

A new machine, available through Enterprise Tondelli, has been designed to aid the issue of removing spent hops from pressurised conditioning tank.

The hops, that often form an almost concrete like deposit in the cone of the tank, make it hard to clean out and also reduce the yield by containing saleable beer that cannot be accessed economically by filtration.

The unit that was initially especially developed for Italian brewery Soralama a few years ago is mobile so that it allows to be moved around the brew house between tanks as required using flexible hoses to give maximum versatility, the manufacturer explained.

It can be used with either dried hops or hop pellets. Some hop material will remain in the isobaric hop injector that reduces the load in the beer. Additionally, as the hop material is kept in slow circulation, it reduces the amount that settles in the bottom of the cone that is said to improve yield and reduce the cleaning required.

It is also claimed that it can offer a potential reduction in hop usage by around 20% and reduction in conditioning time of around two days.

The system comprises a pressur-

Cave Direct expands with Bristol hub Cave Direct will take a step towards direct delivery nationwide with the opening of its new hub in Bristol .

Beer importer and distributor Cave Direct is to open a new hub in Bristol in September.

The new site, which is expected to

ised vessel with control panel and special recirculation pump. It enables the brewery to load hops into the unit without accessing the conditioning tank and dose or recirculate as per the brewers preference.

The unit is designed to exploit and accentuate the convection already present in the vessel during fermentation. For this reason, the injection/recirculation should be administered with delicate short work cycles and repeated within 12 hours, sometimes more, they explain.

Typically this could be 10 minutes every 90 minutes but the recirculation system is fully automatic and on a pre-settable timer so can it be adjusted depending on the result required.

Paul Holden-Ridgenway, head Brewer at “B.A.D. Co recently took delivery of a unit for their expanding brewhouse.

He explained “We have been highly delighted by the results of the unit. Already we are seeing significant improvements in hop usage and conditioning time. Having the wort in very slow circulation really helps the yeast to work.

“We love the fact that it is mobile as it allows us to move it around to where it is needed. The manufacturers have surprised us with their brewing knowledge and innovative attitude to this and other brewing processes where they are challenging conventional wisdom.”

Optional extras for the injector include a wort oxygenation system for use at the start of fermentation, if required. It can also be used for dosing spices or sugar solution if required into the pressurised conditioning tank.

Craig Wilson, managing director of Enterprise Tondelli UK explained: “Our partners Simatec in Italy have some significant advantages with their company structure.

“They own and operate their own very so are keen to watch both quality as well as costs and this two fold approach results in some very innovative brewery solutions. We have supplied a number of brew houses from them in the UK with good results. Their range is also very inclusive for both craft and larger breweries with brew houses from 3hl to 96 hl available.”

be fully operational by 5 September, will enable the company to offer accounts the technical and marketing support it already provides from its Manchester and Kent warehouses.

The facility, known as Cave Direct West, will be operated by company director Mike Rochester, who is a longserving employee of Cave Direct.

Cave Direct founder Colin Gilhespy

explained: “Our long-term strategy has always been to deliver direct through out the UK using our own drays.

"This allows us to interact face to face with our customers, while delivering the freshest beer, competitive pricing and greater stock control.

"This is a big step towards that ambition and Bristol will be perfect for our beers.”

12 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

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WHY RENT WHEN YOU CAN

OWN? Renting Kegs & Casks or paying infinite per-fill fees is like tossing money down the tap. Instead, build your company’s equity with Keg Logistics’ Rent-to-Own program.

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FILTEC LAUNCHES PRESSURE DETECTION UNIT FOR BOTTLES AND CANS

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n-line inspection firm Filtec has launched Auratec, a pressure detection unit designed for glass beverage and aluminium can containers.

Filtec has unveiled Auratec, a pressure detection unit for glass beverage and aluminium can containers.

The unit is a laser-based inspection system that detects pressure inconsistencies in glass and can containers.

It uses multi-point laser scanning technology to generate 3D maps of container surfaces, detecting pressure variations with extremely high

accuracy.

According to the manufacturer, Auratec accurately performs with nearly a six sigma margin detecting acceptable vs unacceptable common aluminium beverage cans.

“Beneath its compact profile, the Auratec packs the powerful punch of a high intelligence machine,” explained Leon Coetzee, vice president of product marketing at Filtec.

He added: “The Auratec stands out for its ability to produce powerful 3D assessments of the container’s pressure profile, at inspection speeds exceeding 1200 containers per minute.

“The system is not affected by container positioning variances on the X, Y, or Z axis, thus being very tolerant to normal production line conditions.

“The Auratec obsoletes traditional analogue or acoustic based technologies, replacing them with an ultrahigh resolution 3D vision solution that also excels in robustness and longevity.”

Available for delivery in the fourth quarter of this year. Auratec’s advanced pressure detection system can be utilised as as a stand alone inspection unit or integrated with existing Filtec products.

CRISP MALTING GROUP MD STEPS DOWN

brewing and distilling are expanding so rapidly and when interest in ingredients is growing so fast, this is a fantastic company to be joining.

“Quality and customer service are already at the top of Crisp’s agenda.

There’s a lot of innovation going on and the team has some of the best technical expertise in the industry.

“All this means the company is well-positioned to accommodate demands from the growing craft beer and whisky sectors in the UK and across the world. It helps that we have one of the country’s three remaining floor maltings; that we can provide grain whole or ready-crushed; and that we’re as happy to deliver 25kg bags as to deliver in bulk.

“In addition to providing the very best malt in the market, our aim is to make things as simple as possible for customers.

Euan’s mantra of ‘profitability through complexity’ has been a key factor in Crisp’s success, and will remain a driving force.

“The leadership may have changed, but the focus on fantastic local ingredients, and service which is second to none, hasn’t.

It may be challenging to follow the momentum and growth of recent years, but with the excellent team I’ve inherited, it’s definitely possible – and I’m determined to make it happen.

He added: “I’ll be looking to build on the fabulous assets we already have."

Euan Macpherson is retiring from his role as managing director at Crisp Malting Group.

Crisp MD Euan Macpherson, who joined the group in 1987, is retiring from the industry after overseeing the production of enough malt to produce more than 64 billion pints of beer.

His tenure at the group has resulted in production more than trebling, up from 120,000 tonnes of malt in 1987 to 430,000 tonnes today.

Adrian Dyter, formerly of Boortmalt and Carlsberg has now taken over as Crisp Malting’s managing director.

He explained: “At a time when craft

14 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

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CASK Brewing systems launches ACS X2 CANNING SYSTEM

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ask Brewing Systems has launched the Cask ACS X2 (Automatic Canning System X2), which offers ten CO2 pre-purge heads, ten fill heads, and two can seamers Calgary’s Cask Brewing Systems is offering a new canning line that doubles the speed of its fastest machine.

The Cask ACS X2 (Automatic Canning System X2) offers ten CO2 pre-purge heads, ten fill heads, and two can seamers. That is twice the pre-purge, filling and seaming features of Cask’s ACS machine, which has been popular with micro-canners since it debuted on the market in 2005.

The company’s new machine fills

and seams 75+ cans/minute and 190+ cases/hour and requires just one operator.

It features a revamped seamer system and an improved operator interface, and can be adapted to various can sizes in just minutes. Other options for the ACS X2 include an improved automatic pallet dispenser and a can pre-rinse feature.

“Our customers around the world are experiencing huge demand for their canned craft beer and it’s creating production pressures for them.

“Many of them are faced with outgrowing our machines and having to make a four- or five-fold leap in price — and a giant leap in size — to buy the next level of canning

gear,” explains Cask founder Peter Love.

He added: “We created this faster, more-advanced machine,” Love says, “to help our customers keep up with their growth in a fashion that saves them significant money and space.

“Our focus has always been smaller breweries, the ACS X2 allows us to greatly expand that focus.”

“All of our machines give small brewers an affordable, small-scale way to package their beer in the best package there is for beer.

“They allow craft brewers to easily adopt the super-portable, infinitely recyclable can and its ultimate protection from light and oxygen.

Those benefits are hard for brewers to resist.”

HARVEY’S LAUNCH REBRANDED BEER RANGE

Harvey’s Brewery as both modern and traditional” and will be used on all its beers, POS material and glassware available to the trade.

Harvey’s spokesman Bob Trimm explained: “We’ve got two centuries expertise in brewing and we’re well known by our loyal customers and discerning drinkers for being the original Sussex brewer – making the finest quality beers.

“But we’ve also got plenty to offer a new generation of drinkers and we think our new visual branding will make

it easier for them – and those who already love our beers – to find us on the bar.”

The pumpclips for its core range, which include Sussex Best Bitter and Old Ale, feature “clean, modern illustrations associated with each beer”.

The company is also introducing a new strapline, ‘We wunt be druv,’ aimed at summing up the strength of character behind the brand. "It’s a saying that reflects the independence, spirit and pride that’s always been at the heart of the county,” added Trimm.

Harvey’s has launched its rebranded beer range.

East Sussex-based Harvey’s unveiled it’s newly-designed beer range at this year’s Great British Beer Festival.

The brewery has also confirmed that it plans to formally expand its sales area throughout the UK, a broadening of the existing 60-mile radius it has historically sold to. According to the company, the new designs “portray

16 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

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Brewers Lectures London new speakers announced

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he Brewers Journal turns one this issue. We go out to an industry where around 1,600 professional breweries operate, a marked increase on the 1,300 that existed little more than a year ago. And while the industry is growing, so is The Brewers Journal and we’re incredibly excited to be launching The Brewers Lectures this December.

These are designed to inform, educate and inspire.

Taking place at four venues across the UK from this December, the lectures will cover a diverse, but focused remit of ideas and subjects designed to help you improve the business of brewing.

The lectures programme features eight experts and will place the spotlight on the issues that matter inand-around brewing in 2017, and beyond.

The Brewers Lectures features speakers from inside and outside of the industry, offering insights, advice and thought-provoking content. Challenging the way you run your brewery.

We are very happy to announce that the confirmed speakers for the London leg of The Brewers Lectures are:

Keynote speaker: John Keeling, Fullers John Keeling is the head brewer at Fuller's and has more than 40 years experience in the brewing industry. His ability to marry tradition and the new, is one of the main reasons the Manchester-born brewer remains a key figure in the brewing landscape, both in the UK and abroad. In recent years, John has overseen the introduction of a wealth of new keg beers to the Fuller’s stable, including ‘Wild River’, ‘Montana Red’ and it’s incredibly popular lager, ‘Frontier’.

He has also launched a golden cask ale, ‘Oliver’s Island’, which has been a great success. And it is cask ale that John will place the spotlight on this December, asking why American brewers think British cask ale is cool, when many of our young hip drinkers do not.

Alicia Munoz An expert in hops and brewing, Alicia gained her PHD from the famous Weihen Stephan University in Germany, where she did her PHD in beer light-struck flavours. She is currently the company’s technical support for Brewers in the UK and for Simply Hops customers across Europe she is also is one of their chief brewers in our pilot plant where we play with hops. Alicia will be discussing, and offering a practical approach to, hop aroma and the latest researches in this field.

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Sophie de Ronde Sophie runs a 100L pilot plant for product development and part of her role at Munton Malt is to help customers troubleshoot and develop recipes, along with product development of brewing ingredients and homebrew products. Sophie has had IBD, beer specific training on top of a science BSc, and will be placing the spotlight on barley as a raw material.

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london

t he

br e w er s

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Tickets on sale now - £18 early bird The London Lectures will be held at Kings College London's Strand Campus, 2pm - 6pm on 7 December. Go to www.brewersjournal.info/lectures for tickets and information Amaey Mundkur Amaey started home brewing in Australia in 2003 and after graduating with a BSc in genetics and evolutionary biology from The Pennsylvania State University, joined SABMiller as a technical trainee – brewing. He moved to Edinburgh in 2013 to get his Masters in Brewing and Distilling where his Master’s thesis work focused on management and quality for Natural Selection Brewing. He now focuses on the use of sensory to improve process and therefore produce higher quality beer, which he will be discussing in London this December. Amaey is a Certified Cicerone®, a member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, The Institute of Brewing and Distilling and the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

supporters:

Matt Curtis Join award winning beer writer and photographer Matthew Curtis for a discussion on why your brewery needs to invest in a camera and how great photography can better tell your businesses story and increase engagement with your customers.

Csaba Babak Csaba Babak is the author of the critically-acclaimed new book, Beer Means Business, which takes a holistic view of the beer industry today. Csaba, who has held EU and global management roles in public policy and regulatory affairs, will discuss the key factors driving the beer market, the challenges and opportunities ahead, and the sustainability of different brewery business models.

Jonny Garrett Jonny Garrett is the founder of the incredibly popular Craft Beer Channel on YouTube. He also spends his time ensuring that UK drinkers have access to the world’s best beers through his respected work at a leading distributor and supplier. Jonny argues that the rising tide floats all ships. Or does it?

Additional speakers will be announced in the run up to the December event.

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D ilig e nc e

Line of Duty Due diligence impacts both the brewer and the drinker, according to Dave Bailey, owner of Cumbria-Based Hardknott Brewery. Here, he outlines the responsibilities breweries must hold to stay on the right side of HMRC, and the law.

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his is mainly aimed at brewers.

If you are interested about beer pricing as a drinker, you might also be interested, but it is a long and weighty read. If you are a brewer, and you are not worried about the subject of due diligence and how it applies to your own business risks I suggest you read this carefully.

Beer is taxed quite heavily. This will not be news to the reader, at least I hope not. Around 40% of the gross money we collect for the beer we sell goes off in VAT and duty. On top of that we have such things as PAYE, NI contribution, both employee and employer1, business rates, insurance tax2 and more.

If we dare make a profit we'd be taxed on that too, not that there is much left in the pot for profit, such are the narrow margins on beer. You see, we haven't put up our wholesale list price in six years. To make more sales we are finding we have to discount harder despite our beer getting better and better and better.

I would estimate, and without checking my accounts properly, that close to 50% of the gross monies we collect go right back to the Government.

This is all good in many ways. We live in a civilised and caring society. The politicians want to try and tell us that everything is broken. Personally I think we live in a great country where we all have the right to vote, our children get free schooling, you are not charged to go to see a doctor, they don't check your medical insurance when you are admitted to hospital.

You can call the cop shop and a person in a uniform will generally take you seriously without you having to bribe him. We can drive down our roads without having to pay tolls in the most part and deaths have been reduced significantly due to spending on all sorts

20 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

of road safety measures.

We, the brewers help pay for a lot of that, and I'm proud that our industry helps keep public services going. We run an honest and above board business and have had the ethos that if we try to pay our taxes, within the lawful constraints that exist, then we will stay out of trouble with HMRC. Our accountant advises us on the best way of ensuring we only pay what we should, and ensure we have the correct business structure to do so.

When we first started brewing we had two visits from HMRC within a fairly short period of time. Both were fairly thorough, but the outcomes showed that we were doing things right. The inspectors made comments about how we should tighten up on one or two things, but due to our careful and above board record keeping we got a clean bill of health.

The most important thing that we gained was a line of communications to HMRC should we have any questions. The officer was very helpful and seemed to welcome communication regarding various matters. Then, all of a sudden, the banking crisis and subsequent deficit hit hard. One day we decided to throw a whole tank full of beer away. I tried to contact the officer in HMRC and was told he had been moved out of the beer duty department and in fact HMRC wasn't chasing the likes of us anyway. Funding to the officers was slashed and there was no one left to help us. We were almost told that we could do what we liked.

Since then a huge number of new breweries have sprung up. Many are very enthusiastic, some even make good beer, but with little gap in that market in our corner of the world there is very definitely oversupply of fair-to-middling cask beer. We are told we are expensive. We know we are expensive and there

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D ue

is two very good reasons for us to be so; we make good beer, and we pay all our taxes and duty. We know that some businesses do not, and in particular some micro-breweries cannot be doing so at the wholesale prices they are charging.

We have unsubstantiated reports of newer breweries delivering beer without paperwork, for cash, no questions asked. The prices can only be viable if VAT and duty are being evaded. There is also significant evidence further down the supply chain of businesses avoiding paying VAT, corporation tax and worse still, limited companies that seem to deliberately set up to run up debts and then become dissolved by a mechanism called compulsory strike-off. This last one is very important, so take notice of this.

From 1st November 2014 it became a condition of approval to produce alcohol, or run any sort of alcohol warehouse, that we apply "due diligence" to our business. We are, if I were honest, still trying to work out the full implications of this, but we are considering the fact that it might mean looking very carefully at all our business transaction.

I take the following from the Excise Notice 226: Beer Duty; 35.1 What is due diligence?

Due diligence is the appropriate reasonable care a company exercises when entering into business relations or contracts with other companies, and how it responds in a deliberate reflexive manner to trading risks identified.

It does go on to say specifically about duty evasion and fraud.

35.3 What am I expected to do?

From 1 November 2014 it becomes a condition of your approval as a registered producer or packager of beer that you must: (a) objectively assess the risks of alcohol duty fraud

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C O M M ENT

within the supply chains in which you operate (b) put in place reasonable and proportionate checks, in your day to day trading, to identify transactions that may lead to fraud or involve goods on which duty may have been evaded (c) have procedures in place to take timely and effective mitigating action where a risk of fraud is identified (d) document the checks you intend to carry out and have appropriate management governance in place to ensure that these are, and continue to be, carried out as intended From this, talking to other brewers, it seems that the interpretation is that we only have a responsibility to monitor for duty evasion. Little breweries don't send out beer under "duty suspense" and all duty is paid by them, so why do they need to worry?

Well, if you think HMRC are only interested in beer duty, and don't care about VAT evasion or unpaid PAYE and NI, or other evasion then I think you are wrong. Equally, you have a responsibility to your own business to manage your risks and exposure to bad debts. We have a hard line on this and upset some customers as a result. But frankly, when we see a risk approaching, and we have our well respected maltsters and hop merchants rightly putting us on stop, and the cash hasn't come in from a customer yet again we believe we have a right to get a little hissy. We are happy to risk losing a customer who isn't paying fast enough anyway.

When a business is looking a bit dodgy and payment is repeatedly, consistently and grossly overdue we start to view continued trading with them a problem. At the very least, remember that around 50% of what they owe us is tax, which in all likelihood we have already paid. If we continue to trade with them

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they are risking our business.

Bad payers have offered on many occasions cash on delivery solution for future deliveries. I feel that is a great idea, provided they pay down first what they owe. However, this is not their meaning, what they intend is to keep the debt just where it is, and future payments will be cash for just the beer delivered. I feel that once a business has got into this situation it is so much in trouble that there is a real risk of the situation being compounded. We always say no, even if they are trying hard to "trade out" of their predicament.

Is that too hardball? Perhaps, and to say I don't feel a pang of guilt about it would be lying. However, to load the van, pay a driver, put miles on that van, and then to find the cash isn't there when the van gets there is too much of a risk for me. If they cannot at least put some money in our account first we just will not deliver.

"But we need the trade" says one brewer. "OK, but what about due diligence?" is my reply. "That only applies to beer sent in duty suspense, surely?"3 I do not think so. I don't know for sure, but it appears that HMRC have identified that there is significant risk in the alcohol supply chain of tax evasion and even tax and company fraud. I think they are putting the onus on brewers to start to rattle this out. If as an HMRC registered alcohol producers we supply a company that becomes insolvent or we have not verified that they are VAT registered, or are otherwise evading taxation then we may well be liable for a lot more than we bargain for. I do not believe HMRC are limiting our responsibility to just beer duty. Even if they are, if we cannot pay our beer duty because we have traded irresponsibly they will have no sympathy for us.

SIBA members are offered due diligence support.

As is the case with SIBA it isn't always easy to find all the information you need, but it is there. If you are a brewing member go to http://siba.co.uk and then click on "members toolbox" - enter your username and password. If you do not have this then ring 01765 640441 and there should be a helpful person there who will assist. If you are not a member of SIBA I strongly recommend you join up, they are the best solution to ensuring compliance with due diligence.4 Once in your toolbox find the My Toolbox drop down and select My Tools, Due Diligence Tool.

There is full instruction on what you can do. It is not compulsory to use this method, but it is a template that SIBA have developed that might help. The bit that is most helpful in my mind is the ability to run a due diligence company search. This should bring back any concerns about a company. My advice is if there are any concerns about the health of a company, whatever risk you feel is appropriate for your own trading situation, consider that there is the extra risk that HMRC might prosecute you if there is any evidence of tax evasion of any sort in your supply chain. If your company fails because of bad decisions on your part then it seems clear HMRC will blame you for not being

22 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

diligent.

I would also advise checking companies house, if the business you are trading with is a limited company. Check they exist and that their filing is up to date. This is an easy check to do. I strongly recommend this as a free check that anyone can do, even if you are not a member of SIBA. Also check out the directors, and search as if they might be trying to hide something, because some do. Directors can have different personas on companies house by entering a different addresses, or using nicknames or shortened version of their names, or by missing out middle names etc.

Oh, and check they are VAT registered. It's easy to do for any EU company.

For me there is a further responsibility to your own company. Yes, I know, when you go into business, as an entrepreneur. you take risks. You want your baby to work, you've dreamed of setting up a microbrewery for ever. Trading is hard, you need to make that sale, that beer needs to be shifted. You might not get paid for that beer. If your business ends up not working because you made bad choices, you might lose your business, perhaps you owe you family because they supported your mad-capped dream. Perhaps you have a charge on your house, you might lose that too.

But if you trade without doing the checks, or worse, you are aware that there is a risk and you carry on trading anyway, not only might you lose your business, and your house, and the respect of your family and friends, you might also end up in prison.

Yes, I think it is that serious. HMRC know there are problems, and they are coming after everyone that is evading taxation and those that aide and abet it.

Brewers and the HMRC 1: We pay more for the privilege of employing people than the people pay themselves with respect to NI. 2: Public and employee liability insurance is mandatory when in business, quite rightly so. It does seem wrong to me that something that is essential and correct to spend money on when in business is then taxed too.

3: It concerns me that some brewers are happy to continue to supply businesses that are clearly so far adrift that the debt to the whole industry is so large that they cannot clearly be sustainable. Long term I do not believe it is helpful to the industry and is propagating an ever increasing debt issue in the brewing industry. I am concerned that the situation is not sustainable.

4: I’ve just run a check, it came back within an hour.

I'm pleased to say that the particular company came back with extremely good results, so they can have beer.

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September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 23

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24 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

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canning

c o mm e n t

CANS ARE NOT COOL Bottles have played a key role in Cloudwater’s beers reaching a broad audience, especially when it comes to its ever-popular DIPA releases. But the Manchester-based brewery has decided that the time has come to migrate to canning its beer. Here, they explain what led to that decision.

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ans are not cool. But they are incredibly practical.

A little over two years ago we were looking at how we could get a small packaging line off the ground, and researching our options. Cask and kegs to bars and pubs are great, but we wanted our beer to be an option at family dinners, weeknight BBQs, and the beer sat in your fridge when you got home. We also really wanted to support the growing number of bottle shops that do ever greater work in getting delicious beer out even further and wider than before.

There were a few very small canning lines in use in the UK at in 2014, with glowing reports few and far between, and nothing of a small sized, yet professional quality bottling line. We stumbled upon Meheen, and their M6 filler, and even though a client list wasn’t forthcoming a little research online lead us to several excellent US breweries that seemed to be getting on just fine with theirs. We contacted Meheen’s UK representative Karl at Oasthouse Engineering/Beer 2 Bottle, whose order, install, operational, and service support has been excellent since, and placed our order.

Since we commissioned our M6 in Spring 2015 we’ve filled nearly 400,000 bottles, and learned a lot about running a small packaging line in the process.

We’ve gone from runs of 2000 bottles every once in a while, to runs of 7500, more than a couple of times a week, but we’ve hit the limits of our compact M6 with our expansion coming up, and have to look again at

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how we package beer in a way that lets us reach lots of consumers around the country with a great quality beer.

Our biggest two issues with cans have always been how to protect such a large aperture from O2 and bacteria ingress during filling, and whether the agencies that qualify that the levels of BPA in can liners as safe can really be trusted. We had also never previously seen a canning line that we thought would put us in a better position than our M6 in terms of usability, reliability, or dissolved oxygen either.

We’re really happy to say that seeing the ABE LinCan 60 in action at Five Points recently allayed our worries about bacteria and O2 ingress. After the cans are filled they rapidly progress towards the can end chute, where each can receives a can end – the first can at under 2 seconds from the end of filling, and the last (eleventh can) in under 5 seconds from the end of the fill cycle. Whilst there are concerns about BPA in can liners (in general, including food can liners), we’re increasingly confident that we’re not being mislead by any agency or manufacturer. As beer buyers ourselves, the liners have never put us off a purchase, or made us worry about our health.

When our new tanks arrive, we’ll need to step up from packaging our current norm of around 85HL of brite beer a week (30% of which or so goes through our M6 at present), to up to 220HL a week over the course of up to six months (with a target of packaging 45% of packaged beer going into cans). We’re happy to announce that we’ve just ordered an ABE LinCan 60 from Vigo, capable of some pretty impressive D.O

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canning

Canning the future: Can mock ups from Cloudwater

pick up for a small line, and importantly running at 3 times the speed of our M6. What’s also really exciting for us, is that we’ll get to package some beers into 500ml cans, and others into 330ml cans as we see fit, rather than having all our brite beer in just 330ml bottles as we do now.

There are other benefits to canning too: hermetical seals rather than vulnerable crown caps; half the box size and weight of bottles means half the cold store space and twice as much on each van delivery and pallet we ship; zero light striking effects; vastly improved portability; wider reach with cans readily accepted into music venues and festivals; near infinite recyclability; less cardboard use; lower environmental impact during can deliveries (pallets of empty cans weight very little) and shipments (full cans weight as little as 343g, where full bottles are around 650g).

I would be remiss not to mention that cans do have a few key disadvantages though: low acceptance in high end restaurants who are deeply averse to putting a can on their dining tables; poor tolerance of pressure (compared to bottles); and dissolved oxygen will continue to cause us concern until we regularly see the same readings we get from our little M6.

In line with how we currently style our bottles we’re not planning on ordering printed cans. Instead we’ll follow the likes of Other Half, Trillium, and Treehouse, with front facing labels, using the metal like we

26 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

previously used glass. This will allow us to continue to feature commissioned artwork, list all our ingredients, and make as many different beer styles as we like – all things we’re deeply committed to!

Now, a question undoubtedly in your mind is when we’re thinking we’ll be able to make the switch? If current estimates from our supplier Vigo are accurate, and with a whole load of luck, we’ll be canning beer in October. We can’t wait to get a lot more of our beer out to you all, and both our forthcoming expansion and switch to cans will help us do exactly that.

Another question out there might be around how we feel about cans being seen as cool? Simply put, they’re not. They’re not as elegant as a bottle, nor are they a saviour for poorly made beer. What may be a marketing tool to others is just going to be a package type to us. We’ve never been held back by bottling our beer previously, nor are we going to be helped by canning our beer in the future, but what cans will do for us is help us get more beer out to more people, in more places, that’s it. (Although obviously we're going to work as much as we can on making them look amazing.)

Like any change in process there may be teething problems as we get used to running a different line.

But with 18 months experience of running a small packaging line already behind us, we’re confident we’ve some quality checks already in place that ought to see us make a relatively smooth change over. If, however, you ever get a can from us that’s substandard, let us know, and we’ll make things right with you in the shortest time possible.

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Clearly a Superior Pint September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 27

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H e ll e s

c o mm e n t

THE ART OF HELLES Despite brewing a Vienna Lager, Smoked lager, Oktoberfest, Pilsner and numerous Weisse beers at Thornbridge, head brewer and production director Rob Lovatt has only now turned his hand to brewing a Helles. Here, he talks us through the brewing process and what makes the style so delicate and drinkable.

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f I were to sit down and try articulate what made a world class Helles, I would probably use adjectives such as delicate, soft, deft and rounded. I probably wouldn’t use those words to describe most craft beers and certainly not any mass produced lagers.

Other than buying imported German Helles, it is almost impossible to enjoy a wellcrafted, authentic German style example in the UK. Unfortunately, your average drinker really hasn’t been exposed to such a perfectly crafted beer. UK lagers from the big brewers are so far removed from the style it’s an absolute travesty. With frequent visits to Bavaria, when I was a young brewer, and with some help from some amazing brewers in Bavaria, I really got a feel for German brewing traditions and the thought processes behind these beers and I now feel very comfortable brewing almost any German style.

Despite brewing an amazing range of forwardthinking ales, Thornbridge didn’t have a ‘Germanic style’ in its core selection. When I took the helm six years ago, I naturally wanted to add lager styles to the already impressive range. Since then, we have brewed a Vienna Lager, Smoked lager, Oktoberfest, Pilsner and numerous Weisse beers. I cannot believe it took me until this year to brew a Helles, the most popular style in Bavaria by far.

I remember years ago an old brewer told me that brewing is all about separation. I don’t think until the last few years as I have grown older it truly made sense to me. When I talk about separation, I’m talking about separation from start to finish.

When we mash in, we are separating the sugars from the malt. That’s not as simple as you might think. We mash in at a specific temperature in order to obtain the right spectrum of sugars, so: a) We hit the correct final gravity, which will do so much for mouth feel and drinkability;

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b) We hit the right original gravity, so the ABV is what we’re aiming for.

Not only is temperature important, but also pH and liquor-to-grist ratio should be correct. It’s also important we mash in as gently as possible, so we don’t cause any unnecessary sheer forces, damaging the husk. Control of all these parameters will prevent us from extracting any undesirable compounds resulting in astringency in the finished beer.

Onto lautering, which is separating the sweet wort we have produced during mashing from the malt. It’s important to have the right bed loading and raking profile, so we produce a relatively bright wort which is free of undesirable compounds, but still has the desired extract. I personally believe that a traditional infusion mash will produce the best quality worts, but careful and controlled lautering can still produce a fantastic quality wort (I would need an entire blog post to put my argument forward!).

There are a whole multitude of reasons why we boil as brewers, but, in terms of separation, we want

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H e ll e s

to separate as much of the trub as possible from the wort that goes into the fermenter and also evaporate undesirable compounds. So a good aggressive boil, with sufficient evaporation, the correct level of copper finings and a well-designed whirlpool ale aid with this process. I personally don’t favour some modern German brewhouses which concentrate on efficiency, where evaporation rates are low and concentrate on only the elimination of DMS as a measure of efficacy.

This, in my opinion, results in a distinct flavour profile and a poorer quality wort. I have spoken to other lager brewers who also advocate an aggressive boil throughout and good evaporation; I guess the proof is there to be drunk.

We are so careful to eliminate trub from our lighter German beers. We watch each cast out, to make sure none of the trub from the whirlpool is taken through into the fermenter. Rapid wort chilling also ensures the formation and optimal removal of cold break. We also employ a flotation vessel and trub off the first few mornings of fermentation. I even know of brewers in Bavaria who skim off the hop drive on the initial day of fermentation, as this is supposed to contain astringent compounds, but this is one step too far for us!

There are of course other considerations when making a Helles. The use of German Pilsner malt, the choice of yeast strain, the choice of hops. However, with the quality of raw materials at hand for brewers these days, only a fool could pick badly here! We are well known for using Bamberger Malt for our Germanic styles and the hops we use for Lukas at the moment are Hallertau Tradition, from the Hallertau region of Bavaria.

Onto fermentation - I know, from experience, when I lowered what would be considered a relatively cool fermentation temperature from 12C to 9C across the board for my lager styles, the improvement in perception of softness was significant. Low fermentation temperature reduce the already low ester formation and result in a much cleaner, more delicate beer. What is absolutely essential though, is getting a solid fermentation at these low temperatures, as a sluggish formation could do more damage than good.

After the primary fermentation we lager our Helles for five weeks. During this process the yeast slowly metabolises by-products, which were produced during the fermentation, and utilises any remaining gravity.

Prolonged lagering essentially smooths out any rough edges and creates a much more delicate product. I have read many times that prolonged lagering is not strictly necessary, but the proof is well and truly in the pudding here. I defy anyone to show me a Helles which is lagered for a minimum amount of time which can complete with a world class Helles. We also make sure we only carbonate naturally by krausening each batch. This takes some jiggery-pokery with the brewing schedule sometimes, but ensures a much finer carbon dioxide bubble, which breaks out of solution much more slowly when compared to forced carbonation.

Probably the most obvious example of separation

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is producing a bright beer, using either filtration or centrifugation. This style is most commonly enjoyed sparklingly bright. Not only is this demanded from an aesthetical point of view, but also yeast masks flavour and alters the mouth feel (try drinking a ‘Kristal Weisse’ next to a normal Weisse beer). I know there is a trend amongst a section of the craft brewing fraternity for cloudy beer, but I’m not convinced it’s cloudy for the right reasons. I would advocate a tank beer if the yeast count was tightly controlled and supply chain could guarantee the product was drunk fresh. We might still brew a ‘Keller’ version of our Helles at some point in future, but I still need my arm twisting a little bit tighter…

The correct water profile is also very important. I remember brewing with relatively hard water and after tasting a lager in Bamberg, which used an RO plant to produce soft water, invested in a RO plant straight away. Our brewing liquor in Bakewell is (thankfully) naturally very soft. What difference does soft water bring to the table? The best way I can describe it is that a lager goes from being 2D to 3D! One other final point is the overall structure of the beer, to me this is of fundamental importance. When I first set out to brew a Helles, I rounded up samples of some the best around and measured the final gravity and bitterness. The relationship between final gravity and bitterness ensures supreme drinkability. We monitor every batch extremely closely to make sure they are in specification. If we are slightly out, we hold back and blend with another batch to correct it.

So, I hope you see what I mean about how important separation is when brewing this style, as faults will stick out like a sore thumb and ruin the desired soft palate. There is a reason why Helles is so popular in Germany and that is because of its supreme drinkability and thirst -quenching attributes. They might not be as fashionable as hazy DIPAs at the moment, but I know what I’d be prefer to be drinking when the mercury hits 30oC.

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The challenges and opportunities this presents for new wave breweries Potential scenarios you will face when conducting business in the UK marketplace The sustainability of different brewery business models If you ever wondered where diversity in beer is heading in the UK this book is your essential guide.

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Beer Means Business

Csaba Babak held EU and global management roles in public policy and regulatory affairs. Following a decade in the corporate world, he could no longer resist his passion for small enterprises and sustainable business models thus turned entrepreneur himself. He is determined to enhance small business competitiveness through innovation. Ever since his tenure in Belgium, he has sought diversity in beer and he has been amazed by the high-paced evolution of the beer market in the UK. Beer Means Business is his first book, a glance into the future of the UK beer industry reflecting the unique combination of his professional experience, passion for beer and small businesses as well as his background in industrial engineering and environmental management.

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Evan Rail, author of The Meanings of Craft Beer Beer Means Business takes a holistic view of the beer industry today. It is a systematic assessment of the beer supply chain from farmers to consumers without mentioning any one product, brand or business. Unveiling the complexities of the UK brewing industry in a structured manner, this book provides a stimulus for forward thinking beer entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. Read this book to better understand:

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here is no shortage of books about beer, especially consumer guides and books about home brewing. There are also many business titles aimed at entrepreneurs.

Beer Means Business links the two disciplines by clearly focusing on the bourgeoning British craft beer market.

The growth of small breweries and the interest in “craft beers” has exploded over the last 10 years but has not been subject to any kind of real analysis.

This brand new book, so new it even considers the implications of a Brexit vote, focuses on the economic, business and marketing aspects of beer. The author is of Hungarian origin but has worked internationally for big corporations and is himself an entrepreneur based in London.

The thesis of the book is how the new wave in the brewing industry can be surfed sustainably. He makes the important point that we now have more choice of beer in the UK than ever before with over 1500

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breweries brewing around 14,000 different cask beers annually. Brewing has a low failure rate compared with other industries (there is a 10% churn of new businesses across the board in the UK) However the market share of craft brewers is very small. Many of the new breweries in the UK are little more than one man bands with some 80% having an output of less than 1000 hectolitres a year (c. 176,000 pints) Some 80% of beer sold by craft brewers is sold within 40 miles of the brewery.

He looks at the concept of Ideology – what is it you do and how do you do it? He discusses the idea of mission, vision and values which are implicit in most businesses. The book really comes into its own when it analyses the offer of craft beer which is seen as comprising: choice, above standard quality, excitement and innovation. The author addresses the response from big breweries which is either to produce spin off “craft” brands or to acquire the craft breweries.

He makes a very valid point that in the UK, lager was once an unconventional premium product (only

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Beer

7% of the market in 1970 compared to 74.8% in 2014. BBPA) Clearly, tastes in beer are fluid and can be changed over the years, which can only be good news for craft brewers.

He devotes a chapter to the 4 Ps of Marketing which will be familiar to anyone who has been on a business course. These are Place, Product, Promotion and Price. Place, the channel of distribution can be a brewery shop, taproom, brewpub, online sales, supermarket, off-licence, pub, hotel, club or restaurant. With over 50% of beer now consumed at home craft brewers will need to look further than pubs to sell their beer.

With regard to product he makes an important point that big brewers have multiple brands but small breweries need to focus on building just one brand. PR and social media are advocated as low cost marketing solutions for small brewers. Price is an important part of the marketing mix as low supply can command high prices through the notion of exclusivity.

He attempts to look into the future by stating that the craft beer revolution has already happened and that we will soon see a slowdown in the number of new breweries. He suggests that that might be a natural limit of 2000 breweries in the UK. Another important point is that there is scope to grow beer tourism in the UK. The author peers into his crystal ball in the final chapter predicting a market share for craft beer of 4% by 2020. He also sees the rate of pub closures slowing down, something which is already happening with the rate down from 27 a week in early 2016 to 21 in mid-2016. He also predicts that there will be more off-trade outlets. This is certainly true as more and more towns now have an independent off licence, most of which will sell a selection of beer from local small breweries.

This is quite a densely written book which needs careful study but is highly relevant to anyone working in the brewing industry. As an outsider the author has been able to look into the industry and speculate on where it may be going. There is much food for thought in this book and I hope that Csaba will continue to write thought provoking books about beer.

Reviewed by: David Harris David Harris is a freelance writer who lives on the Hampshire/Sussex border. He is a member of the British Guild of Beer Writers and has written for various beer publications. He also writes about radio, music and local news and is a music presenter for a community radio station.

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September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 33

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move on up Camden Town Brewery’s founder Jasper Cuppaidge has run the gauntlet of emotions since last year’s announcement that the business he founded was being sold to AB InBev. But with the company’s new Enfield brewery set to become operational in early 2017, and further investment planned for its existing site, the irrepressible Cuppaidge only has his sights set on the future.

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’d do it all again if I had the chance, it’s the beauty of it. Every year is like that, every week is like that. When that dies, it is time to move on.” We’re discussing the palpable excitement that is emanating from the team at Bristol’s Lost and Grounded Brewers ahead of their imminent opening.

Alex Troncoso, co-founder of the Bristol brewery, is among the brewing alumni to have passed through Camden’s halls and Jasper Cuppaidge, founder of Camden Town Brewery, knows full well the excitement and anxiety that goes with starting your own brewery. Cuppaidge has been there and he’s going through it all again, as the team makes sterling progress with the development of its new brewery in Enfield. Expansion that will create 70 new jobs over the next two years.

“Everything is done and every supplier is committed, which is awesome. It’s a great feeling as it’s exactly the route we were on before we joined ABI and they were fully committed to what we were doing and where we wanted to go," he says. There was always that element of nervousness about how things would turn out but fair play to them, they have delivered on everything that they promised.”

It took approximately 10 minutes for the subject of Camden’s acquisition to be raised but, to Cuppaidge, it’s not an elephant in the room, far from it. He acknowledges that the move was always likely to divide opinion but he’s looking forward, not back.

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It’s like being a kid footballer in the park and having a top scout from someone like Arsenal approaching you with a contract telling you that you’ll become incredible one day

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“Everyone knows I’m super proud and even more proud that we are with a company like ABI. I understand a lot of people love us and continue to love us. They were worried about what it would do to us," he muses. "It’s like when a band gets invested in, do they become rock stars and let it go to their heads and become shit? So it’s another element of keeping us on our toes, which I think we are very good at. We have taken ourselves, and this business, very seriously.

“This is a very capital intensive industry and the money to grow to where we wanted to be, to do what we were going to do, had to come from somewhere

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at some point. Do you get involved with the banks, the venture capitalists, or with a brewing company?

Everyone has to choose their road. And we did.”

Cuppaidge explains however that the acquisition was never on the company’s radar.

“We did a lot of work on this brewery last year.

But around September, ABI approached us with the intention to talk. We thought, 'great maybe they want to help on distribution in the US'. They made it clear they wanted more so I figured it was distribution in Europe. However they were more direct in their desire to partner with us and invest in us. I was like, 'really?'.

It’s like being a kid footballer in the park and having a top scout from someone like Arsenal approaching you with a contract telling you that you’ll become incredible one day. We were so naive, so we went at it in the only way we know,” he says. “We outlined the beliefs of Camden, what our plans are, and where we wanted to be. They were sensitive to all of that. We have had some incredible custodians that have walked us through the whole process, which I appreciate.”

Camden Town Brewery, founded by Cuppaidge, started full production in 2010. At the time of the brewery’s acquisition announcement, it employed a team of 95 and had sold 12 million pints that year (2015). Headcount has already gone up by upwards of 40 in the eight months that have passed since then.

Cuppaidge is continually aware of the fear that some drinkers have when a brand they enjoy, and appreciate, is swallowed up by a drinks giant.

“I don’t think brands that have gone to bigger

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companies, and then dissolved, have done so through being treated the wrong way. I think they have reached the end of their natural lifetime while under that tenure. That happens and it happens in lots of industries,” he states. "But it won't happen to us".

Cuppaidge adds: “When it comes to this acquisition, we haven’t done anything outside of the company. This business is made up of the people sitting around us here today. What matters to me is what these 120 people (at time of visit) think. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I wanted to make sure that each and every one of these people knew that they counted and that we went through this deal to secure the future of us all. And now we are secure.

“We are secure and we have investment to grow, we have everything. We are incubated. ABI leave us to get on with things, and allow those guys around us here today to get on with doing what they’ve been doing so well for so long. I’ve made a lot of decisions with Camden and I believe a lot of those have been spot on. Yes we have lost a few people, which is unfortunate but we are gaining people too. There are 20 new people this year and 20 more next year, and rightly so.”

And for Cuppaidge, he says that when it comes to Camden, he has never been happier.

“We were first to a lot of things and we are in a position where we will continue to strive to be the first to many more. It can be a lonely old world out there as an entrepreneur, so it’s incredibly rewarding and validating to be part of ABI and now connected to

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many others like me, where you can pick up the phone and speak about your experiences. The same applies to many other parts of the team, too. Things are simply better. People are benefitting from the experience,” he enthuses. “For everyone around us, for breweries around us in London and the UK, come and ask us for advice. We will be able to do more for people, and I look forward to that. It is positive.”

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Like many breweries that have continued to grow, the emphasis on the team and the role each and every one in that team plays, is all important. And that’s not something Cuppaidge will be changing in the brewery’s next stage of development.

“Beer is about fun. It’s not about bloody war. If that’s not what you’re doing, then something is very, very wrong. We have 32 nationalities working for us,

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massive amounts of diversity, but massive amounts of inclusion, too. Whether you’re 18 or 80, you’re welcome at Camden,” he says. “That’s what we like to think we have brought to the industry. And when I think about the people that have left us, it makes me sad as I miss each and every one of them. I know, and knew, each member of this team by name but at the same time, we’ve probably helped populate a fair amount of the London and wider beer scene with people that have passed through these doors. So that’s a good thing!”

He adds: “We get upset when people write negative things that are personal, of course we do. A lot of what is written is unfounded but thankfully that’s in the past. And we are now building great confidence in the market and the beer is tasting even better than ever.”

Cuppaidge has lofty goals for Camden’s new brewery, but he is equally excited by the role its existing site will have in the Camden proposition, too. It will be a collaborative space, focused on R&D and innovation, with smaller tanks to enable the development of new beers.

“We’ve brewed over 100 different beers. Many wouldn’t think that so this site will only go to help us continue to develop new recipes and get them out. We need the core, the fish and chips such as Hells, which I would murder all day long when served in the right glass, served clean and at the right temperature,” he says. “We will continue to innovate, that goes without saying. But I am just as proud to try someone else’s beer and go ‘Wow’ this is a great beer. Be it Sourdough from Wild Beer Co, or Jaipur from Thornbridge, when you have a beer that is simply fantastic, then there is no better feeling.”

You’d argue that such a feeling for Cuppaidge could be rivalled when he steps foot in the company’s new 57,420 sqft brewery nine miles up the road in Enfield.

“The new brewery is a peach. It’s incredible. It's just 25 mins up the road with a five vessel, state of the art Krones brewhouse. Everything is new. Down here, we will move the brewhouse further into the brewery, remove some of the bigger vessels and put in lots of smaller ones so instead of 120hl tanks we’ll have more 20hl ones,” says Cuppaidge. “It’ll mean we can do more one-off beers, with the team and with friends outside of this brewery. The Krones 100hl brewhouse will mean we can brew 12 times a day. We have KHS equipment, and CFT for bottling and cans. When ABI came on board, they suggested what we can add around our specifications. People say they are all about cutting costs. But they are fundamentally about making beer brilliant. The budget has gone up by about 20% due to their involvement. It’s the complete opposite of what people believe.”

And that’s the impression you get from Cuppaidge and the Camden team. Proving people wrong while making good beer to boot.

“I feel that our company is at home now. It feels right.”

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Malt and the craft beer Movement John S Middleton is the UK marketing specialist at malt manufacturer Weyermann. In his five years at the business, John has visited more than 1,200 breweries so has a fair idea of the changing demands and pressures, as well as the opportunities, UK breweries face on a daily basis. In this piece he outlines how the industry has changed. and the ever-increasing role speciality malts are playing in the modern brewing landscape.

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he brewing landscape is constantly changing. You can visit one county and revisit it again in a few years and it will be a completely different animal,” explains John Middleton. The UK marketing specialist for malt manufacturer Weyermann has been with the business for five years, a move he made after spending nearly a decade at GEA Huppmann where he was overseas Sales director.

“Starting out in Feb 2011, I began with the aim to visit every craft brewery in the UK to simply raise awareness of the Weyermann company. Since then I have visited every craft brewery in every county and country in the UK. In 2011 there were 782 breweries according to the 2016 CAMRA Good Beer Guide, now look where we are. We have had considerable growth year on year from thereon in.”

In Middleton’s eyes, the predominant size of a craft brewery in the UK is 10bbl, and almost all of them are completely manual controlled and more 90% of the brewers do not hold a brewing or similar qualification.

He says they are generally people looking for a change in direction or home brewers trading up and are either self-taught or have attended a threeday training course. However more and more he is seeing seeing serious investment into larger 20 or 30bbl automatic breweries and his guess is that these breweries account for 10% of the market and they have qualified brewmasters at the helm.

“Now with so many breweries out there, what they brew and the quality of their beers is critical. All of them are looking to produce something new, quirky and different,” he explains.

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“Brewers are diversifying. Take a look at breweries such as BrewDog, Meantime, Thornbridge, Tiny Rebel, Hawkshead and Bristol Beer Factory, all have that modern take on the beers they brew. Young guys, good beer, excellent quality and repeatability backed up with good marketing,” he says.

The diversity of the beers being produced need a equal diversity in the ingredients on offer. Weyermann saw this need for variety as a route for the German company to break into the British market. Middleton explains: “With over 80 specialty malts in our portfolio. we have always adopted a policy from the outset not promote the base malts in the UK as there are many British maltsters out there offering good quality base malts competitively, so to challenge them on their “patch” would not be either sensible or competitive and could well detract from the success to date our specialty malt sales are having.

In Middleton’s opinion, craft breweries began to emerge in the UK in the late 70’s, mainly as a result of the closures of dozens of local breweries which drinkers were saddened to see and refused to accept.

Growth was slow but steady over the following 35 years. Their emergence also began as a result of beer drinkers looking for good interesting local beers as they were fed up with the boring, bland, fizzy overpriced keg beers the large brewery groups said they wanted. It was only around 2008 with the introduction of pale thin hoppy beers to attract a new customer base of younger drinkers that craft brewing really took off.

He says: “From 782 breweries in 2011 to what we have today, and still rising albeit at a slower pace.

Another key factor was the demise of classic breweries like Boddingtons and Joshua Tetley. Taken over by

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major groups their sales have dwindled from their once positions in the top three beers we drank in the UK. West Yorkshire highlights this clearly. The once avid and loyal Tetley bitter drinkers were disillusioned with the closure of their Leeds brewery and have defected to the craft brewers. West Yorkshire alone now has around 70 breweries in a 30 mile area, the highest concentration in the UK by some way.

“The beers these new craft breweries began to brew were blond or IPA style beers which new drinkers soon took to. Breweries began brewing these beers as monthly specials but soon their demand changed them in many breweries these pale beers are now their core beers. Last year and more so this year, hop shortages and changes in drinkers demands have meant that IPA is still “fine” but we are now looking at beers with five or six malts in the grist, as you just can’t drink heavily hopped beers all night, one or two is fine.

“This serious growth of craft breweries has also given the larger UK maltsters something to think about. Not so long ago they were about to phase out sack malt in favour of bulk delivery due to high labour costs, time to load their vehicles and delivery along with health and safety reasons putting pressure on the smaller breweries to install bulk silos. This has all changed and sack malt is still the choice of the majority of craft brewers and readily available as it should be.

“The dramatic rise in craft brewing has now also come to the attention of the larger regional brewers who once considered craft breweries as no threat to them. Now many have installed small craft pilot brewery plants within their breweries to enable them to develop their own new beers and to become craft brewers themselves. “How things change.”

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September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 43

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at home in the uk The UK is the largest export market for Sierra Nevada, and a new distribution relationship is aiming to ensure that the brewery is known for more than its popular Pale Ale. We sat down with Steve Grossman, brand ambassador of the brewery, and brother of its founder Ken, to talk the past, present, and the future.

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aking good beer is not easy. To make it to a consistently high quality, and to make it consistent, full stop, is very challenging. To have a brewer that really knows what they are doing, that is all important. And that is what will ensure you have longevity and success.”

I’ve been told that directly, almost verbatim, by two people. Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery

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and now, Steve Grossman. Yes we have upwards of 1,600 breweries in the UK, producing all manner of beer styles, but how many were catalysed to start brewing following their first taste of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or a Brooklyn Lager?

When they talk, people listen.

Grossman is in the UK, as he so frequently is these days. As brand ambassador for Sierra Nevada, for whom the UK is its largest export destination, he is here on a regular basis to help plot the route map for a brewery that has long been something of a byword for quality Pale Ale. But it is that association that he wants to help, not necessarily move away from but, form part of a bigger brewing picture in the eyes of drinkers.

And Sierra Nevada beer is popping up a lot more frequently in the UK of late. That’s in no small part due to the brewery’s growing relationship with distributor Westside Drinks, a division in association with Fuller’s.

Granted, the brewery’s beer is available here in more guises than ever before but for many,

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they'll still ask for a pint of Sierra Nevada. Do we ask for a pint of Beavertown, BrewDog, Northern Monk, Magic Rock, Fuller’s? Unlikely. And it’s this transition that is being focused on, to increase the presence of the brewery’s seasonal output, and lesser seen styles, in the UK, and elsewhere.

“Pale is still our primary beer at 55% of sales, which is awesome, but it’s great that people see everything else we put out, too. It’s important we are getting representation of the other brands,” Grossman says. “We want to show people what great work our brewers are doing. We’ve always made a lot of decent beers, but many would be only sold locally or at the taproom. Brewing is in our nature. Last year, we made 160-something beers so getting some of those in front of drinkers that only know us for Pale Ale is important.”

Ben Hird, account manager for Westside Drinks, explains that he is witnessing something of a “quest” from bar and pub owners to be at the front of the queue when it comes to seeking the newest beers they

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can offer from the brewery.

“Sierra Nevada is reacting, with us, to an everincreasing demand from managers and consumers for these beers. Thanks to the growing prevalence of social media, they know what we have the second it is released. So if the brewery has enough to go around, it makes sense to try and satisfy that,” he says.

Grossman caveats though, stating that distribution of these beers to a wider base hasn’t always been a key focus for Sierra Nevada.

“Exports are only 5% of our business, but the UK is the biggest part of that. We are in 11 markets outside the US and these scenes are changing all of the time.

So it is very important for us to keep our eyes and ears open to what is going on,” he says. “The reality is that there is a lot of competition but at the same time, for Sierra Nevada, it’s more a case of doing our thing and concentrating on getting the best beer we can to people, regardless of the situation that surrounds us.”

And for Sierra Nevada, Grossman enthuses that is has always been the brewery’s philosophy to make

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great beer each and every time, something he wants to impart on others.

“There is an interesting trend now where breweries are actively looking to make beer different each time, by experimenting with the profiles in each batch and looking at other ways to change that recipe. That’s interesting to me,” he explains.

“You know, you drink beer for different reasons.

Sometimes there is that comfort and reassurance in getting the beer you know, expect, and like. And there are other times where you want to experiment with something and see how it goes. But from the brewing side, this decision to experiment should not be an excuse for not putting out a fantastic beer each time.

It’s not something you should expect to hide behind in case it doesn’t work as planned.”

He adds: “Beer is fashionable now. That much is true. But as a result, people are getting into the scene without a solid brewing background, or even one at all. And let’s be honest, there are some beers out there that should not be sold commercially. It’s wrong.

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“That is bad for the whole industry, not just their reputation. For one, the brewery is generally given one chance, maybe two, for a person to try your beer and decide if they like it or don’t like it.

“Secondly, if it is someone’s first time trying craft beer and they have a bad experience due to you putting out bad beer, then it can give the whole industry a black eye. So that’s why we’re telling new people in the industry to make good beer. Learn from others. Learn from us, come and see us. If you have issues, we are willing to share best practices. It’s for the greater good. Don’t hold back.”

Is this approach by newer breweries ignorance or arrogance?

“Probably both,” Grossman muses. “In the late 80s, there was an emergence of microbreweries. A lot of them made some bad beers so there was a natural drop-off as many of these went out of business. Right now, I don’t think we’ll have that level of drop-off as there are too many making good beer. When I first started visiting here, there were three breweries in

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London. Now how many are there?”

He explains: “To keep this fantastic industry growing, it’s simple. As a new brewery finding your feet, don’t put out beer that is not as good a beer as you can possibly put out. Don’t settle for second best or settle for mediocre.

“If someone starts out and drinks a lot of their own beer, then they develop a palette where they might end up unaware of issues going on like an infection.

If you drink one thing all of the time, then you run the very real risk of becoming too accustomed to what you’re doing and little else. We make a point of drinking a lot of different beers. We have been doing this a long time and we know what our beer tastes like so it is important to keep that variation.”

And it’s variation that Grossman and Sierra Nevada are focused on pushing overseas in the months and years ahead. Some of these beers (outlined in the box-out) such as the year-round 4.5% Otra Vez will become more prevalent in the UK and elsewhere.

Grossman even touches on the possibility of Sierra Nevada rolling out its popular American collaboration programme Beer Camp with breweries overseas.

“It’s certainly not out of the question, though,” he explains.

One thing that is out of question though is Sierra Nevada allowing its beers to be brewed under license and outside of its two US breweries.

“Would we approve brewing under license? No. Collaborations? Sure. The former is not something we want to do. We are always looking into collaborations.

But my brother? He’s a control freak and we want corneal of the quality and the equipment coupled with out team and the dedication,” he says. “You know, there are some great breweries around. But we do things our own way and if we had one of our brewers over here, or at wherever, running a brewery then it might be something different. We always look at options for our beer, and that's the best way. The future is looking good.”

48 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

The Future: Sierra Nevada beers hitting the UK 11.5° Plato: The Plato scale is a measurement of the density of liquid. The number tells brewers how big or small a resulting beer will be—the larger the number the bigger the beer. We designed 11.5° Plato—a lower number on the beer scale—to give us just enough body to support a heavy heap of hops. The result is an easydrinking session IPA which satisfies the thirst for hops, but urges you to have another round.

Otre Vez: On their search for the perfect warm weather beer, we wanted something light bodied and thirst quenching, yet filled with complex and interesting flavours. We stumbled across the fruit of the prickly pear cactus, native to California. This tangy fruit is a great complement to the tart and refreshing traditional Gose style beer. Otra Vez combines prickly pear cactus with a hint of grapefruit for a refreshing beer that will have you calling for round after round. Otra Vez! Vienna: Vienna-style beers are among the world’s first light-coloured lagers and were on the brink of extinction until American craft brewers helped revive the style; it’s a good thing they did. These delicate and extremely balanced amber beers rely on semi-sweet and bready malt flavours but walk a fine line with both malt and hop character shouldering equal weight. Their take on the style features whole-cone European hops, which add to the dry finish.

Tumbler: Tumbler is its take on the classic brown ale – full of roasted malt flavour but delicate on the palate and perfect for crisp fall days. Layered with notes of chocolate and toasted bread and a hint of smoke, Tumbler is the ultimate autumn beer, so grab a seat and watch as the leaves come tumbling down.

www.brewersjournal.info

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"Everything we do here ties to our values"

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power of sour Earlier this year, Brewery De Brabandere partnered with Boutique Bar Brands to officially launch its popular range of Petrus sour beers into the UK market.

We speak to Albert De Brabandere, the brewery’s retail manager and son of brewery owner Ignace, about respecting tradition, the company’s shift in focus, and his hopes for Petrus in the UK.

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he story of Brewery De Brabandere is one of evolution.

One that has taken place over many years. We started many, many years ago from this same location but people change, companies change and we have changed,” explains a pensive Albert De Brabandere. He is both considered and enthused by the future. One that is currently buoyed by the growing reach of the brewery’s Petrus sour beers, aided in the UK by a partnership with Boutique Bar Brands that has enabled Brewery De Brabandere to have its respected sour beers reach an increasingly diverse audience.

Albert recalls that in 2014 the Belgian company changed its strategy, a move away from a focus on Pilsner and a migration towards speciality beers.

“We changed our name back to the original name and we redefined the values of our brewery, these values are crucial. Everything we do now ties in to those values, and everything comes back to those values. These values are based on passionately driven people, it’s about bringing people together, having a beer. It is the most beautiful thing in the world. Is there a more beautiful thing? I think not. It is the best way to enjoy a beer,” he adds.

Albert continues: “The second value, is value-driven authenticity. What do we mean by that? Yes we have

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the past. I do care but I don’t care that much, it’s about the way we brew our beers in the here and now. Our idea of brewing beers is to do according to what we have learned and that’s by using the best ingredients.

“And the most important ingredient? That is time.

“Our idea of a Pilsner is a solid one, a respected one. The points that define that are no high gravity brewing, to have stability and balance within the product, to only use aroma hops and no bittering hops. Another point is time and the investment of time. We give our product 38 days, even the Pilsner.

You can do it shorter, the finances are better but it’s not in the best interest of the beer. Do you want a stable product? The same taste nine months later?

You need to have lagered it for that time to give it the stability. And finally, pasteurising. No compromise.”

It is this patience that has Albert excited about how the UK will react to the brewery’s Petrus Sour beers.

After all, they’ve been producing them since 1894.

These beers are created using Saaz aroma hops, pale malt, water and house yeast, and aged for two years in 220 HL oak foeders.

The brewery has helped develop a well-balanced ecosystem of wild yeast and bacteria within the wooden walls because unlike cask aging, the use of such large foeders limits exposure to the wood and subsequent oak flavour. Instead, the French oak acts

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a permeable wall for controlled oxidation and is the ideal breeding ground for the six micro-organisms to convert remaining sugars from the main fermentation into acid, higher alcohol content and esters.

And over 24 months of aging, the microbiological flora in the wood reacts with the beer to produce its refreshing sour taste, complex fruity notes and distinctive aroma.

Albert says the De Brabanderes are confident enough not to pasteurise any of their beers

Petrus Aged Pale, the ‘Mother Beer’ 7.3% ABV

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100% foeder blonde beer, Petrus Aged Pale has won multiple gold medals in international beer competitions, including World’s Best Speciality Pale Ale and World’s Best Flavoured Wood Aged in the World Beer Awards. However, the De Brabandere family never intended for it to be bottled and traditionally it was used solely as a blending beer to give a fresh, slightly sour flavour and aroma. For this reason the blonde ale is known as the ‘Mother Beer’ and forms the base of the Flemish red brown Petrus Oud Bruin and the sweet and sour Petrus Aged Red. Petrus Aged Pale has a markedly dry taste with the freshness of sour apples, sherry and fruit aromas.

The distinctive sour flavour is popular in Belgium and contrasts well with the sweetness of shellfish, oily fish and soft cheese.

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other than Petrus Sours, which are flash pasteurised, purely to ensure the intriguing, original flavour cannot be replicated.

While Albert and the team respect the past, tradition, and heritage, they are not resting on their laurels, however. The last three years has bore witness to €15m of investment across the brewery and he believes that with around 1% of the market share in Belgium, that is space to grow, expand, and increase this share.

“We now have room to grow, to grow our own brands in the coming years. It’s also about sticking to your values, and these are fuelling our growth and other projects. We make new investments, but these are quality driven investments. and the quality is improved through these,” he says. “It is about winning in the long run. That’s what we focus on. We are not combating economies of scale, we are doing things our own way.

Petrus Oud Bruin, 5.5% ABV

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etrus Oud Bruin is a traditional Flemish red brown beer, typical of the Kortrijk and Roeselare region. Aged in oak foeders for two years, it is a blend of 33% Petrus Aged Pale and 67% young, brown beer, accounting for the deep, dark red colour. Refreshing and relatively light, Petrus Oud Bruin is predominantly sour, but has aromas of dried fruit, cherry and peach, with scents of malt, butter and caramel. It is popular as an aperitif or served with mild cheese and seafood.

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"There has been an evolution in flavours for consumers"

We are in the middle of adding a new warehouse, our biggest issue is that exports are growing but for that, we need our product to be done by hand and with new investments, this will remain in-house.”

It’s exports that are playing an increased part of Albert’s, and the brewery’s day-to-day schedule. Albert also has strong views on the place its Petrus beers will have in market.

He stresses: “There has been an evolution is flavours for consumers. Everything was once sweet, but in my opinion it should be crisp and dry. Then there were the hopheads, which

Petrus Aged Red, 8.5% ABV

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nlike a traditional kriek, Petrus Aged Red is not based on a spontaneously-fermented lambic beer. This unique, dark fruit beer is an expertly crafted blend of 15% Petrus Aged Pale and 85% dubbel bruin with cherries matured for 24 months in oak foeders. The distinctive sour flavour of Petrus Aged Pale is sweetened by the mild, sweet, ruby-red cherries, resulting in a rich and fruity, yet surprisingly refreshing, slightly sour beer that compliments red meat, dark chocolate and blue cheese. All Petrus Sour Beers are best enjoyed in a tulip-shaped glass on a tall stem or large wine glass.

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is fine too. But there is a limit. You can’t be chewing on the hops till the next morning. But we have seen the growth in sours. It has exploded. The US consumer is closer to the Anglo-Saxon consumer, so that’s why have looked to Australia, US, the UK.” Albert and the brewery have strength in their vision but are also indebted to the influence and impact the late beer writer Michael Jackson had in increasing the visibility of their beers.

He explains that Jackson became a regular visit to the brewery, visiting several times at least and it was on his third visit that he was given an ultimatum on buying some of a beer he had become enamoured with. That he had to purchase a not inconsiderable 75hl in one batch, the entire foeder, something he immediately agreed to. This is the equivalent of 22,727 33cl bottles. hAnd, as beer folklore recalls, he was also asked to help name said beer, a drink that is now known as Aged Pale due to his direct deconstruction of the style.

“You can’t say no to him twice after he came back and we are glad we didn’t!” he explains. “The only reason it came on the market in its pure version was due to him. It wasn’t made for sale but here we are.

“At the beginning, we didn’t even know we had such a jewel in-house. The big difference is that we also have a pale version, too. A blonde version is much more difficult to make, if you screw up, you notice it early on so we thank him, and we thank the English for that, too. We love seeing the innovation, people enjoy too. Perception of sour in the UK can be negative for many but we are getting there and we are confident people will enjoy our beers.”

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As a special highlight this year, the 1st. beer sommelier world champion Karl Schiffner will be spoiling our guests with Italian beers directly at our stand.

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Global Influence BrauBeviale returns to the Exhibition Centre, Nuremberg this November and with it, the latest innovations from across the brewing spectrum.

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his November 8-10, BrauBeviale once again returns to Nuremberg’s Exhibition Centre with more than 1,000 exhibitors that span the sectors of raw materials, technology, logistics and marketing. The good news for the brewing industry is that a significant chunk of the companies, and what they’re exhibiting, present at the event will have products and services designed to help you improve your business.

Last year the show attracted near 40,000 (37,137) visitors and 1,083 exhibitors across the three-day duration and in 2016, the organisers have placed a particular emphasis on beer production.

The beverage market remains exciting, there are

56 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

now clearly not enough classic beverage variations for the consumer. So-called craft drinks are now already part of every segment.

As a result, in addition to major groups, numerous medium-sized, small and the smallest companies are establishing themselves on the market, their declared objective is to offer quality instead of quantity – less is simply often more,” they explain. “But not for long, because then the European beverage trade world will once again be the guest in Nuremberg and enter into an exchange on trends, new products and innovations.

They add: “The following still applies: worldwide drinks consumption is continuing to rise. in 2015 global beverage consumption reached approx. 280 litres per capita, that is around 13 litres more than the previous year. For 2016 the market research institute

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Ones not to miss Muntons (Hall 1 / 1-329) UB Plastics (Hall 4 / 4-314) Huber (Hall 4 / 4-125) Pure Malt (Hall 1 / 1-401) AB Vickers Lallemand (Hall 1 / 1-231) Charles Faram (Hall 1 / 1-552) Schafer (Hall 4 / 4-103) Simpsons Malt (Hall 1 / 1-530) Manitowoc Beverage Systems (Hall 9 / 9-435)

Show details Venue Exhibition Centre Nuremberg Date | Times Tuesday, 08 to Thursday, 10 November 2016 08 November 2016: 09:00 - 18:00 09 November 2016: 09:00 - 18:00 10 November 2016: 09:00 - 17:00 Ticket prices 1-day ticket: EUR 27 Permanent ticket: EUR 37 1-day ticket for trainees and students: EUR 10

is predicting a further slight increase to 284 litres.

The most drinks are consumed in Latin America (587 litres per capita) and North America (579), followed

by Western Europe (542). Bottom of the international rankings is Africa with around 70 litres per capita.”

The company adds that in the past few years creativity has become a familiar expression for the brewing industry – something that is practically the case worldwide.

“In this connection, the consumers are not only looking for beer, which is brewed using natural ingredients, but at the same time, increasingly diverse flavour experiences and new creations all the time – with a preference for regional producers.

According to an Alltech study, there are today already more than 10,000 craft breweries worldwide.

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86 percent of them are approximately equally divided between North America and Europe. The top ten nations for craft breweries are the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil and Japan,” they add.

It explains: “A survey conducted by Mintel shows that the German population is increasingly embracing craft beer. Whereas in 2012 only one percent of beers newly introduced to the market came from the craft beer sector, in 2014 it was already 12 percent and in 2015 almost 20 percent.

In addition, in October 2015, Mintel established: in the six months previously almost one quarter of German beer drinkers had bought a craft beer for private consumption and no less than 16 percent had ordered such a beer in pubs and restaurants.

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Regionality and flavour diversity are the key aspects appreciated here.”

At this year’s event, Petainer (Hall 4 / 4-236) arrives off the back of launching new non-pressure release valve for petainerKeg as well as its webshop for the Canadian market Petainer recently launched its newly redeveloped integrated non-auto-pressure release valve (NPR) design complete with depressurizing tool for its oneway petainerKeg. The manufacturer has enjoyed success with its PetainerKeg in Canada, especially with customers looking for an alternative to traditional steel kegs, offering a number of total cost of ownership and logistic benefits, explained Petainer.

The design replicates standard keg fittings and also prevents the keg from automatically depressurising when it is empty or disconnected.

According to Petainer, end users can benefit from this easier-to-use solution that ensures kegs can be tapped and untapped multiple times, while allowing for significantly easier cleaning of lines or moving around kegs.

The valve, highlighted by its distinctive red centre, has fewer moving parts inside, which make it stronger and more robust than previous versions.

Andres Jensen, vice president of Petainer Canada explained: “The launch of the new valve is a really good example of Petainer’s commitment to continuous product improvement and our approach of listening and responding to our customers to ensure the best user-experience possible.”

The company has also recently announced that is now rolling out www.petainershop.ca for the Canadian market, which make its high performance and sustainable PET packaging readily available to smaller customers.

The webshop is aimed at craft breweries, wineries, cideries and other beverage producers that want to purchase smaller quantities of Petainer’s petainerKeg. The product is a popular alternative to traditional steel kegs, owing to its lower total cost of ownership and logistic benefits.

Customers can choose, pay and take delivery of their kegs with the click of a mouse. These products include its 20 Litre and 30 Litre petainerKeg, available in pallets of 80 kegs and 48 kegs respectively.

Jensen added: “With its growing craft brewer market, Canada is a strategically important market for Petainer and we are seeing a lot of demand for petainerKeg. Our online store will help us drive growth by enabling us to meet the needs of smaller enterprises alongside our larger customers.”

Nigel Pritchard, CEO of Petainer explained: “The roll-out of the online store in Canada is an important step in our distribution strategy.

“In addition to building our network of distribution partners, our on-line channel makes our marketleading products available to smaller businesses efficiently and effectively.”

Aber Instruments (Hall 6 / 6-208) is known in the

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brewery industry for its expertise in live yeast cell measurement and at Brau they will be showing our complete range of brewing products, including the Aber Countstar and PerfectPitch.

“The Aber Countstar is the first slide based image analysis instrument for yeast cell concentration and viability measurement that uses the same safe, traditional microscopy stains such as methylene blue or methylene violet. The Countstar uses a disposable slide with five sample chambers that requires just 20 microlitres of each sample,” they explain. “One measurement takes less than 20 seconds. Automatic cell image analysis with a auto-focusing, colour camera then provides the total cell count, the viability (expressed as % of live cells), cell diameter and the degree of aggregation. The instrument is very simple to operate and requires little maintenance or cleaning.”

The company is also showcasing its PerfectPitch, a portable skid designed for automatic yeast pitching in Craft breweries comprises of the Aber Compact “Adapt” Yeast Monitor, a magflow flow meter and a mini PLC together with connecting pipework and a sampling port.

They said: “The skid is designed to be easily connected to hoses, and can be wheeled around, making it ideal for use in craft breweries or production sites with a variety of remotely located fermenters.

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September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 59

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The brewer can use the PerfectPitch for accurately transferring the correct amount of live yeast from a propagator or yeast storage vessel to the fermenter.

One of the most important options with the skid though is in “cone to cone pitching” when it is almost impossible to get a representative yeast sample for analysis from the donor fermenter. With the PerfectPitch the live yeast cell concentration is automatically measured throughout the transfer and therefore the variation in concentrations and viability are accounted for.”

Enterprise Tondelli (Hall 5 / 337) is a supplier of breweries and beer packaging lines. It'll be showcasing a 24hl Simatec brewhouse which gives "superb extract efficiency", PLC controlled repeatable recipes, reduced hot oxidation and low filtration requirements for high quality beer - manufactured by brewers for brewers, it expplains.

It is also putting the spotlight on a Totary BRB self adhesive labeller for 4,000 bottles per hour part of the full range of labellers Enterprise supply including wet glue, reel fed plastic and modular machines.

In addition, it is exhibiting a Baumer wraparound cartonner with special 90 degree infeed designed for shaped bottles such as flasks, square bottles etc.

Baumer manufacturer shrink wrappers up to 200 cycles per minute and wraparound cartonners for 75 per minute as well as combined cartonner/tray erector loader shrink wrappers.

Elsewhere, Murphy & Son (Hall 1 / 1-336) will be showcasing Zetolites, which is designed to reduce H2S and DMS off flavours.

“It is well known in the brewing world that zinc and copper are required by yeast in trace amounts for cell growth, respiration and reproduction.

They enjoy better viability and vitality when these compounds are present in the nutritional mix presented to the yeast,” they explain.

Murphy & Son Ltd is working in conjunction with the Zetol Coporation, which has developed the Zetolite product that can be added to wort at the start of fermentation or to beer at the start of maturation to assist in the healthy growth of yeast and in particular to either prevent or reduce the incidence of sulphidic compounds such as hydrogen sulphide or dimethyl sulphide.

They add: “Zetolite consists of an aluminosilicate carrier, commonly called zeolite, which is impregnated with either zinc or copper ions. It is a pale pink/red or dark grey powder and is dosed at low levels. There are two types of Zetolite, 63 and 65 being copper and zinc respectively.

Zetolite 65, the zinc-based product, is dosed to wort prior to fermentation at a rate of 0.25 – 1.0g/ hl. It prevents the formation of these sulphidic and sulphitic off-flavours/aromas.

“Zetolite 63 is the copper-based product and is dosed to beer at the end of fermentation or at the start of cold maturation. Dosage rates are typically 2.0 – 3.0g/hl. It may be so that sulphur-based offaromas have been detected in the cold beer but with

60 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

low temperatures, the brewer cannot wait the time necessary to naturally remove the unwanted volatiles.

By dosing Zetolite 63 into the cold beer, the residual yeast is stimulated in the presence of the copper to metabolise the sulphur off-flavours quickly away.”

Glass manufacturer Beatson Clark (Hall 4A / 4A307) works with craft and real ale breweries in the UK and overseas. The Yorkshire-based glass manufacturer specialises in helping independent breweries find the perfect bottles for their beers.

Itdesigns and manufactures bottles for many breweries including Robinson’s, Meantime, Bedlam and Brooklyn Brewery in New York.

The company will be showcasing its new range of general sale beer bottles at BrauBeviale, including its first embossed stock bottle, and showing visitors the bespoke bottles it has recently created for breweries.

It will also be explaining how its low volumes and flexible embossing options enables even smaller craft breweries the opportunity to have customised packaging.

The company has recently introduced three new glass beer bottle designs to the range: a 330ml Craft Beer, a 330ml Skittle Beer and a 500ml vessel for craft beer.

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September~October 2016 | The Brewers Journal 61

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tracking

Kegs: Lost and Found Missing kegs and casks cost literally millions each year. The most recent research place this figure at upwards of £50m, so what can be done to rectify this problem and why hasn’t it been addressed earlier? Tracking technology has become more prevalent in the brewing industry and as a result, there are more ways for breweries to keep control of their valuable assets.

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ccording to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), almost half of UK beer production is sold in kegs or casks. These, as most are aware, are returned to the brewery for re-filling, with the exception of oneway kegs such as KeyKeg. Nothing surprising here. But we are in an industry where the loss of these vessels is rife, and that is something of an understatement. Hundreds of thousands of these disappear in the bar and pub trade.

It’s serious and it is simply unsustainable, putting many business, especially the smaller ones, under undue pressure.

This cost burden is a serious problem and The mounting bill affects everyone, breweries, pubs, licensees and their customers. But it seems that it’s largely an issue that has been either ignored, underestimated or avoided in being addressed.

However, companies in and around the brewing industry are offering products and services that are helping to eliminate these losses, and breweries leveraging these are seeing the benefits.

“Latest figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) suggest the loss & misuse of kegs costs our industry £50m per year, which amounts to

62 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

a serious number of kegs and an unsustainable cost” says Christian Barden, general manager at stainless steel keg rental & logistics company Kegstar.

“The cost of these losses is on top of an already very expensive brewing cycle and equipment itself through to the trucks, pallets, vessels, taps & pumps needed to pour beer. There has been a huge amount of work done by brewers and trade bodies in bringing awareness and advice to minimising these losses in recent years, with some amazing results, and I’d like to think we’re bringing something new to both reducing keg losses, reducing the fixed cost to entry, and helping more great beer get into more peoples hands,” he explains.

Barden adds: “Lots of operators track vehicles to maximise efficiency, warehouse management systems are more prevalent and intelligent with pallets & batch codes of products being tracked for many reasons, brewers have in venue quality programmes for their beers to ensure consumers get a great experience & now you can track a Kegstar keg from the brewery right through to venue to help with all of the above and in doing so help keep asset cost and loss down.

“Our model is simply rent, fill, deliver, repeat and all underpinned with app enabled technology (iOS & android). The Kegstar keg is scanned (via the app and

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our 2D QR codes on the keg) at each key stage in the supply chain which means the brewer knows how long the keg has travelled through each stage of the route to market right through to venue. In turn this drives the rental fees applicable and some useful insights including how long a keg took to pour at venue. Consumer experience drives brand success and the quicker a keg takes to travel through the supply chain and pour, the better the experience is likely to be.

"The venue can request collection of the empty keg via the app, email or phone and the Kegstar team will collect within 48 hours to repeat the cycle, which should help with the unsightly empties hanging around on site. When this is done there is a notification to both the brewer and the venue that it’s time to sell or order some more great beer.

“So if capital is hard to come by, or beer freshness can be an issue, or you need to flex the keg fleet at key periods without a longer term commitment then I hope we can be the answer with our clever kegs wrapped around some great beers to create more happy drinker experiences whilst reducing this farcicle trend in keg loss and cost in the UK and beyond.”

For Andy Dorr, managing director at Athelia UK, he Andy Dorr, MD of Athelia UK

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believes the industry is slowly starting to catch up with a lot of other supply chains.

“It’s quite strange to me, how things are changing and developing. It is become the norm to track, and sign. It’s a common problem in using returnable assets, you can only count around 20% of the assets you own. Sure, the brewery has a few more problems than other industries with returnable assets. And sometimes when speaking to people outside of it, you sit there and think, I’m not even going to attempt to try and defend the industry that sees such high losses. But it is a case of education, and we are getting there,” he stresses.

Dorr explains: “Without the right technology, you may have a vague idea of the loss rates, but only with it can you react to it and make a difference. In the five years I spent with Trendstar, I was responsible in purchasing 2m cask and kegs, replacing up to 30% of the container population in the UK in the process. Many positive things have happened in recent years. Acceptance of the problem, in my opinion, hadn’t really taken place until then.

“Breweries have started working together too, working on assets, focusing on the supply chain. Look at metal theft, it’s a big problem. From our industry, if someone steels a keg, it’s seen as a victimless crime, and nobody knows about it. Unlike a

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Case Study: 8th Wonder Brewery

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ince opening its doors in 2013, 8th Wonder Brewery has been a favourite of craft beer aficionados in the greater Houston area — and for good reason. The popular brewer uses only the freshest ingredients of the highest quality.

Each batch of beer the company brews undergoes strict flavour analysis and quality control. Located in a domelike warehouse in the shadow of the Houston skyline just blocks from the Astros, Dynamo, and Rockets stadiums, 8th Wonder is the craft beer for the home team.

The craft beer industry has seen more than a decade of growth, posting double-digit gains in recent years.

These small, independent brewers are growing demand for specialty beers with enthusiastic support across the distribution system from brewer to distributor to retailer.

However, this three-tiered distribution system lacks accountability.

Most brewers have limited visibility into the movement of their product beyond distribution to a wholesaler. In losing control of their supply chain, craft breweries are also losing kegs — typically up to five percent of their inventory each year. At an average of $130 per keg, that can have a significant impact on the bottom line.

8th Wonder Brewery recognizes the critical role that keg tracking can play in preventing loss and maximizing the use of these valuable assets. In fact, they believe that it is so vital that they implemented KegID asset tracking, now a solution from Satellite Logistics Group (SLG), when they first rolled out their craft beer in 2013.

Each of the brewer’s 1,300 kegs is now tagged with a metal QR code. Keeping track of them is as simple as scanning each keg every time it changes possession. A Bluetooth scanner is attached to a smartphone which runs the proprietary application.

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The technology, which is designed specifically for the three-tier brewing industry, gives 8th Wonder access to a wealth of information. They now know where each keg is, what’s in it, and how long it has been gone.

8th Wonder can leverage online automated inventory and monthly production web reports, so they can see what kegs they have by size, style, and status at any time.

Google Maps integration, Web-based reporting, email alerts and other features further aid visibility.

The brewer can gain a clear picture of what each retailer and distributor possess. They’re able to track internal keg-cleaning and repair needs, as well.

“We have better control and visibility into our cooperage,” says Alex Vassilakidis, 8th Wonder CFO. “We are anticipating PAR levels, turn times, and retention rates.”

Automated reports also allow the brewer to develop better long-term analytical capability. With good, complete data, 8th Wonder can review a year’s worth of information and analyze how long each customer holds on to kegs, determine a better distribution of keg sizes and use trends to forecast future needs.

This in-depth business intelligence can help 8th Wonder to increase accountability, maximize asset use, reduce keg loss, and make more informed business decisions.

At 8th Wonder, plans are in the works to double the size of the brewery, so tracking keg inventory will be even more important. As new kegs enter the pipeline, they will be coded and added to inventory. Accommodating the expansion will be seamless since the KegID technology is designed to grow with the brewer.

Tagging kegs for scanning costs less than a dollar per keg. Vassilakidis believes the investment in KegID is well worth it. He notes that cooperage is the only component of the final product that is reusable.

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power station losing cable and the negative impact on their service that will have. The impact and effect is different. The industry didn't publicise the scale of the problem so not to potentially make the problem any worse and encourage other people to worsen the issue.

He says the whole situation is cyclical. Different breweries have taken up their own initiatives and that’s positive. Most people he speaks to now, says there is an air of inevitability of doing this rather than an optional one.

Dorr and Athelia have enjoyed great success with its KegFlow offering, a proven RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag driven keg and cask tracking and management solution. Created by the Athelia, Portinox and Kegspertise, it is pitched as a “comprehensive, scalable and powerful” system that has been developed specifically with brewers needs in mind.

“Quite simply, it enables brewers to realise true return on investment from the tracking and managing of their valuable supply chain assets. It is a solution that delves deep into brewers processes. For example the solution calculates ongoing cycle times so that you can forecast keg and cask purchase accurately.

Clever tracking technology pinpoints asset losses and loss rate trends,” the company adds.

KegFlow is fully automated using RFID tags and scanners, eliminating the need for manual intervention at the scanning and tag level. Tags in this instance can be retrofitted or integrated during manufacture and the containers are tracked and managed from the filling line offering fill-to-fill cycle management as well as fill-to-return.

The company explains: “Specially developed bulk scanning technology allows the system to read entire trailers full of kegs with over 99% accuracy. This happens transparently and automatically every time a trailer goes through a warehouse gate. The system is updated with quality data continuously, without the need to tap into labour extensive processes.

“KegFlow offers actionable game changing information that accurately informs decision making.

Its cloud-based software solution has a dashboard that can be easily configured to suit personal needs, whether you are in finance, production, sales or planning.

“The solution can be integrated with all ERP systems. It comes with a comprehensive suite of software modules with the option to extend the system into areas such as maintenance, customer service and product recall. Its highly intelligent, intuitive and easy to use format is so popular that some clients are requesting bespoke modules of their own, outside of the realms of keg tracking.”

The company has clients such as Molson Coors and Carlsberg UK on its books with Neil Harrison, head of primary logistics at Carlsberg UK adding: “Our containers are a costly and valuable resource and we needed an accurate solution that would improve our ability to manage them. KegFlow is a robust, reliable, and importantly scalable RFID solution. The system provides plentiful and accurate data. The team were also excellent at ensuring the solution would

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complement our existing barcode system which we are now migrating to RFID.” Elsewhere, Scott Moorad, VP of business development and strategy at SLG, is a keen advocate of the brewing industry and has previously helped set up a software company, KegID. “Why? he questions. “Because we knew colleagues in brewing that were losing kegs left, right and centre, which wasn’t right. When you look at the broader premise that kegs are not tracked today, it is mindblowing, It really is.

“My instinct was that there was no answer to this issue at that point. But you need to look at the bottom line, and when you look at it that way, you are only able to sell as much as those kegs move. Forget about them not coming back, if they don’t come back fast, then you are being slowed down. This was in 2011,” he says. “SLG, who own Kegspediter are on the path to collect 8m empty kegs this year. This model is used to speed up how fast you can get your kegs back to use them again. This enables companies to use them more often and reduce the mount you buy by 30%,” he states.

Moorad believes that logistics was previously the emphasis, now that lies firmly on tracking.

“Every keg will be tracked in ten years time,” he stresses.

He explains: "In tracking, scanning a keg, whether it’s a barcode, RFID or whatever, it’s about what you do with it once you scan it. It’s the analytics, these show you where it is, and when you see leg by leg, you see where the inefficiencies are and then where are they not returning, it’s a case of accountability. We can pinpoint numbers, where they were, what was in them and the cost that exists to breweries. To me, that is why keg tracking hasn’t taken hold yet because I don’t have a way to tell my customer that they are the problem. There hasn’t been a way.

“Look at keg invoicing and write-off tools, if you have a fixed asset on your books, depreciating it over time and factoring in for loss. With that audit trail, you can sit down with your customer and break down the cost of lost kegs, as you can say that we are all in it together. It’s a collaborative conversation not an adversarial conversation. It presents you with the facts and with the figures. It allows you to write them off if it comes to it. It’s a popular desire. It’s education.

Nobody wants to lose kegs. With our system we are seeing 5-6% loss and when our customers are on top of it, it can be down to 2%.”

Moorad emphasises that the benefit here is quality.

“One of the beauties of this big beer movement, of those dozen opening each month, is that they are in it for the love and passion of beer, they are looking at making the best beer they can. Quality is very important to them, of course it is. So kegs are a massive part of this. And that is very important to us and our connection with them. Its a preventative and proactive approach. The journey of the beer only starts when it leaves the brewery. There are so many different benefits across the spectrum,” he adds.

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"We also have an ROI calculator that can blow people away. We ask what it costs to lose 5% of your kegs a year. Or if you improve your efficiency by even 3%, how that can improve the bottom line. Also, how do we get traction with brewers. We always start with one question: How many kegs do you own? They don’t know. Then we start the conversation."

On the keg production and supply front, Mike Hickman from Schafer explains that the manufacturer offers a raft of options to enable breweries to identify their prized assets.

“Silk screening is popular with our customers as painting bands on kegs is becoming increasingly hard work as we now have more than a 1,000 brewers in the UK all wanting their own unique colour code", he says.

“The silk screen and use of colour can incorporate brewery logo, slogan, telephone number.

These, combined with an embossed chime, ensures it stands out to the dray man instantly with no excuse for ending up mixed with the ‘big boys’ kegs."

Hickman adds that its Plus keg can be manufactured in any colour and can feature very

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detailed artwork limited only by the imagination. They are stackable, fully encapsulated, reduce noise by close to 70% over all steel kegs while no part of the steel container is exposed to damage. For more on this keg, read the case study below in this feature.

Schafer also continues to enjoy success with its returnable Eco Keg that is up to 36% lighter than all steel kegs and can add 6% more content in a 40 ft container. The top and bottom rings can be branded in differing colours and act as a shock absorber on impact .

They can be easily replaced without having to go to a keg repairer, according to the manufacturer. The top and bottom rings are made from UV stabilised PP (polypropylene) and the steel body can also be silk screened for added recognition.

“Theft of all steel kegs will increase in-line with the scrap price of stainless steel so anything that reduces the steel content and in the process turns the scrap into lower value and mixed scrap makes theft more unlikely. Stainless steel is ideal for the storage of beer but introducing new materials that reduce noise and still be durable is a big step forward,” says Hickman.

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Case Study: Beavertown and Schafer Beavertown Brewery uses Plus Kegs from Schäfer. and a striking appearance created through a range of coloured design elements is not the only benefit for the brewery.

Owner and founder Logan Plant was inspired to set up his Beavertown Brewery by international role models.

“Although the world craft brewing scene was already very big and popular, I wanted a London beer that up to then hadn’t existed, neither flavour-wise nor visually”, explains Plant. The transition from the first brewing experiment to the first beer took two years.

Today, the brewery employs around 50 people, meanwhile distributing seven different year-round brands, and the clientele has spread far beyond London.Right from the start, it was elementary for Plant to make his brand stand out clearly. “The barrels are just as important as the beer,” he says. “Their unmistakable appearance secures our name in a constantly growing scene.

A strong brand identity drives up demand.” That’s why he chose the Plus Keg, manufactured by Schäfer.

The German company has been around for some 40 years and is one of the largest independent manufacturers and global suppliers for the beverage industry.

Plant, together with Nick Dwyer Beavertown’s Creative Director, invested a lot of time and effort in designing the logo and the brand identity.

“I was really impressed that it was so easy to put all this on the barrels.” In the end, to underline the unique brand character, the typical, striking image from the flagship beer Gamma Ray with its UFOs and laser-toting Martians was applied to the KEG’s polyurethane jacket (PU jacket).

Apart from this, Plant recognized other practical benefits in collaborating with the German Keg

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manufacturer. The Kegs outer surfaces are quite simply easier to clean than traditional beer barrels – a real boost for the brewery as they still clean their KEGs exterior by hand. Beavertown was also quite taken by the 30-litre Keg. A smaller 30-litre Keg volume has become the norm for a new generation of London’s craft brewers as it takes some of the burden off the drivers who unload deliveries themselves.

It also stands out from the crowd, underpinning the visual distinction between Beavertown and its competitors, and above all, it helps guarantee the

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brewery’s motto “Drink Fresh.” A further important feature for Plant in connection with the lower filling volume was also improved stackability, resulting from the standardised top and bottom chimes.

Ultimately, theft prevention also played a significant role in his purchasing decision. Here, the Schäfer Kegs’ PU jacket turns out to be the big benefit. According to Keg Watch, an organisation combating the theft and willful destruction of beer containers and gas cylinders, metal theft is a serious problem in the industry.

In the first six months of 2016 alone, Keg Watch

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was able to recover over 52,000 stolen kegs, with a replacement value equating to over five million euros. The Plus Kegs have a polyurethane coating. Consequently, the scrap value of the stainless steel liner inside is not immediately visible, making this combination an unattractive target for potential thieves.

The effort involved in removing the coating also works as a deterrent.

Plant concluded: “We are definitely satisfied with our decision and, as demand is increasing, it seems our customers are, too.”

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Source Material Tanks and vessels are arguably the unsung heroes of the brewery ecosystem. We speak to some of key suppliers and manufacturers in this space to discuss some the the major trends and developments taking place in this field.

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he number of breweries opening in the UK shows no sign of slowing down. Will natural selection take place at some point? Most probably. But we are not solely seeing new breweries opening left, right, and centre but we’re seeing them expand, too. People are dipping their toes in to the canning waters by utilising mobile canning services, they’re broadening distribution, and they’re investing in keg and cask washers and fillers. Breweries across the spectrum are also increasing their brewing capacity, which is obviously a positive barometer of the industry.

Sam Lawson, is the founding director at SSV Limited, a company that supplies and installs a wide range of brewhouses, stainless steel vessels and process tanks. He explains that the company has seen a great deal of growth in the installations it is carrying out, working with 35 different clients over the last two years.

“The kit is at that point where it has a very good reputation. Previously you would be fighting those reputational issues where there have been issues from manufacturers in China but that said, we have had to repair some kit installed from the UK, too. Service and maintenance is of course key, too. That goes without saying,” he says. “That is incredibly important. But if a tank works for the first three months it should work for the next ten years, too.”

SSV offers equipment and vessels from partners in China, but with pipework and software leveraged from local partners.

“It is Chinese value and UK support,” he explains.

On a trend basis, Lawson adds that of the vessels sold this year, only four haven’t been pressure rated.

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“People are seeing value where these are 20/30% cheaper than equivalent PDE rated three bar rated vessels. Ours is only one of three that can do that.

And let’s be honest, there are thousands in China that offer vessels,” he says. “Quite a lot of our customers have previously gone direct to the source and they've not got what they wanted. They have ended up poor quality, and maybe the customer has not given a strong enough specification in the first place. It’s a compromise that some take and that's why you need to be assured of quality, too. But often it's what the customer has asked for that, cheap cheap cheap.

However if you call on us, that risk is eliminated.”

For Tony Healy, managing director at Irish business Spectac International, he sees his customers prioritising investment in fermenting vessels owing to the inevitable demand for efficient turnaround times on the beers they produce.

“They are boosting their capacity and eliminating bottlenecks. There are a lot of start ups and people are growing that already doing that too,” he explains.

“Everybody has restrictions with their buildings or in buildings that are too small, with height and width.

That’s where we come in, we build with respect to their buildings rather than a one size fits all approach."

Healy adds that the company is also seeing growth in the installations of lauter tuns and full brewhouses it carries out. A lot that have started up have done so with basic equipment, heated with electricity and as business grows, and demand goes up, many of these are then migrating over to steam.

“Capital is a challenge. Of course. There are a lot of start-ups and access to funds can be difficult, which makes expansion to the next phase of their business problematic. But we can offer vessels on lease as our

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track record stands up on its own. We have been involved since the beginning in Ireland and we have grown alongside companies and we have relationships.

What we sell today we want to be selling, it’s our passion,” he concludes.

Jon Clatworthy is the sales director at Vigo which, among a wealth of equipment, supplies Speidel stainless steel pressure tanks that are rated to either 1 or 3 Bar pressure, with each tank certified to meet stringent German standards (TÜV) for pressure tanks.

“Once people get to see quality, they are more understanding of why there is a price difference on these systems perhaps compared to others on the market, and they are more open to talk about it.

Financial constraints exist, of course, but ones that have flexibility can see the benefits,” he says. “It’s interesting for us as a Spiedel supplier. The quality

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of these tanks are very, very high so it’s often a case of engaging in that dialogue to ensure customers are fully aware of the benefits."

Elsewhere, Dutch firm Duotank has undergone a period of positive transition over the last few years.

“We changed our policy a few years ago to move away from only looking at big brewers to instead make it possible to get the best possible beer in pubs and bars. The type of beer that tastes like it has directly come from the brewery itself," explains Joris van Vroonhoven, marketing manager. “That focus on quality has brought us some new business working with companies such as AB InBev but we are as focused on working with smaller breweries too such as brewpubs up to local breweries that are in the city or just outside.”

Central to Duotank’s offering in this space are the

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tanks available in capacities of 2.5hl up to 10hl, in both insulated or non-insulated varieties. These tanks enable beer to be served directly from them at bars and pubs.

He adds: “Look at Meantime they are one of the customers that have used that system and Grolsch in Holland is an example too with one of their beers.

It helps bring success in bars and pubs, and we see stories where such systems promote a 20/30% revenue increase, too. It is very satisfying. These tanks were previously looked upon as distribution solution for beer but now it is more of a marketing solution. It enables beer to be in the pub exactly as they would like it be.”

On the UK front, he believes that smaller breweries that have one, two or five pubs should have enough beer turnover to use such as system as it is now an

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economical option when previously it would not have been possible owing to improvements in the transport technology available to move these tanks.

“They see the benefits, we see the benefits. But we know that budget restraints exist across the spectrum, too. You’re looking at entry level investments of roughly around €12,000 - €18,000 installed. Of course if installation gets bigger then the costs are higher but, we make this accessible and has tangible benefits on business. It’s not a complex system but it’s an effective system,” he adds.

He concludes: “If you walked into a pub 20 years ago, you had three choices or so. Now you can look at places with hundreds of beers. Choices are bigger and more confusing. If you walk in, see a big tank with ice-cold water dripping off then it works on the senses. More breweries are seeing that. It works.”

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Enzym e s

Chemical Romance This paper provides an overview of the enzymes used in beer production, the roles they play and the impact on the brewing process.

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nzymes are catalysts or proteins that are produced by a living cell, but in process are independent of the cell itself. There are two types of enzymes: 1) Cell Independent enzymes 2) Non-enzymic enzymes Enzymes are long chains of amino acids held together by peptide bonds. They exist in all living cells, usually controlling the metabolic process whereby nutrients are converted into energy. Enzymes are also catalyst, this mean that enzymes can speed up chemical processes that would normally move very slowly. Enzymes unfortunately don’t last forever they have limited stability or lifespan when they have completed their function in the chemical reaction.

Science shows that enzymes work on raw material.

Fruit, cereal, milk, beer or wood are some typical products for enzymatic conversion. Enzymes are specific, they usually break down or synthesize one particular compound, and in some cases enzymes limit their actions to specific bonds in the compound with in which they react. An example gluconases is one of the many enzymes used in beer brewing.

This enzyme is used in industrial applications of brewing beer and is a very efficient catalyst. It breaks down the wheat and converts the carbohydrates into sugars that speed up the reaction in the aspect of the beer’s fermentation.

Enzymes need certain types of conditions to operate, these conditions are usually mild in the areas of temperature and acidity. Many enzymes function around 30º- 70ºC and their acidity are usually around neutral(ph 7). Enzymes are very important to industrial processes, enzymes they are energy saving and also protect the lifespan of equipment used in processes and also having to buy special equipment resistant to heat, pressure or corrosion. Industrial enzymes can be produced in an ecological way, one of the main ways enzymes can be produced industrially is to culture

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enzymes in vats.

Man has been exploiting enzymes in nature unknowingly for centuries. Also for thousands of years the beer brewing processes of many countries has relied heavily on barley malt. In this period of time barley was malted without brewers understanding what happen to the barley during the malting process.

The idea back then was good beer couldn’t be made without malted barley. The unknown fact of that time was that the most important difference between raw barley and malted barley was the enzymes present in the malted barley Enzymes in malt can be produced industrially, in some cases the industrially created enzymes are an improvement of the malt’s enzymes.

Better in the sense that they are better conditioned or adapted to the conditions found in brewing. The quality of malt and also its enzymes content can vary. Industrial enzymes can allow the brewer’s batch to make up for malt’s deficiency or it can replace a quantity of the malt with cheaper raw material such a raw barley to cut down on costs.

Beer production is a sequence of chemical engineering “ unit operations” the processes of brewing beer are as follows milling, boiling, fermentation and filtration/extraction. There are three steps in beer brewing: (1) preparation of the wort or liquid extract of the malt, (2) the conversion of this liquid extract which is called fermentation, (3) refining of fermented beer into salable/drinking beer.

The process of brewing beer, is show in the plant design below which shows the sequence of action as the barley makes its way though the different stages to become a finished product which is great tasting beer.

The design of plant below shows the process and the description of the enzymes in that process: The Brewing Process malted Barley, malting (enzyme: cytase, amylase, catalase) Hot water (preteolysis,amylases) Bottles, Cans, Kegs Hops

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Protein structure - Scaffold to support and position active site Binding site - bind and orient substrate(s) Catalyic site - Reduce chemical activation energy

Above: Organisation of enzyme structure and lysozyme example.

Binding sites in blue, catalytic site in red and peptidoglycan substrate in black.

Water Air Yeast Cold Wort Malting is the process that affects the softening of cell walls in the barley by using the enzymes “cytase” and hydrolysis of the protein in the grain. The enzyme cytase is very important in this process because there are other enzymes that cannot operate until cytase has done its job. Cytase although it is an enzyme, it can broken into groups can broken into separate enzymes namely: hydrolyzemannan, galatan, xylan, and araban.

The nature of these enzymes is not known.

Malting is not possible without oxygen, and oxygen during the mating process increases alcohol formation. Inadequate respiration is detrimental to enzyme formation. During the germination process in malting there is an increase of dehydrase an enzymes important to the respiration of barley. Oxidases are found in malt which are perioxidase, phenolases and catalase.

The color of beer is due to the action of phenolases, this darkens the malt extract and is also due to non-enzymatic contact with air. Then is also amylase, an enzyme that binds to insoluble proteins and inactive particles. Amylase is used extensively in the mashing process.

mashing

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he mashing process is where the crushed barley is transferred to the mashing tanks, to prepare the barley for fermentation.

Amylases are temperature sensitive enzymes, there are two types of amylases enzymes; alpha amylase, and beta amylase. Beta amylases work along side its alphs counterpart, they break down carbohydrates in their most simple form which is glucose.

The optimal temperature for the formation of maltose is result of the thermal activity of amylases

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is greatly decreases by boiling and the protective action of maltose on the enzymes. Alpha amylase produces polysaccharide sugars that survive at higher temperatures than beta amylase. It is common for beta amylase to break down before the alpha amylase since it has a higher heat tolerance thus making the life expectancy of the beta amylase shorter. This results in an malt extract that is richer in poly saccharides and dextrins.

Proteolysis is another enzyme found in the mashing process. This enzyme is readily extracted using water.

This enzyme is important to the process since it creates enough breakdown of protein to give the beer its flavor and also character. Proteolytic enzymes are a successful way of chillproofing beer, a process that allows the enzyme to digest the proteins in the finished product, when the temperature is changed from stable to extreme cold. The composition of the proteolysis is needed to provide the yeast with nutrients needed during fermentation

fermentation

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t this point in the process the extracted is aerated to provide oxygen for fermentation of the product. Special yeast enzymes are added depending on the process of fermentation chosen. With fermentation being an exothermic process, when the yeast enzyme is S.Carlsbergenisis the temperature of the fermentation is between 8-9ºC it takes about 7-8 days for the fermentation of the malt extract to reach about 85% completion. S.Carlsbergenisis causes the beer batch to flocculate and settle at the bottom at the end of the fermentation process.

The other enzyme the can be added the batch is S.Cerevisiae. This enzyme when added to the batch can accelerate the fermentation process, this enzyme operates at a higher temperature usually between 16-20ºC and the fermentation process takes place in about three days. In the cases of this enzyme when it is added to the batch it causes the batch particles to settle this time at the top of the batch.

Fermentation in the beer brewing process can be problematic. It is possible for the fermented batch to get stuck, this happens when the yeast that is added to produce enzymes for the conversion of sugars other than glucose into glucose, the conditions of the enzymes(yeast) cannot consume or ferment the sugars that they would normally consume rapidly. This problem arises when too much corm sugar is added to increase the beer batch’s alcoholic content, to produced a high alcohol beer. When this happens the yeast strains become stressed and when weakened the yeast loses its ability to produce enzymes needed to convert the sugars.

This can be corrected by addingenzymes to the fermenting beer. The enzymes should allow the

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Enzym e s

enough soluble protein to breakdown the malting process give the beer many drinkers love its taste, body, and its flavor this here is the defining factor of any beer, the enzyme make the brand of beer distinct from all others. In the aspect of fermentation the beer batch inhibits the formation of alcohol due to the addition of yeast with allows the suspension of particles to take the beer to the final point of production. The process of beer production is long and drawn out, many consumers of beer many at times have no idea about the wonderful engineers called enzymes and the role that they play in a drink the world seems to love.

fermentation kinetics

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Above: Hexokinase is the enzyme that catalyzes this phosphoryl group transfer

enzymes beta amylases to breakdown to enable the conversion of sugars to glucose, which can still be produces by the yeast. This will start up the otherwise “stuck fermentation”. The enzymes containing beta amylases are needed to fix the situation only because glucose used by the yeast in this case, and only beta amylase can produce glucose. The carbon produced during fermentation can be later used to carbonate the beer in the final phase before bottling.

The beer when it leaves the fermentation phase, it is called young or green beer. The beer contains suspended solids and the final quality of the beer has to be still developed. This phase is usually called secondary fermentation. This is where the beer is stored in special vats for weeks until fully pasteurized and then bottled or racked into kegs.

overview

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he enzymes used in beer production have their various properties and are like workers who know their function in their various processes. In the cases of the enzymes phenolases and Amylase, these two enzymes are very important to the initial start of the processing of the malt barley. They provide the colour and also the production of oxygen to keep the batch , oxygen is detrimental to the formations of enzymes that increase germination of the barley in the areas of malting and mashing of barley.

The enzyme proteolysis provide the batch with

76 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

nzyme growth in relation to the brewing environment is very essential to the lifespan and productivity of enzymes. In the fermentation environment the calculation and the determination the enzymes ability to grow and synthesize in the barley extract is the main point where enzyme kinetics matters most. There are two factors that ensure the success of the batch in the fermentation process. First, there must be a good selection of yeast strains and also their mutation of strains. Second, the effects of the environment parameters for cell growth and product formation.

Since Enzyme Kinetics is relatively induced by temperature. The mathematical determination of the growth of enzymes is: Growth Kinetics Dx /Dt = μx – άx Or (1 / X) (dx / dt) = μ∞ In order to plot this information down on a chart/ graph showing the growth rate of enzymes of the maximum growth rate at different temperatures using the Arrhenius equation to plot. The figure below shows the Arrhenius plot vs. absolute temperature for Enterobacter aerogenes & Candida utilis:(Growth rate) μ = Ae (-Ea/RT) (Death Rate) ά = Ǻe (-Ea’/RT) Typical activation energies for enzyme growth are around 18-20 kcal/mol and the death of enzymes is usually around 60-70 kcal/mol. In enzyme kinetics the death rate energy is more temperature sensitive than the growth energy.

bibliography Fermentation & Enzyme Technology. Vols 1, 2, Wang, Cooney Chemistry and Technology of Enzymes, Tauber

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Speciality Strains Timothy Woolley reviews some of the latest research into the use of new and novel yeast strains and there possible use in the craft brewing industry.

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accharomyces yeast strains are the most widespread in use, selected strains have been improved over many generations to optimise favourable chemical and sensory qualities as well as to maintain reproducibility which has led to numerous ‘go to’ strains being available for any number of different beers.

Typically non-Saccharomyces strains are seen as spoilage organisms however a few have been noted for their usefulness in some beer styles often as part of mixed specialist strains.

These strains are commonly used as co-fermenters with a Saccharomyces yeast. This is due, in part at least, to non-Saccharomyces strains producing insufficient levels of ethanol, as well as their propensity to produce off-flavours when not tightly controlled.

Wine makers have for some time been trialling the use of novel yeast cultures in combination with more standard strains to improve flavour profiles, product quality and longevity. Tristezza et al (2012) utilised

78 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

Hanseniaspor auvarum along with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce a wine with a more pronounced spicy flavour profile, while Ciani et al (2016) focussed on the use of non-conventional yeast species to lower the ethanol content of selected wines.

In this article we will review some of the latest research into the use of new and novel yeast strains and there possible use in the craft brewing industry.

Brettanomyces spp.

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n the early 1970s, almost all known species of Brettanomyces had been isolated from spontaneous brewing processes. Today Brettanomyces is the most widely used nonconventional yeast strain in the craft brewing market, although predominately used in Lambic ales, Brettanomyces strains are being utilised in an ever growing number of beer styles.

It is now known that these yeasts are responsible for producing a set of unique flavour compounds which together result in the typical commercial

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Left: Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a species of yeast. It has been instrumental to winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times.

Brettanomyces character i.e. complex fruity and floral notes. The use of commercial strains have helped limit the propensity of Brettanomyces to produce some of its more unpleasant off-flavours.

lachancea thermotolerans

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recently isolated and propagated strain, L. thermotolerans, is being investigated at North Carolina State University for its application as a single-strain brewing yeast. This strain has proven to be a viable single strain brewing yeast in laboratory and pilot-scale fermentations; it has fermented the principal wort sugars (i.e., maltose and maltotriose) and produced as its main by-products CO2 and ethanol. In a trials fermentations using a lambic-style wort, L. thermotolerans was able to produce 6.8% ABV and reduce the pH to 3.60.

torulaspora delrueckii

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. delbrueckii is a species with a long fermentation history and is used widely in commercial wine production due to its ability to produce complex fruity flavours while coping with ABV’s up to 11%. However T. delbrueckii is also recognised as one of a series of yeasts responsible for the fermentation of Baverian Wheat beers.

Typically T. delbrueckii requires an oxygen rich environment but will tolerate high osmotic conditions and very low temperatures. Ethanol tolerance depends heavily on the strain, however levels up to 11% are not unknown in wine and recent evidence has shown that many strains cope well with 5% in beer. Importantly T. delbrueckii is also tolerant of high IBU beers, this is again strain dependant but these characteristics place T. delbrueckii well within the scope of routine use.

This yeast’s most promising attributes are its ability to produce flavours/aromas such as sweet floral, honey, fruity, rose petals and brandy.

Canonica (2016) recently published work showing that the use of T. delbrueckii in a co-culture increased levels of phenyl ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate and

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ethyl octanoate to produce a beer with a complex fruity, floral and aniseed character.

Wickerhamomyces anomalus

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. anomalus (Pichia anomala) is capable of growing in a wide range of environmental conditions including limited oxygen, low temperatures and

low pH. However W. anomalus produces only low levels of ethanol, making it a possible candidate a sole fermenter in low alcohol beers, or as a co-fermenter in standard fermentations.

W. anomalus producers several interesting flavour compounds that produce complex fruity beers and the use of this strain has been proposed in sequential or co-inoculated beers.

genetically modified yeast

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rewers have access to a huge range of potential brewing yeasts either from private, commercial and national collections, however there are huge similarities in many, and without genetic testing some strains could in fact the from the same source. However there are other possibilities becoming available via research and development organisations albeit slowly; the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Straight away a few will baulk at even at the mention of GMO’s, so let me quickly say that there are 2 very basic types of GMO, one is ‘natural’, i.e. although it is produced in a lab it could also occur in nature, in this case all the lab does is create the right optimised conditions and then nature takes over.

Once the yeast have ‘mated’ the lab merely tests the resulting yeasts and selects the ones it prefers. In this case nature selects what attributes are passed on to any daughter cells.

The other type is when selected genes are added or removed, sometimes from non-related species e.g. jellyfish genes into yeast. This is, as you can imagine not going to occur naturally.

Both approaches offer some fantastic opportunities;

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Left: Saccharomyces cerevisiae as seen under DIC microscopy

using the gene manipulation technique you could add an aroma gene from a selected hop variety along with the gene for hop acids and let the yeast carry the load and cut costs, or you could add in genes that produce certain anti-oxidants so the finished beer could be one of your 5 a day, the list of potential benefits is almost endless, as is the potential downfalls. For instance some researches have looked at adding the genes that make morphine into yeast cells.

Although genetic modification of yeast might be unappealing to some, we have to remember that 'natural' genetically modified yeast strains have been used in brewing since the 1500's when German brewers discovered that storing beer in caves (lagering), improved the beer taste.

In this case the brewers had unwittingly hybridised their traditional brewers yeast strain with a different strain, Saccharomyces eubayanus, which occurred naturally in the cold environment of the caves, this new strain is what we now call S. pastorianus, you may know it as Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

‘Probably the most used lager strain in the world’.

In 2015, researchers at the University of Leuven, Belgium basically did the same thing again trying to create a whole new set of lager yeasts. A number of the new hybrid yeasts inherited beneficial properties from both parent strains and some of the resultant strains actually outperformed current yeasts during fermentation trials.

Professor Verstrepen who headed up the research said that of the 31 new strains that were tested only ten performed reasonably well in terms of speed of fermentation and flavour. When these 10 were tested in full-scale fermentations only two strains actually produced beer that was more flavoursome than

80 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

traditional lager yeasts.

Although these yeast strains are not yet available commercially, the research having been financed by an industrial partner, the actual process for creating such strains isnt beyond any University with the appropriate skill set. You do need a little more than a barrel of beer and a cold cave though.

The first research on the genetic modification of brewing yeasts took place decades ago, during the resulting period innumerable GM yeasts must have been created, however as yet I don't know of any commercial brewer that's used a GM yeast and produced a beer available to buy.

This is because of the obvious ethical issues, more than a few legal hurdles and a lot of commercial reasons not to try, what brewery producing real ale/ craft beer or any other wholesome naturally brewed product would want to be associated with using a GM yeast?

However back in the early 90’s one beer was made with a genetically modified yeast. The beer was brewed at the Brewing Research Foundation International as a test case in the use of GM yeasts, it was and I believe is, the only beer made with GM yeast to gain approval to be sold commercially… Nutfield Lyte Lager.

biohackers

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s technology becomes cheaper and the power of the internet help spread ideas and knowledge quicker than ever before, the methods behind adding new genes into brewers yeast to produce different flavours, scents, nutrients and possibly bioluminescent properties (easier to find your pint in a darkened room and also V cool) is becoming more and more accessible, if you know where to look, or you know some pretty clever and resourceful people.

In 2015 a BioHacker group in London were looking at designing novel strains of brewers yeast as part of a competition overseen by the international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Foundation. They looked at 5 different options that included flavour and nutritional enhancements to brewers yeast, one was the addition of the miraculin gene from the Miracle Berry plant Synsepalum dulcificum. Miraculin makes sour foods taste sweeter. While another strain was to have the lycopene gene added (found in tomatoes), this should produce a red beer with the added benefit of containing a well known anti-cancer compound, another was to have one of the flavour genes responsible for fruitiness over expressed, while another was having genes added that would produce all the essential amino acids in the perfect ratio required by humans…

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BrauBeviale2016 Raw Materials I Technologies I Logistics I Marketing

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Beavertown will host the London launch party for the Rainbow Project 2016 this month (September)

2016 17 September Rainbow Project 2016 London Launch Beavertown Brewery, London www.beavertownbrewery.co.uk

6-8 October Great American Beer Festival Colorado Convention Center www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com

17 September - 2 October Oktoberfest Munich, Germany www.oktoberfest.de/en

6-9 October Indy Man Beer Con Victoria Baths, Manchester www.indymanbeercon.co.uk

22 September Great Welsh Beer & Cider Festival The Depot, 22 Dumballs Rd, Cardiff www.gwbcf.info

27 – 29 October Birmingham Beer Festival New Bingley Hall, Birmingham www.birminghambeerfestival.org.uk

82 | The Brewers Journal | September~October 2016

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