Brauerei Forum 5/2023 (intl.)

TRAINING APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

20-24 November 2023 at VLB Berlin

Language: English

5-day training course on practical microbiology for the brewing, beverage and food industry

Topics:

Trends in microbiological lab-work and analysis / Sample preparation and analytics / Microorganisms / Nutrient media / Microbiological quality control

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/microbiology

Pure Yeast & Starter Cultures

Yeast strains and functional micro organisms for the brewing, distilling and beverage industry

+ Top fermenting yeasts

+ Bottom fermenting yeasts

+ Yeasts for low alcohol beers and speciality beers (e.g. sour beers)

+ Spirits, wine and champagne yeast strains

+ Lactic acid bacteria for biological acidification

+ Cultures for alternative beverages (e.g. Kombucha, Water Kefir)

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/yeast

VLB Berlin – Biological Laboratory Seestrasse 13, 13353 Berlin, Germany biolab@vlb-berlin.org

VLB Berlin, Seestrasse 13, 13353 Berlin, Germany biolab@vlb-berlin.org

 VLB INSIDE

4 VLB network: VLB Berlin warmly welcomes its new members

6 Heike Flohr, coordinator of VLB's Certified Brewmaster course, retires / VLB graduate gallery found a place of honour

8 Guild House, I: Re-roofed with the support of VLB Alumni Association / Guild House, II: Radeberger hands over new counter

10 VLB General Assembly 2022 elects new Administrative Board

11 VLB Birthday: 140 th anniversary of the founding of VLB Berlin

 IFGB – TRAINING & EVENTS

12 VLB's First Training Course for Korean Distillers in Berlin

 TRAINING & EVENTS

14 VLB October Convention 2022: Research enjoys top priority at VLB Berlin

16 New VLB research projects in 2022/2023 for the brewing and beverage industry – an overview

18 Brewing know-how: Check your expert knowledge!

20 VLB International: 12th Ibero-American VLB Symposium in Uberlândia was a great success

22 VLB international activities in 2022/2023

23 “Brewed according to the German Purity Law” in Brazil

24 Excursion: Bratwurst, beer, and brass band – or how to brew under historical conditions

26 VLB course offerings 2023/2024

 MARKETS

27 Interview: “In Nicaragua, the craft beer sector is starting to grow”

30 VLB Berlin offered trainings at the Balashi Brewery in Aruba

 OTHER

31 Imprint / VLB institutes and departments – Contacts

32 VLB event schedule

editor@brauerei-forum.de

Cover photo: ew/Practical brewmaster training in the VLB pilot brewery “Wilfried-RinkeTechnikum

At the VLB General Assembly 2022, a regular election took place and the existing Administrative Board was confirmed in its current composition for another four years

Prof. Chul Cheong and 35 distillers from South Korea arrived at VLB Berlin on January 30, 2023 in order to take a two-day training course “Distillation – a brief overview“ at IfGB Berlin

Now that the Corona pandemic is over, the VLB Berlin staff are on the road again. They visit breweries, trade fairs and give courses all over the world

Bertha Escobar Gonzalez and Paola Arguello Castillo graduated from the Certified Brewmaster Course 2022. They are convinced: VLB Berlin is the best international institute to become a brewmaster

VLB Berlin warmly welcomes its new members

Since our last report in April 2022, VLB Berlin was again pleased to welcome some new members. 11 companies from Germany, Europe and Asia joined the VLB network. VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine was pleased about the growth and at the same time he pointed out that this is anything but a matter of course in the current economically challenging times.

Herco Wassertechnik, Freiberg/ Neckar

Founded in 1947, the company plans and designs water treatment plants with a focus on membrane technology (reverse osmosis and ultrapure water plants). In addition, classic plants for applications such as softening, filtration, dosing and storage are also realized. In addition to the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors, the company also has many years of experience in the food and beverage industry and has been part of the Belgian Pollet Water Group since 2006. The Herco brand stands for quality “Made in Germany”

www.hercowater.com

dition to its headquarters in Hamburg, Kühne operates five production sites in Germany and others in France, Poland and Turkey. Kühne is particularly interested in participating in the VLB Businiess Management Committee for logistics.

www.kuehne.de

craft quality. Bräugier now operates two taprooms, one in BerlinFriedrichshain and another in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg. In the latter, the beers are also developed and produced in the company's own microbrewery.

www.braeugier.de

Carl Kühne KG, Hamburg

Founded in 1722 in Berlin, Carl Kühne KG is one of the best-known and oldest food producers in Germany. The tenth-generation family business sees itself as a “Veggie Company ” – long before this became a trend. The product portfolio includes pickles, vinegars, dressings, cabbage, kraut, barbecue sauces, mustard, snacks and more. In ad -

SIDEL, Octeville-sur-Mer, France

Sidel is one of the world's leading suppliers of packaging solutions in the fields of food, beverages, household and hygiene products. Founded more than 170 years ago, the portfolio includes filling and labeling equipment, stretch blow molding machines, material handling equipment to complete lines with solutions for Industry 4.0. With VLB membership, Sidel is particularly interested in participating in the Technical-Scientific Committee of VLB Berlin.

www.sidel.com

BRÄUGIER Craft GmbH, Berlin

The Bräugier Craft Brewery in Berlin was founded in 2017 by U.S. citizen Brian Trauth and brewing and beverage technologist Johannes Dunkel. Under the motto “Brew beer. Enjoy beer. Improve beer. Study beer.” they produce confident, great-tasting beers of high

Konvoy, London, UK

Konvoy is all about stainless steel kegs. The company was founded in Australia in 2019, where it says it has become the leading provider of keg pooling and tracking solutions in the brewing and beverage industry. In mid-2022, Konvoy expanded to Europe and aims to establish its innovative service offering there as well, ranging from short- and long-term rental to maintenance and repair to sophisticated tracking applications.

www.konvoykegs.com

Brew-Food A/S, Helsingör, Denmark

Brew-Food ApS is a young Danish start-up company. Founded in 2021 by Hermann Hambach, Brew-Food offers a new solution for the production of alcohol-free beers. The target group are craft brewers and small and medium-sized breweries between 500 hl and 200,000 hl that are not willing or able to invest

in their own dealcoholization plant. The process conforms to the German Purity Law and is said to be superior to classic methods and easy to integrate into the production process at competitive operating costs. The beers produced should convince with their genuine beer taste.

brew-food@brew-food.com

mobility since 1894 – from light commercial vehicles to tractor units. Renault Trucks is strongly committed to the energy transition and produces commercial vehicles with controlled fuel consumption as well as a complete range of 100 % electric trucks. The closed-loop concept applied here allows for extended operating life. Renault Trucks is part of the Volvo Group and also offers complete financing and service solutions.

www.renault-trucks.com

INTERNATIONAL VLB BREWING CONFERENCES

+ 3rd VLB Africa Brewing Conference

DSM Food Specialties, Delft, Netherlands

DSM is a global, science-based company specializing in nutrition, health and sustainable living. Applications cover dairy, bakery, plant-based proteins, food and beverages, among others. For breweries, DSM offers supportive enzymes for raw fruit processing, beer stabilization and brewhouse yield optimization.

www.dsm.com/food-beverage

Luhe Minerals, Winsen/Luhe

Luhe Minerals GmbH specializes in the trade and distribution of minerals and products in the field of filtration and functional fillers for the beverage industry. The experts in the field of food & beverage have many years of experience and a technical background in the brewing industry, oenology and the chemical industry. The company's portfolio includes diatomaceous earth, perlite and cellulose products.

www.luheminerals.com

Thai Spirit Industries/Udom -

kati

Brewhouse (Thailand)

Thai Spirit Industry Co. Ltd. was founded in 2003 and initially specialized in the production of fruit wine-based mixed drinks. In 2019, the company, which is located around 60 km east of Bangkok, entered the beer business and started a brewery with a 50 hl brewhouse. Mainly Craft beers are produced there using the contract brewing process. Brewery trainings have already been held there together with VLB.

www.thaispirit.co.th

VLB‘s conference for the brewing industry in Africa

12 to 14 June 2023, in Douala, Cameroon

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/africa2023

+ 13th Iberoamerican VLB Symposium Brewing & Filling Technology

The VLB Ibero-American Symposium 2023 comes to Colombia

4 to 6 September 2023, Bogotá, Colombia

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/colombia2023

+ 108th International Brewing & Engineering Congress

One of the leading brewing congress for the brewing and beverage industry – incl. Grand Opening of Holland Malt's Zero Emission Malthouse in Eemshaven

13 to 15 March 2024, in Groningen, The Netherlands

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/groningen2024

Renault Trucks Deutschland, Ismaning

French truck manufacturer Renault Trucks has been providing solutions for sustainable

BarthHaas UK, Kent BarthHaas, headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, is a leading global supplier of hop products and hop-related services. The eighth-generation family business has been a member of VLB Berlin for many decades. Now the subsidiary from England has also become a member and would like to play a greater role in the Technical Scientific of VLB Berlin.

www.barthhaas.com

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/events

See you in Nuremberg in Hall 6!

Heike Flohr, coordinator of VLB's Certified Brewmaster course, retires

Heike Flohr was employed at the VLB Berlin for 41 years. She began her career as secretary to Prof. Dr. Karl Wackerbauer. For the past 17 years, she was the course coordinator for the Certified Brewmaster course. Heike Flohr retired on April 1.

(ew) In February 1982, Heike Flohr began her service at the VLB Berlin. Initially, she worked in the Research Institute of Technology for Brewing and Malting under the direction of Prof. Dr. Karl Wackerbauer as his right-hand woman. After Wackerbauer's final retirement from teaching in September 2004, Flohr moved to VLB event management and was from then on responsible for the organizational supervision of the international brewing courses. Over the years, she provided advice and support to more than

600 students, organized visas and sometimes accommodation, listened to all their concerns, and was just as excited as her students during the exams. Heike Flohr leaves with one laughing and one crying eye. “The pandemic has made my work arduous. Nevertheless, I will miss meeting all the passionate people.” She gave her official farewell on

March 22. VLB Executive Director Dr. Josef Fontaine reviewed the past four decades with anecdotes. Longtime companions, including former colleagues, said goodbye on- and offline over a snack. Heike Flohr is happy to know that her protégés are in good hands: Sibylle Young, a new dedicated colleague, has officially taken over.

VLB graduate gallery found a place of honour

Since last fall they are “hanging ” again: The portrait photo series of the graduates of the VLB continuing education courses since 2006. The graduates gallery includes about 650 alumni from 21 completed courses. The action was financially supported by ehem. VLBer (VLB Alumni Association.

(oh) The photos with the portraits of all graduates of the VLB Certified Brewmaster Course since 2006 hung in the Hövelhaus lecture hall in the old VLB building until 2017. After moving to the new building, the pictures in DIN A1 format initially disappeared into the archive. Now they have found a worthy place on the first floor of the new VLB building. In addition, the gallery was supplemented with the photos of the graduates of the German Braumeister Course, which has been held again at the VLB since 2019. The older images were reprinted and the younger ones were reframed. In addition, a flexible system for hanging

was installed. “This gives us room for more classes in the future,” says Jan Biering, second executive chairman of the ehem. VLBer (VLB Alumni Association) and head of the German Braumeister Course. Burghard Meyer, lead instructor of the VLB Certfied Brewmaster Course, adds: “This gallery is an expression of our bond and appreciation towards our alumni.” The VLB Certified Brewmaster Course is an English-language 6-months full training course that was launched in 2006 as a successor and extension of the “E2 Course” by Prof. Dr. Wackerbauer. Since then, more than 600 brewers from more than 60 nations have successfully completed this demanding advanced training course. The German Braumeister course, which concludes at the Berlin Chamber of Crafts (HWK), has been back in the VLB program since 2019. A total of 50 people took part in the first three courses, and the fourth course started last October with 21 participants.

Photo: ew

VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine, Heike Flohr, CBC Course Director Burghard Meyer and the new CBC Coordinator Sibylle Young (from left)

Kurt Marshall, Heike Flohr, Burghard Meyer, Jan Biering, VLB Managing Director

Dr. Josef Fontaine und Sibylle Young toast to the new gallery

Photo: ew

Guild House, I: Re-roofed with the support of VLB Alumni Association

Since 2008, the guild house on the grounds at Seestrasse 13 in Berlin-Wedding has served as a meeting place for students, friends and alumni of VLB Berlin, and also as a venue for the Berlin Brewers' Guild. After about 15 years, the wooden roof had become heavily weathered and leaking. With

financial support of ehem. VLBer (VLB Alumni Association), the roof was professionally renewed last fall.

(BF) The general meeting of the VLB Alumni Association decided on July 8, 2022 in Berlin to financially support the urgently needed renovation work on the guild house’s roof. In the meantime, the work was carried out by a roofing company. Among other things, they included the disposal of the old roof covering, the repair of the wooden substructure, various roof plumbing works and the covering of the entire area with new bitumen rectangular shingles. Additional supports for the rear roof overhang were also installed. The work was completed at the beginning of November 2022. The costs of around € 15 000 were covered by ehem. VLBer. “We are pleased that the ’Zunfthaus’ can thus continue to be maintained as a popu -

lar meeting place for students and alumni,” says Klaus Niemsch, first chairman of VLB Alumni Association.

Burghard Meyer, head of the Berlin Brewers’ Guild, expressed his thanks for the help: “The renovation was urgently needed and we thank the Association for their support. We would like to bring their members and the Berlin Brewers Guild closer together in the near future. The guild house is an important part of our joint association work in this regard.”

The building was erected in 1913 for the study of sour feed production at the site of Seestrasse 13 and was known as the “Sauerhaus”. It survived the destruction of World War 2 and was used as a warehouse for a long time. In 2008 it was renovated by a group of students with their own efforts. Since then, the guild house has served as a popular meeting place on the campus of the VLB and TU Berlin.

Guild House, II: Radeberger hands over new counter

Official handover of the new bar at the guild house in Berlin: Wolfhard Buß, BerlinerKindl-SchultheissBrauerei (l.), Wolfgang Janssen and Franck Bleckmann (m.), both Radeberger, with a delegation from VLB Berlin and Preussische Spirituosen Manufaktur

Following the roof renovation last fall, the “Zunfthaus” at VLB Berlin also got a new bar. The facility was provided by the Radeberger Group and officially handed over in January.

(BF) In test operation already since December, it was officially handed over on January 24, 2023 – the modern and fully equipped new taproom in the Guild House on the VLB premises at Seestrasse

13 in Berlin-Wedding. Also present were Wolfgang Janssen, Head of the Technology Department of the Radeberger Group, Frank Bleckmann, Sales Director Catering National of the Radeberger Group, and Wolfhard Buß, Managing Director of the Berliner-KindlSchultheiss Brewery. After a brief temperature check, the go-ahead was given for the tap system. Equipped with a cooling system for kegs, drawers, glass rinsing

devices and a modern stainless steel dispensing column with two taps, the system replaces an old counter that could no longer be repaired sensibly. The new bar is embedded in a rustic oak counter that found its way to Berlin from Rostock several years ago.

Burghard Meyer, head of the Berlin Brewers’ Guild, and VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine are delighted with the permanent loan: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Radeberger Group for its support. This means that our guild house once again has up-to-date dispensing technology that will benefit our guests and students.” The guild house has served as a meeting place for students, friends and alumni of VLB Berlin and as a venue for the Berlin Brewers’ Guild since 2008.

Photos: oh

Photo: oh

The house of the Berlin Brewers’ Guild: Its roof was renewed (view with the new roof overhang)

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VLB General Assembly 2022 elects new Administrative Board

The recent annual General Assembly of VLB Berlin e.V. took place on October 10, 2022, in Berlin. The VLB management reported on a positively concluded fiscal year 2021. In the regular new elections, the existing Administrative Board with President Ulrich Rust was confirmed in its current composition for another four years.

(oh) VLB President Ulrich Rust chaired the meeting and was pleased that it could be held in person for the first time since 2019. Subsequently, the two VLB Managing Directors Dr. Josef Fontaine and Gerhard Andreas Schreiber reported on the fiscal year 2021. This year was also determined for VLB by the continuing challenges of the Covid 19 pandemic. Nevertheless, revenues increased compared to the previous year and a positive result was achieved. In terms of revenue, analytical services and events in particular developed positively. Third-party research also showed growth. Overall, the total revenues of VLB in 2021 increased to € 10.45 million (+7.0 %). With a slight decrease in the cost of materials and depreciation, a positive annual result of 359 T€ was reported (2020: -355 T€). This surplus was transferred to the reserves, so that the equity ratio of VLB increased to

28.6 % on the balance sheet date 31 December 2021 (2020: 23.7%).

Positive news also on the aspect of VLB memberships, which remained stable. Some resignations could be compensated by several new members. As of 31 December 2021, 350 members (of which 320 companies) supported the work of the VLB. As of the same date, 134 people were employed at the VLB.

The General Meeting unanimously discharged the Administrative Board and the Executive Board.

“Despite unfavorable general conditions in the past and a challenging fiscal year 2021, VLB has achieved a gratifying annual surplus,” VLB

President Ulrich Rust commented on the results. He thanked the management and the entire VLB staff for their successful work.

The outlook for fiscal 2022, on the other hand, remained subdued. The extreme rise in energy costs in Germany, the effects of the war

in Ukraine and an unusually long freeze on federal research funding made VLB's business challenging in 2022.

New Board of Directors

Another item on the agenda was the election of the new Administrative Board. The board decides on all fundamental matters concerning the VLB and is therefore one of the three steering bodies of the VLB, together with the General Meeting and the management. It is elected for a period of four years by the General Meeting. It may consist of a maximum of nine members, seven of whom must be actively involved in a member company with voting rights. Up to two members may be actively engaged in a non-voting member company or be neutral actively engaged persons from science or administration. The work in this body is an honorary office. After the previous election had taken place in October 2018, a new regular election was required in 2022. All previous office holders stood for re-election for a further period and were re-elected without any dissenting votes. The next VLB General Assembly is scheduled for October 9, 2023, in Berlin.

(from left): The VLB Managing Directors Gerhard Andreas Schreiber and Dr. Josef Fontaine with the newly elected members of the Administrative Board: Michael Jakob (Carlsberg Supply Chain), Uwe Ebbighausen (CUE.X), Horst Müller (EFES), Ulrich Rust (Gerolsteiner Brunnen), Dr. Stefan Lustig (EFES), Dr. Stefan Kreisz (Erdinger Weißbräu) and Jan Steffes (Gerolsteiner Brunnen). Wolfgang Janssen (Radeberger Gruppe) and Ulrich Brendel (Warsteiner Brauerei) were not on site but accepted the election

Photo: ew

140 th anniversary of the founding of VLB Berlin

“Three leading gentlemen in the Berlin brewing industry, Friedrich Goldschmidt, Armand Knoblauch and Richard Roesicke, were the ones who, together with Prof. Dr. Max Delbrück, signed the founding protocol of the Versuchsund Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB) on December 19, 1882, in Goldschmidt’s apartment in the headquarters of Patzenhofer-Brauerei A.-G.”

(oh) The foundation was supported politically at the time, in particular by the Ministerial Director in the Prussian Ministry of Agriculture and member of the German Reichs tag, Privy Councillor Hugo Thiel (a contemporary bust of him now stands in the atrium of the new VLB building). The founding minutes of that time have unfortunately been lost, but this is how it was reported in the publications of the VLB. According to the descriptions, the VLB started its work on January 1, 1883. Initially in the laboratories of its sister institute, the Verein der Spiritusfabrikanten (later VLSF), which had been founded in 1874, in the Landwirtschaftli -

ches Institut (Agricultural Institute) on Dorotheenstrasse. On March 11, 1883, the first general meeting was held (for invitation, see illustration). There, Richard Roesicke, General Manager of the Berlin Schultheiss brewery, was elected the first chairman of the association.

The VLB expanded rapidly: by the end of its first founding year, it already had 150 members. Space became scarce, so that in 1884, together with the spirit manufacturers and the Verein der Stärkeinteressenten, it moved into a new laboratory building on the grounds of the Kgl. Landwirtschaftliche Hochschule (Royal Agricultural College) on Invalidenstrasse in Berlin-Mitte. In the same year, the first issue of the “Wochenschrift für Brauerei” was published.

The VLB began planning its own experimental and training brewery. The foundation stone was laid on September 20, 1889, on the present site at Seestrasse 13 in BerlinWedding. It was commissioned in May 1891, after which all the experimental facilities of the Institute of Fermentation moved there.

INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSES

+ Craft Brewing in Practice

A ten-day full-time training course providing up-to-date knowledge in the field of pub and micro brewing

4 to 15 September 2023, VLB Berlin

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/craftbrewing2023

+ Training Applied Microbiology

Training course providing up-to-date knowledge in brewing-related microbiology

20 to 24 November 2023, VLB Berlin

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/microbiology2023

+ VLB Certified Brewmaster Course

Training course for prospective brewers held as 6-months full-time programme

8 January to 28 June 2024, VLB Berlin

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/cbc2024

+ Brewing in a Nutshell – Online

A 100 % online on-demand-course providing detailed basic knowledge of beer brewing. In English

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/bianso

+ Customized Training Courses

Individual inhouse seminars customized on your demands. In English, German or Spanish. On-site or online

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/training

Invitation to the first constituent general meeting of the VLB on March 11, 1883, 11:00 a.m., at Invalidenstrasse 42, in Berlin Mitte. However, the founding protocol was already signed in December 1882

www.vlb-berlin.org/en/training

VLB Berlin, Seestrasse 13, 13353 Berlin – Germany brewmaster@vlb-berlin.org

left:

VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine

(l.) thanks Prof. Chul Cheong for the successful collaboration right: Spirits tasting at the liqueur manufacture “Preussische Spirituosen Manufaktur“

Successfully completed: VLB's First Training Course for Korean Distillers

Prof. Chul Cheong had already requested a training course for South Korean distillers at IfGB / the VLB Berlin in 2019. The preparations had started – then Corona came. At the end of 2022, IfGB coordinator Wiebke Künnemann, VLB, and Prof. Cheong resumed contact and finalized the planning. On January 30, 2023, the time had come: Prof. Cheong arrived at the VLB campus with 35 distillers, brewers and beverage producers. The two-day training course “Distillation – a brief overview“ was the prelude to an excursion to breweries and distilleries in the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria.

Monday morning, VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine, course instructor Dr. Nils Rettberg, lecturers and IfGB coordinator welcomed the Korean guests. Despite the language barrier, there were no fears of contact. Participants and VLB staff communicated with gestures in the daily course routine. The visitors took selfies with VLBers. There were endless smiles and laughter. This open, interested and cheerful mood characterized the entire course. VLB alumni and Prof. Karl Wackerbauer student Prof. Chul Cheong translated all lectures consecutively into Korean. Some lecturers received a great deal of detailed questioning and nimble back-andforth interpreted discussions ensued. The group consisted mostly of distillers. In addition, there were

brewers looking to purchase distilling equipment and representatives from beverage companies interested in export opportunities for their products to Europe.

In the subject of distillery technology, the course participants were particularly interested in the difference between vacuum distillation and distillation at atmospheric pressure, as well as the different areas of application. This topic was later explored in greater depth at the ”Preussische Spirituosen Manufaktur”. The vacuum distillation plant there is mainly used for gin production. There were further questions about special yeasts as well as distillate storage in barrels and barrel alternatives such as wood chips. VLB experts lectured on all topics related to distilling and spirits pro -

duction. Dr. Alfons Ahrens, head of VLB's Department for Water Quality, Management and Technology, explained different methods of water treatment. Sophie Lange, staff member of VLB's Department Bioprocess Engineering and Applied Microbiology spoke about yeasts, bacteria and molds in the distillery and presented methods for detecting microbiological contamination even in finished products such as spirits and liqueurs. The lecture on operational and quality control was given by Christian Schubert, head of distilled spirits analytics and team leader of special analytics at the VLB Research Institute for Raw Materials and Beverage Analytics. A special highlight of this subject was that the lecturer presented analytical results, from soju samples that

IfGB is a brand of VLB Berlin

the Korean distillers had brought with them. In addition, Christian Schubert presented the different work areas of the VLB and guided the group through the modern laboratories, including those for special analysis.

For the subject block distillery technology, filtration and distillate storage, the IfGB had again been able to win the head of the Weyermann ® Distillery Philipp Schwarz. This was followed on Monday evening by a visit to the Preussische Spirituosen Manufaktur. Anne Thieltges from the new manufactory owners of the Michelberger Group and Production Manager Stefan Kaufhold gave the guests a very warm welcome. Afterwards, Stefan Kaufhold explained the different processes for producing these products – maceration and distillation – during a small tasting of gin and herbal liqueur.

To conclude the first day of training, Christian Schubert and Wiebke Künnemann took the course participants to Brauhaus Spandau, a traditional Berlin pub brewery. Over a wide variety of beers and knuckle of pork, it became apparent how diverse the group was. In the small circle, some of the participants contributed their knowledge of English or German, so that communication was possible even without translation. The second day of the training was then dedicated to teaching again, before the certificates of participation were presented during the farewell party. VLB Managing Director Dr. Josef Fontaine thanked

Prof. Chul Cheong and his group for great discipline, curiosity and diligence of the course participants. ”It has been a pleasure to work with you. We are ready for further joint projects – gladly also in South Korea,” Dr. Fontaine emphasized.

IfGB

Under the label ”IfGB” (Institut für Gärungsgewerbe und Biotechnologie – Institute for Fermentation und Biotechnology), VLB Berlin has been offering distiller courses and the annual distilled spirits conference ”IfGB-Forum Spirituosen und Brennerei” since 2003. Up to now, the events have traditionally been held in German. In the courses it is already common that discussions are held in English. At the conferences, too, there are from time to time presentations in English. In the medium term, English-language events are planned in both segments.

VLB Berlin also offers distilled spirits analysis and sensory evaluation at the Research Institute for Raw Materials and Beverage Analysis (FIRGA), which also supports product developments in this segment. In addition, there is malt analysis for whisky distillers.

VLB's Research Institute for Biotechnology and Water (FIBW) offers analysis and advice on microbiology as well as water treatment. VLB's Testing Laboratory for Packaging checks stability and quality of glass bottles and the quality of labels and cardboard boxes etc. as well as for the distilled spirits industry.

Wiebke Künnemann

Farewell to the Korean distillers: Wiebke Künnemann, Prof. Chul Cheong, Dr. Josef Fontaine (from left)

Christian Schubert (centre) leads through the VLB

Christian Schubert (r.) presents the analytical results of the Korean soju samples

Research enjoys top priority at VLB Berlin

Dr. Maja Schuster, VLB Research Coordinator

After two years as a corona-related online event, the VLB's research colloquium was held again in presence as part of VLB's Annual Conference on 11 October 2022. The participants were informed about the future direction of research as well as the results of current research projects of VLB. This event once again demonstrated both the breadth and relevance of VLB research, especially with regard to the challenges facing the brewing industry.

tation of research policy. The European Commission had also placed the focus of its funding activities around these topics. Schreiber named health, food security with a focus on freshwater research and the bio-economy, transport and climate protection, especially resource efficiency and raw materials, as extremely relevant for research at the VLB.

VLB Managing Director and Head of Research Coordination at VLB, Gerhard Andreas Schreiber, opened the research colloquium. In his presentation, he informed the participants about the importance of current societal challenges – climate change, globalisation, digitalisation and demographic change also influence the orien -

Promising topics

Since national funding programmes are oriented towards the requirements of EU directives, these societal challenges form the focal points of the programmes themselves and their evaluation criteria. Schreiber sees more competition for third-party funded research in the future, but this can be countered by higher demands on the degree of innovation and increased transfer of results to industry. The VLB's strategy is to address topics within the value chain of beer and beverage production in the funding programmes that address societal challenges. Schreiber counted logistics, resource optimisation and healthy food among the most promising topics. In the future, he said, the focus will be increasingly on longer, multi-stage projects that are realised as cooperative projects with overriding objectives. In addition to the funding programmes for applied research of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), VLB plans to

apply for funding from the German Research Foundation and the European Commission in the future. In the last item, Schreiber informed the participants about the effects of political events on funding policy. For example, he said, VLB had been affected by the long federal budget negotiations and the resulting lack of approval for new projects. For the coming year, however, Schreiber expects the situation in the area of third-party funding to return to normal. Despite the Ukraine war and the inflation, the funding programmes of the BMWK as the most important funding agency of the VLB are probably not at risk. Schreiber therefore called on all participants to take part in VLB

Florian Heukäufer Michel Werner

research projects. Schreiber then turned the podium over to the speakers.

Florian Heukäufer, research assistant at the packaging testing centre of VLB, presented his results of the project Vegan Wet Labelling System (INNO-KOM 49MF190081). Since for many vegan consumers the label "vegan" includes the packaging, the aim was to find a vegan alternative to casein glues that can also be applied via a simple spray process. The trials focused on gluten, a reserve protein from cereal grains with viscoelastic properties, which has already been successfully researched as an adhesive in the wood industry. In the experiments conducted by Heukäufer and

his colleagues, the gluten solution also proved to be a suitable and easily adaptable alternative for attaching labels to returnable bottles. Further research and development work must now show that the process can also be used outside the laboratory.

From the Research Institute for Beer and Beverage Production (FIBGP) Michel Werner presented the Digital Operations Consultant (INNO-KOM 49MF190064, Development of a software-based service for optimising resources in the beverage industry). As part of the project, Werner and his colleagues have lifted the VLB's enormous treasure trove of data from consultancy and research and categorised it with a focus on sustainability. Their findings on optimisation and savings potential were bundled in a digital tool. Werner guided the participants through the tool using the example of a brewery with an annual production of 500,000 hL. The digital business consultant is primarily intended to support the consultations of breweries by the VLB in order to achieve optimal results with the bundled experience of many years. In future, Werner and his colleagues would like to expand the tool in cooperation with the VLB members.

The project presented by Stefan Reimann from the VLB Research Institute for Biotechnology and Water (FIBW), Re-evaluation of the cleaning effect of recycled caustic soda (INNO-KOM 49MF190063), also

dealt with resource conservation in brewery operations. Reimann and his colleagues investigated the cleaning effect of defined aged cleaning solutions based on caustic soda using standard soiling on test samples. Their results confirmed that increasing sodium carbonate and aluminium concentrations (carried in by metallised labels) significantly worsen the cleaning effect and label detachment time. However, the COD load of recycled caustic soda only seemed to negatively influence the label detachment time. In new projects, Reimann and his colleagues would like to further differentiate the COD load of recycled caustic soda crossinstitutionally in order to be able to work out more targeted statements on lye application times with a special focus on bottle cleaning.

The last lecture of the research colloquium was given by Laura Knoke from the VLB Research Institute for Raw Materials and Beverage Analysis (FIRGA). Knoke presented the results of a cooperation project with the Technical University of Munich on the Ageing Stability of Light Full-Bodied Beers (IGF 20151 N). The aim of the project was to identify the origin of ageing carbonyls. Knoke and colleagues established an LC-Q-ToF-MS method to identify and quantify aldehyde-cysteine adducts, which were suspected as a possible source of the ageing carbonyls. However, the experiments did not show that the aldehyde-cysteine adducts are the main source of the ageing carbonyls. Knoke and her colleagues are therefore planning further research projects to trace the origin of the ageing carbonyls.

The next VLB research colloquium is expected to take place at the VLB October Convention on 9/10 October 2023.

Laura Knoke

Stefan Reimann

New VLB research projects in 2022/2023 for the brewing and beverage industry – an overview

Third-party funded research projects are an important pillar of the VLB. In the aftermath of the federal election in September 2021 (Bundestagswahl), there were major restructurings and redefinitions in the area of public research funding. During this period, which lasted almost a year, a provisional budget was in effect, during which no new research projects were allowed to be approved. In the meantime, the situation has eased again.

(BF) In 2022, VLB had submitted seven new project applications to the providers of third-party funding, primarily the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz), the start of which had to be postponed to 2023 due to this funding block. As a consequence, VLB – just like many other private research institutions in Germany – had significantly less thirdparty funding available last year than originally planned. In the meantime, the situation has eased: The German federal budget for 2023 provides an increase in third-party fundings. Application approvals are returning to normal level this year, so the VLB anticipates significantly higher thirdparty fundings for the current year. Despite these delays in the approval procedures, it was nevertheless possible to start some new projects.

Research projects started in 2022

Two new projects started at the Research Institute for Beer and Beverage Production (FIBGP): In July the ZIM1 project “HyTaste – Development of a combined mid-infrared/

UV-VIS-FL measurement system” (KK5335205BA1) started. In October the INNO-KOM2 project “Crossflow III – mixed fermentation” (49MF220089) began. At the VLB Research Institute for Management and Beverage Logistics (FIM), the ZIM project “HarshLaser – Development of a laser system for permanent and automatic labeling of returnable glass bottles” (KK5335203SY1) was launched in July. The VLB Research Institute for Biotechnology and Water (FIBW) received approval for the cross-working group INNO-KOM project “WafeG – Water quality and fermented beverages ” (49MF220050). Project start date was August 1.

Research projects started in 2023

In 2023, research at VLB is off to a good start with five more projects approved: The ZIM project “TrebComCrate – Material recovery of brewer’s spent grains to a biocompound” (KK5335207SK2) began on January 1 under the leadership of the VLB Packaging Testing Unit in collaboration with FIBGP and FIBW. In addition, the INNO-KOM project “Development of a forced pallet effect test (EFOPA)” (49MF220230) launched on

March 1. FIBW is pleased to start the year with two approved INNO-KOM projects: “Raw water monitoring with biogeochemical indicators (MoWa)” (49MF220172) and “Pasteurization of novel fermentation products (PaFerm)” (49VF220041).

In the area of brewing raw materials, the INNO-KOM project “Production and use of carbonization malt for beer production” (49VF220042) began at the Research Institute for Raw Materials and Beverage Analysis (FIRGA) on February 1.

Contact:

VLB Research Coordination

Gerhard Andreas Schreiber g.schreiber@vlb-berlin.org

1) Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) is a nationwide, technology- and sector-open funding program of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection for R&D funding to SMEs.

2) Innovation Competence INNO-KOM is a nationwide, technology and industryneutral funding program of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection for R&D funding at legally independent non-profit research institutions.

Photo: ew

VLB Berlin has been able to initiate 12 research projects in the years 2022 and 2023 so far

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Check your expert knowledge!

How solid is your expert knowledge when it comes to beer brewing? Whether craftsmanship or extensive expertise in the field of microbiology and food chemistry: A brewer needs the knowledge and overview of the entire manufacturing process. This is why the questions in this issue cover a broad range of facts which a professional brewer should be familiar with.

1. Yeast management in the brewery means...

a) the handling of cultured yeasts in the yeast bank in the lab.

b) the process from yeast propagation to pitching to yeast storage.

c) the process of yeast washing after yeast collection.

d) the search for new yeast strains.

2. Breweries can obtain their yeast from other breweries or “produce” it from pure yeast cultures. The yeast propagation plays a central role in this process. What does “yeast propagation” mean?

a) Breeding of new yeast strains with the aid of glucose.

b) Intensive propagation of yeast in wort supported by timed aeration.

c) Preservation of yeast cells using liquid nitrogen.

d) Intensive cultivation of yeast using amino acids.

e) Intensive cultivation of yeast using fatty acids and zinc.

3. The yeast metabolizes the sugar in the wort to alcohol, CO2 and energy. Which of the following sugars cannot be fermented completely by top-fermenting yeasts?

a) Glucose b) Maltose

c) Sucrose d) Raffinose

e) Fructose

4. In the recent years, the top-fermented Berliner Weisse has become very popular again. Which of the following statements about Berliner Weisse is correct?

a) The fermentation takes place by mixed culture of top-fermenting yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

b) During secondary fermentation, raspberry or woodruff syrup is added.

c) Salt is added to the Weisse to round off its full-bodiedness.

d) Berliner Weisse must be produced with 100 % wheat malt.

e) Berliner Weiße is typically characterized by an intensive hop aroma.

5. Spring water from your own wells should be sterilized before being used as brewing water. Which of the following procedures is not suitable for the sterilization of brewing water?

a) Boiling b) Addition of chlorine

c) Irradiation by UV d) Addition of HCl

e) Ozonation

6. After the water has been sterilized, further treatment steps often follow. In order to remove iron from the water, the water is...

a) heated. b) cooled down.

c) aerated. d) mixed with H2CO3

e) degassed.

7. The color and aroma substances in malt formed during kilning are largely socalled melanoidins. These melanoidins are formed from:

a) Amino acids and sugars

b) Dextrins and monosaccharides

c) Caramelized simple sugars

d) Caramelized oligosaccharides

e) Coagulated protein

8. Gushing is a recurring quality defect in bottled beer. What is gushing?

a) A tendency of the finished bottled beer to become cloudy.

b) Bursting of the filled and sealed glass bottles.

c) Flocculation of the protein due to the influence of cold temperatures.

d) Development of an aging flavor due to UV influence.

e) Spontaneous foaming on opening the bottle.

9. Zinc is a trace element and is also of high relevance for the brewing process. What is the effect of too little zinc in the beer wort?

a) The color of the finished beer becomes darker.

b) The CO2 binding capacity of the beer decreases.

c) The filled beer tends to gushing.

d) A sluggishly fermentation.

e) The foam stability of the finished beer is reduced.

10. The enzymatic saccharification of starch during mashing is mainly carried out by α-amylase and β -amylase. Which statement is incorrect?

a) The α -amylase breaks down the long starch chains into smaller units (dextrins).

b) β -amylase always splits off two molecules of glucose (= maltose) from the ends of the starch chains.

c) Both enzymes are insensitive up to temperatures of 100 °C.

d) Both enzymes work optimally at specific temperatures and pH values

Answers

1. b) The term “yeast management” comprises all the yeast related processes and activities of a brewery. This begins with the selection and the care of the yeast strain in the laboratory, it includes the propagation in the brewery, the storage and ends with the recovery of beer from the surplus yeast and with the final disposal of the yeast itself.

2. b) The aim of yeast propagation is to produce pitching yeast with an active metabolism available in the shortest possible time under sterile conditions, which leads to a optimal fermentation and good beer quality. Essential factors are primarily: an appropriate temperature and the supply of oxygen, free amino acids, fatty acids, and trace elements.

3. d) One of the most significant physiological difference between top and bottom fermenting yeasts relate to the fermentation of the trisaccharide raffinose. Bottom fermenting yeasts can use raffinose completely because of their enzyme spectrum whereas top fermenting yeasts can ferment only a third or none of this trisaccharide.

4. a) Berliner Weisse is a naturally cloudy, pale beer with an original gravity of about 7.5 % made with 35-50 % wheat malt. It has an alcohol content of about 2.7-2.8 % by volume and a CO2 content of 0.7 %. Fermentation is performed with a mixed culture of top fermenting yeast and lactic acid bacteria. This makes the ’Weisse’ acidic at the end of fermentation with a pH value of 3.3 – 3.6.

5. d) The addition of HCl is not suitable for the degermination of water, since a lot of yeasts and bacteria are able to grow also at a low pH. In practice, brewing water is treated with active chlorine (max 1.2 mg/l), chlorine dioxide (max 0.4 mg/l) or ozone. Furthermore, the water can be sterilized by the application of UV irradiation or by sterile filtration.

6. c) Some of the ions dissolved in the brewing water – e.g. iron and magnesium – can precipitate and thus form deposits in the pipework or corrode it. They can be removed by aeration after deacidification. The salts are converted into an insoluble form, are precipitated and can removed by filtration.

7. a) At temperatures above 90°C and a longer exposure time, amino acids bind with sugars to form red-brown, aroma-intensive compounds, the melanoidins (the so-called Maillard reaction). The scale of the formation of the various compounds depends on the temperature, the duration of the heat exposure, the pH value, and the moisture content of the green malt during the kilning process.

8. e) Gushing means the sudden outflow and (sometimes) excessive foaming of beer on opening the bottle. This unsightly effect is a quality defect, and gives rise to customer complaints. Gushing is related among other things to mold formation on the brewing barley in damp harvest years.

9. d) Zinc is a trace element of great physiological importance for protein synthesis and cell growth. The fermentation proceeds slowly in case of zinc deficiency, yeast propagation is retarded, and the reduction of diacetyl is incomplete. Only about 20 % of the zinc in the malt goes into solution during mashing in. If a threshold of 0.10 – 0.15 mg zinc/l is not reached, the aforementioned fermentation difficulties may occur.

10. c) This statement is not correct! The α -amylase acts optimally at 70-74°C and is rapidly destroyed at 80°C. The optimum pH value is 5.6-5.8. The β-amylase acts optimally at 62 °C (59- 63°C) and is very sensitive to higher temperatures. At just 65°C it is inactivated relatively quickly. The optimum pH value is 5.4-5.5.

Planting trees as a symbol for a strong partnership between VLB Berlin and the South American brewing industry

12th Ibero-American VLB Symposium in Uberlândia was a great success

After the forced break in 2020 and an online edition in 2021, the 12th VLB Ibero-American Symposium on Brewing and Filling Technology was held in the city of Uberlândia, Brazil, from 21–23 November 2022. Even though, the global pandemic situation was still not entirely clear, the supply industry gave VLB an absolute vote of confidence, as did the large brewing groups Ambev and Grupo Petrópolis, by offering to visit their Uberlândia and Uberaba breweries respectively.

political impact on the barley and grain market. In his presentation, Schwarz shared the undertakings of the hop farmers, in the process of reducing the carbon footprint in the cultivation and production of hops. At the end of the first session, Leonardo Penna (Grupo Petrópolis) presented its group's progress of the hop crop development project in Brazil. During the first break the attendees used the opportunity to interact and also visit the technical exhibition.

(BF) The Uberl â ndia Convention Center, with its more than 1,000 m2 area, served as the venue for the Symposium. On Monday, 21 November, was the day of technical visits. In the afternoon, after the registration, a large group of the 140 participants headed towards the Petrópolis Brewery in Uberaba. An hour later, a second group would do the same, this time to Ambev's Uberl â ndia brewery. In both brew -

eries, two trees were planted as a symbol of the strong connection between VLB and its South American partners, and of the deeply rooted network of the brewers that have been trained at VLB Berlin. Both breweries, which have state-of-theart equipment, showed their impeccable facilities in detail, something very well received by all the visitors.

Day 2

On the following day, Roberto Biurrun, head of international sales at VLB, cordially welcomed the participants, before giving a brief presentation of VLB. It was followed by an interesting presentation by Rodrigo de Mattos (Euromonitor International), with statistical data and trends on the Latin American beer market.

The first session, focused on raw materials, was hosted by Wilson Fornazier (Ambev). Cesar Pierobom (BMS) gave an overview of the barley market worldwide, and its repercussions in Latin America. Harald Schwarz (Hopsteiner) followed this presentation, which summarized not only the climatic but also the geo -

The second session, hosted by Roberto Biurrun (VLB), was dedicated to innovations in the brewhouse. Konstantin Ziller (Ziemann Holvrieka) spoke on how to optimiz the brewing process, focusing on the brewhouse and other areas of the production process. He was followed by Karl Stam (Steinecker), who also shared with the attendees an insight into innovative alternatives for the “upcycling” of spent grain, by using the “Phoenix” concept.

After the lunch break, session 3 followed, hosted by Celio Myagui (Heineken). José Pizarro (Fermentis) and Patrícia Diniz Fischer (VLB) focused on the issue of non-alcoholic beers. Pizarro showed brewing alternatives by using yeast strains. Diniz Fischer showed the particularities of the sensory evaluation of these type of beers.

The next two presentations focused on applied research. Luk Daenen (AB InBev) talked about “Increasing the intensity of natural esters in beer during fermentation”. Burghard Meyer (VLB) showed the results of his research project on continuous fermentation by using crossflow

The attendees of the 12th Ibero-American Symposium

reactors. The first day of presentations ended with a pleasant evening in the foyer of the convention center, sponsored by Rovi Ingeniería and JT Instrumentacoes.

Day 3

The third day began with a session hosted by Burghard Meyer (VLB). André Trombe (Pall) showed the advantages of stabilization with PVPP, using the CBS concept, which is a development of Pall Corporation. Then, Evaldo Carmo (Anton Paar) talked about the advantages of optimizing the automation and monitoring of the brewing process. Presentations by Rodrigo Zampa and Marcelo Rampazo (both Pentair) followed. Zampa showed Pentair's membrane filtration concept that allows continuous filtration without the use and subsequent disposal of infusoria soil. Rampazo shared his experience with the different options offered by Pentair in order to reduce the carbon footprint by recovering CO2 The last presentation of the session was held by Jeferson Stamborowski (Sartorius), who

showed a concept for the aseptic transfer of yeast. The subject of the last session of the conference, which was hosted by Alvaro Nogueira (Grupo Petrópolis), was packaging and logistics. Christoph Jurgensen (KHS) shared his company's innovations in the field of filling and packaging. He was followed by Anton Diehl (Heuft), who showed the applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in packaging inspection. Alexander Scharlach (VLB) gave a summary of the aspects of digital sensor technologies in the area of logistics and transport. The final presentation was given by Saulo Miguel (Heineken), who, apart from presenting aspects of new technology, discussed Heineken's path towards becoming a high performance organization in Brazil. At the end, Robert Biurrun invited the participants to the closing toast, after he expressed his thanks to the sponsoring companies and breweries as well as to the VLB “behind the scenes” team, to the sound technicians and translators and to everyone who supported the event.

13th Ibero-American VLB Symposium on Brewing & Filling Technology

Challenges and Solutions for the brewing industry through innovations & process improvement

Bogotá, Colombia, 4 to 6 September 2023

Topics

+ Situation of the Latin American beer market

+ Raw materials: Barley, malt, adjuncts, hops

+ Brewing process: Innovations and improvements

+ Filling, packaging and logistics of beer and beverages

+ Environment aspects

Technical Visits

+ Cervecería Bavaria Colombia, Tocancipá

+ Central Cervecera de Colombia, Sesquile

This symposium will be held in English and/or Spanish with simultaneous translation

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Media Partners Brauwelt International +++ Euromonitor International +++ Engarrafador Moderno

www.vlb-berlin.org/es/colombia2023

Photos: VLB Berlin

Above: At the end of the visit at Ambev Uberlâ ndia; below: The attendees listening to the presentations in the Congress Center

VLB international activities in 2022/2023

Carlsberg Research Laboratory und

New Technologies visited VLB Berlin in January 2023. Thanks to Michael Jakob,

and their teams for this fruitful and open scientific exchange!

19 to 30 September 2022 – The course „Craft Brewing in Practice“ took place at VLB Berlin

12 to 16 September 2022 – VLB Berlin had a booth at drinktec, the world's leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry

23 to 30 March 2022 – a small group, but very passionate about brewing: the course „Micromalting in Practice“ at VLB Berlin

At the end of October 2022, the members of the MEBAK (Mitteleuropäische Brautechnische Analysenkommission) met at the VLB in Berlin

Photo: ew (3), oh (2)

Carlsberg

Birgitte Skadhauge

“Brewed according to the German Purity Law” in Brazil

Back in December 2021, the VLB team of experts led by Roberto Biurrun and Burghard Meyer flew to Brazil to audit the local branches of a world-renowned brewery group for certification under the German Purity Law. Now the auditors flew a second time to renew existing certificates and prepare new breweries for the audit. Eight sites were on the agenda, and the VLB team covered a total of almost 15 000 km in the country..

(BF) For the second time, Roberto Biurrun and Burghard Meyer packed their tools and flew to Brazil. The teams were already waiting there working in eight breweries of the largest brewing group in the region. 2022 even doubled the number of breweries audited for certification under the German Purity Law. Thus, in addition to the recertified breweries of Rio de Janeiro, Piraí, Pernambuco and Lages, the breweries of Jacareí, Fortaleza, Jaguariúna and Uberlândia were prepared for the in-depth audit. In a total of four weeks, the VLB auditors covered 14 500 kilometers within the country. But that wasn’t all: in each brewery they walked an average of five kilometers a day, thoroughly checking all the installed equipment, the documentation, and the brewing process itself. At the end of each audit, a

team of employees and their managers awaited the results. The eight audited breweries were finally successfully certified. The recommendations and possible improvements made by the VLB auditors were also discussed and positively received by the breweries in a cheerful atmosphere during the final meetings. Burghard Meyer points out: “It was reassuring to see how the breweries that we visited for the second time implemented the recommendations we made during our visit last year.” Roberto Biurrun points out, “it's always interesting to see a high level of consistency in processes. But it’s even more impressive to see the commitment of the employees of each audited facility.”

The Purity Law is a 1516

decree originally issued in Bavaria. The commandment limited the use of raw materials for beer production to water, malt and hops. The Purity Law (with yeast as an additional permitted ingredient) has applied to beers brewed in Germany for the national market since 1923. The audited Brazilian breweries now have a certification, which is valid for one year. This allows them to advertise their products with the addition: “Brewed according to the German Purity Law.”

The team in Rio de Janeiro is delighted with the certification. Leonardo Luna, M., proudly holds the document into the camera

PhotoVLB Berlin

Using historical equipment, VLB employees brewed the "museum brew" together with some of the Certified Brewmasters and the budding German Braumeister in the Hennebergisches Museum

Bratwurst, beer, and brass band –or how to brew under historical conditions

Same procedure every year: VLB Berlin staff travels to Thuringia together with participants of the Certified Brewmaster course in order to produce a "museum brew" under historical conditions at the Hennebergisches Museum Kloster Vessra. The excursion took place from 31 March to 2 April.

(ew) Since the beginning of the 2000s, the Henneberger Land Brewing Association has had the right to brew five brews a year on the premises of the Hennebergisches Museum Kloster Vessra. The individual steps from mashing to wort boiling, cooling and ferment-

History of the local municipal brewing communities

In 1734, the Thuringian municipality of Wolfmannshausen was granted brewing rights. In the same year, the residents built a brewhouse in the village. Under the direction of an elected brewmaster, several families joined together to prepare a brew (max. 22 hl) for private consumption in spring and autumn. The people from the area kept up this tradition until the end of the 1970s. In 1990, the Hennebergische Museum was able to acquire the small one-storey brewery with the remaining inventory.

ing can then be witnessed at the historic brewhouse. One brew in spring is the so-called “museum brew”, which is served and sold at various events in the Henneberg Museum. On 31 March, Jan Biering, head of the VLB Research Institute for Beer and Beverage Production, Burghard Meyer, head instructor of the Certified Brewmaster Course, and a handful of Certified Brewmasters set off to Thuringia to join such a brew. And as a premiere this year: Participants of the preparation course for the German Braumeister also came along.

Brewing unites people

On Friday the group visited the malt house Rhönmälzerei in Mellrichstadt. Saturday was brewing day. For the early risers, it started at 7.00 a.m. with mashing with classic decoction process until noon, then lautering. In the afternoon the wort was boiled adding cone hops. After that, the brew was casted onto

the coolship. The breaks and rest periods were always bridged with intensive card games and, despite the continuous rain, fresh Thuringian sausages were grilled. “In the evening, we went to a tavern called Grüner Baum in Themar to finish the day with a beer and were surprised by a spontaneous concert of the Singertal brass band,” says Jan Biering. A sunday hike to the Osterburg near Henfstädt and a hearty lunch with Thuringian dumplings rounded off the successful excursion.

“It was particularly nice this year that, due to the no longer existing Corona restrictions, many external visitors stopped by. That is, the maltsters of Mellrichstadt visited us and also some brewing colleagues from surrounding breweries,” explains Biering. Thus, national and internationals brewers successfully worked together. “This shows that brewing and sometimes even drinking a beer unites people from all around the world.”

Photos: VLB Berlin/Jan Biering

Kloster Vessra in Thuringia

Vereinigung ehemaliger VLBer e.V.

VLB Alumni Association

Brewing Education in Berlin

Professional brewing education in Berlin can look back on a 140-year history. The first three-month „Summer Course“ started at the VLB in 1888, followed in 1903 by a course of study to become a “Brewing Engineer“ in cooperation with the “Königlich Landwirtschaftlichen Hochschule Berlin” (Agricultural University of Berlin). In 1925 the first of almost 100 Brewmaster Courses of the VLB Brewing School was held. This educational tradition has been seamlessly continued to this day – interrupted only by the war years.

Today, the courses of study at Technische Universität Berlin to Bachelor/Master of Science „Brewing and Beverage Technology“ and the Bachelor of Engineering in Brewing are being carried out with the active support of the VLB. In addition, the VLB offers numerous programmes for training and further education in the fields of brewing, spirits and the beverage industry – nationally and internationally.

In total, it is estimated that over the 140 years more than 6000 brewers have completed the various training courses in Berlin and a large number of other professionals have attended our training seminars.

The „ehem. VLBer“ (VLB Alumni Association)

From the very beginning, there were numerous initiatives to bring both the active and and former students of the VLB together. These culminated in 1951 in the founding of the Vereinigung ehem. VLBer

e.V. (VLB alumni association) as an association of former students under the umbrella of the Institut für Gärungsgewerbe und Biotechnologie zu Berlin (IfGB) in Berlin. Initially based in Dortmund, the ehem. VLBer have been at the VLB in Berlin since 1975.

Objective: To promote our community

The purpose of the association is to promote the closer union of all VLB alumni and all other graduates of the brewing and biotechnological oriented studies in Berlin. In our statutes these aims are defined as follows:

1. the maintenance of relations with the Institute

2. the exchange of experiences and the cultivation of fellowship and social networking

3. the professional networking

4. the promotion of young academics and science

How do we achieve these goals?

Our members maintain regular contact with each other. Excursions are organised by the district groups to visit breweries and specialist lectures are given. For our international alumni we organise meetings worldwide in the context of international brewing congresses or trade fairs. As an annual meeting place for all our members, we support the VLB‘s summer party, which attracts hundreds of guests to Seestraße 13 every year in June/July. This is also where our annual General Assembly is usually held.

As we do not publish a separate newsletter, members receive four copies of the trade journal „Brauerei Forum“ free of charge, in which a special section reports on our association.

And – last but not least – the ehem. VLBer also support their alma mater with the purchase of equipment or the modernisation of laboratories or lecture halls. In this way, we make an active and continuous contribution to promoting the training conditions at Seestraße 13.

Support us and become a member!

Membership does not cost the earth for the individual – but in total it has a great effect! Our organisation is very lean and our board works on a voluntary basis.

This means that our income saved through membership fees is almost fully available for our association‘s goals.

Therefore, we ask for your support – become a member!

You can find an application form on the back of this information sheet or at www.vlb-berlin.org/ehemvlber.

We look forward to your application!

Either by filling in the form on the back or online: https://www.vlb-berlin.org/en/ehemvlber/membership

The Chairmen of the Administraive Board Klaus Niemsch and Jan Biering

Vereinigung ehemaliger Studierender am Institut für Gärungsgewerbe und Biotechnologie zu Berlin

Vereinigung ehem. VLBer e.V., Seestraße 13, 13353 Berlin, Germany  FON. +49 (030) 45080-292  ehemvlber@vlb-berlin.org  www.vlb-berlin.org/en/vlb/VLBalumni

VLB Alumni Association for graduates of the Institut für Gärungsgewerbe und Biotechnologie zu Berlin

Our courses meet the requirements of the German Accreditation and Admission Ordinance (AZAV)

Reg. No. 004007 AZAV

VLB course offerings 2023/2024

Since its foundation in 1883, VLB has also been a brewing school. VLB supports the regular study programs for brewers at Technische Universität Berlin. Furthermore, it provides continuous training in the field of beer brewing and beverage technology – in German and English. As of next year again, the Certified Brewmaster Course is planned to be a complete classroom event. On top, Brewing in a Nutshell is now on offer as an on-demand online course.

l Certified Brewmaster Course

The VLB’s flagship training course for prospective brewers contains a six-month full-time program providing in-depth understanding of brewing technology with its related major fields of engineering, filling and packaging and quality control.

work in a brewery before coming to the VLB. A reasonable group size for practical work guarantees an intensive and individual teaching.

Location:

Berlin, Germany

Next date:

8 January – 28 June 2024

the VLB’s microbiological training laboratory and in our pilot brewery. Applied Microbiology will be held as residential course.

Location:

Berlin, Germany

Next date: 20 – 24 November 2023

On the left: Philipp Zeuschner (r.) takes plant equipment apart to help the students to understand the mode of operation

On the right: Alexander Scharlach (l.) explains aspects of process automation

After three years of Corona modifications, VLB returns to the original course concept. Thus, the Certified Brewmaster Course 2024 will be offered in one block again and held as a complete classroom event. This means, that the theoretical and practical work will alternate over the six months of the training. The Berlin brewmaster education is focused on a comprehensive, practice-oriented knowledge transfer, on an open dialog with the lecturers and on networking on an international basis.

To receive the VLB Brewmaster Certificate, the graduates have to finish the course and all exams successfully. In addition, they have to prove a minimum of 3 months practical

More information: www.vlb-berlin.org/en/cbc2024

l Craft Brewing in Practice

This is a ten-day full-time training course providing up-to-date knowledge in the field of pub and micro brewing. It covers the basics of beer brewing. The lectures will approach topics such as raw materials (water, malt, hops, and yeast), the brewing process, yeast management, fermentation, hygiene, sensory evaluation, basics of quality control as well as economic and legal aspects for starting a pub brewery. The course will be held as an on-site class at VLB Berlin.

Location:

Berlin, Germany

Next date:

4 – 15 September 2023

More information: www.vlb-berlin.org/en/ craftbrewing2023

l Applied Microbiology

Applied Microbiology is a oneweek full-time training course providing up-to-date knowledge in the field of practical microbiology with relevance for the brewing and beverage industry. It covers the basics of microbiology, laboratory techniques as well as microbial sampling in theory and practice. The course is conducted in

More information: www.vlb-berlin.org/en/ microbiology2023

l Brewing in a Nutshell Online

This on-demand online course covers the basics of beer brewing. It approaches the general principals of the brewing and malting processes, the raw materials as well as filling and packaging in theory. The participant will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Location:

Online on-demand

Next date:

Anytime throughout the year

More information: www.vlb-berlin.org/en/bianso

Photos: ew

Nicaragua, the craft beer sector is starting to grow”

Michaela Knör, Librarian at VLB's Axel Simon Library and beer enthusiast, talked to Bertha M. Escobar Gonzalez and Paola M. Arguello Castillo after graduating from the Certified Brewmaster Course 2022. Both women, who work with Compañía Cervecera de Nicaragua S.A. (CCN), enjoyed experiencing the German beer market and they are convinced: VLB Berlin is “the best international institute to become a brewmaster”.

Michaela Knör: How did you get in touch with beer and why did you decide to become a brewer and/ or work in the brewing industry?

Bertha M. Escobar Gonzalez: When I was studying Chemical Engineering some years ago, the university organized a visit to the brewery in the first year of my studies and this was my initial contact with the fascinating world of beer production. During this visit we got to know how beer is made and I was fascinated by the process, all unitary operations that are involved with all the biochemical transformations. It was stunning to see how a small living microorganism as yeast can convert the sugars present in the wort into alcohol. In that moment I thought I want to work in this company when I finish my studies.

But it turned out that an immediate start there was not possible as I got my first job as Chemical Engineer in a geothermal power plant. But the whole time I kept in mind my wish to work in the brewery. Finally, after five years I decided to apply in the brewery as production supervisor, and fortunately I got the job. And that is how I finally started working with CCN.

Paola M. Arguello Castillo: I got in touch with beer at an early age since this magnific beverage was always present in my family at any celebration. For me it was always very interesting to see how well accepted beer was wherever we went from restaurants to public events. In Nicaragua, there are only some big companies where you can develop

yourself and grow as a professional. One of them is Compañía Cervecera de Nicaragua and for me it was like a dream to come true when I started working there. Nevertheless, one of the biggest challenges I was facing first was to understand the brewing process more comprehensively for my position as a Quality Manager. So, it was a must to become a brewmaster to help the company to improve its process and serve as a support in the development of new products. Additionally, as there are no female brewers in the company

other than my colleague Bertha and me, I decided to complete the Certified Brewmaster Course at the same time.

Michaela: Are there many female brewers in Nicaragua?

Bertha: Before Paola and me, just one woman was working as brewmaster in Nicaragua. She studied in Spain in 2006. This was also an additional motivation for me, to be a next woman becoming a brewmaster in my country.

In 2020, Bernardo Izaguirre Pereira, Technical Director of Compañía Cervecera de Nicaragua S.A. (CCN), graduated from VLB’s Certified Brewmaster Programme. Shortly after his returning to Nicaragua, CCN became member of VLB Berlin in August 2021, being motivated by gaining the advantages of up-to-date knowledge, consulting, networking, and education for the sake of CCN’s future development. Bernardo being convinced that highly qualified employees play an important role at CCN, the company decided to send Bertha M. Escobar Gonzalez and Paola M. Arguello Castillo to participate at the Certified Brewmaster Course of VLB Berlin in 2022. For both women, this decision was the right one as they completed the course very successfully – Bertha M. Escobar Gonzalez even at the

top of her class. Shortly after graduation and returning to Nicaragua, Michaela Knör, Axel Simon Library at VLB Berlin, interviewed Bertha and Paola

about the beer market in Nicaragua, about their motivation to work in the brewing sector and about why they chose the Certified Brewmaster Course at VLB Berlin.

“In

Michaela Knör, Axel Simon Library at VLB Berlin

Bernardo Izaguirre Pereira, Technical Director at CCN

Michaela: How would you describe the beer market in Nicaragua?

Bertha: Currently, the Nicaraguan market is a basic market due to the socioeconomic level of the population – in total, our consumers prefer a safety option with good reference. The Nicaraguans like mainstream brands, which are mostly American Lager Style beers, and people enjoy traditional products at accessible price. However, CCN promotes the beer culture with our different brands and hosting different events. For example, CCN organized a beer festival that was a huge event of three days where we celebrated the pride of being Nicaraguan with national and international artists. This event rotated around our beers, and we presented our innovations and season beer styles. In the brewery I’m working in research and development team, and I am proud to work with the marketing area, because together we create new products, and our people can taste different styles.

Michaela: Who is drinking beer in Nicaragua?

Bertha: Mainly men between 18 to 49 years of age, the consumption is

mainly during weekends and conviviality events, mostly on premises. Young men and women are growing with our brands, because in our variety we have products for the young people segment with low alcohol, low bitterness and high refreshing character. At the beginning, our beers had a closer European profile but across the years the market has changed and now our brands have a lighter profile. However, Nicaraguan people have a strong loyalty to the Nicaraguan brands and our products are part of our traditions.

Michaela: What is the main type of packaging in Nicaragua and at CCN: bottle, cans or kegs?

Bertha: The main type of packaging are returnable bottles 12 oz (which corresponds to European 0.33 l) and 1 l, followed by cans which have been increasing in the last years and finally kegs with a small market share.

Paola: Most of the beer is sold in returnable bottles, this represents around 70 to 80 % of our sales locally. Additionally we have oneway bottles, cans, and some kegs. Nevertheless, we export our brands

to countries like USA, Canada, Australia and even Spain where the main package is one-way bottles.

Michaela: Is draft beer common in Nicaragua?

Bertha: In Nicaragua, draft beer is not very common yet but the whole sector is starting to grow on a high economic level. We are promoting this speciality in restaurants and craft beer pubs.

Michaela: Which types of beer are produced at CCN?

Bertha: CCN mainly produces American Lager beer style which is a gold, bright filtered beer with a slight note of cereals and high drinkability. In total our beer is clean, drinkable and crispy.

Michaela: What is your personal favourite beer type?

Bertha: I prefer well-balanced beer with clean taste, moderate hop aroma and malt character, like German Helles and Pils style. For specialty beer, I really enjoyed Alt Bier during our visit in Dusseldorf. As to Craft Beer my favourite style is IPA, the aroma and flavour of fresh hops

Photos: ew

from left: Michaela Knör, Librarian at Axel Simon Library at VLB Berlin, Paola M. Arguello Castillo and Bertha M. Escobar Gonzalez at the hop garden of VLB Berlin

Nicaragua

The Central American country of Nicaragua, with a population of almost 7 million people, is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and is known for its spectacular scenery. The country has a quite turbulent history lingering between periods of war and peace and different political systems. Asking Europeans what they know about Nicaragua and its beer market, most of the peolple will shrug their shoulders. The one’s who have been there might know that there are two brands that are dominating the

Market: “Toña” and “Victoria”. “Victoria” was the major brand of the Compañía Cervecera de Nicaragua S.A. (CCN) founded in 1926, whereas “Toña” was the flagship brand of “Industrial Cervecera S.A.” (ICSA) established in 1976. As these two breweries merged in 1996, both brands are now brewed at CCN which ever since has been the market leader for beer and beverages in Nicaragua. CCN's total production of beer is about 1.4. million hectoliters (2020) which are sold within the country and exported to Central and North America.

with citric and tropical notes as Mosaic and Simcoe.

Paola: My favourite style is Helles.

Michaela: How is the legal situation for beer in Nicaragua?

Bertha: In Nicaragua we pay the highest taxes in the region for beer production and selling. We pay two selective consumption taxes: one is for price and the second relates to alcohol content. For one dollar of sales, we pay approximately 0.5 cents of taxes.

Michaela: When you came to Germany what was beerwise most striking for you?

Bertha: For me it was awesome to realize how people in Berlin really enjoy the beer and how they are involved in a beer culture. Everyone, man or woman, old or young procure every moment to share a beer with friends, family or alone in different situations, even during a pleasant walk in the park. Drinking beer does not classify for the society as a negative aspect even in public and people take their time to learn about different styles and recipes. You feel the beer culture at any place you go. There are many beer lovers. And any time is a good time to enjoy a beer with your friends, especially during warm summer evenings in Berlin, it is an unforgettable experience to drink a beer in one the beer gardens.

Paola: For me, it was surprising that you can find so many different styles and presentations. Each city can have their own brewery and their own niche and target consumer.

Michaela: Why did you decide to come to VLB?

Bertha: VLB is internationally recognized as the best institute to become a brewmaster. The advantage of VLB is that it is a globally operating institute with all the specialized knowledge in the industry and that the courses are available in English, which gives an extraordinary option for our company. VLB is leading internationally because it is present around the world with conferences, consultancy, and training.

Paola: The decision to enroll at VLB Brewmaster Course was made in agreement with the company, due to the prestige and the experience that VLB Berlin stands for. In addition, the good experience of previous brewmasters that studied there, was another decisive argument. For me, one of the biggest plus points of the Certified Brewmaster Course was the possibility to meet many people from different countries with diverse experiences in all fields of brewing which enriched the class very much.

Michaela: What was your most stunning experience during the course?

Bertha: During the Certified Brewmaster Course I was impressed of the high level of accessibility that we had with the experts and professors with extraordinary experience and training. It was possible to connect with them and get important information and orientation from first hand. Apart from the immeasureable social and educational talents, VLB is an institute oriented to application research and providing all the technical support, the state of the art in technology and excellent relation with main suppliers of the brewing industry.

Paola: For me, the networking during the course was very important aspect.

Michaela: Due to the pandemic, your CBC group had the opportunity to complete the first three months of training online. But both of you were on-site the whole six months. What would you say are the advantages of being on-site compared to an online course?

Bertha: To assist on-site gives the opportunity to share the experience closely with your classmates and teachers, to exchange knowledge and experience with people from different parts of the world, being completely focused during lectures and being more involved. During the course we had one week online due to Covid situation and that was quite complicated. Thus, we were convinced that our company took the right decision to book the course on-site for us. Additionally, considering the time difference between Nicaragua and Berlin, it would have been more complicated to take the classes at dawn and be 100 % focused. Even if the technologies are improving, it is not possible to be 100 % involved in the lecture with the distance. So I would fully recommend doing the course on-site with the experience of learning in the institute.

Michaela: What are the overall benefits of the CBC course in your opinion?

Bertha: There are plenty. First, the opportunity to participate in a recognized institute for brewmaster education in English is a great benefit for our countries. Several breweries are enrolled, and we can share experience and do benchmarking. Other than that, the duration of the course is convenient for the industry. Companies agree to send their employees for this time. And the course is designed to cover all the important aspects without reduced content in seven months, the program is intensive, complete, and compact.

It was good to receive brewing knowledge with focus on practical orientation. On top, the experience to live in Germany being part of the beer culture, was great. We experienced what makes the brewing world tick and we made contact with experts of different areas of brewing.

Paola: I think that one of the more tangible benefits of the CBC is the recognition that you gain in the industries.

VLB Berlin offered trainings at the Balashi Brewery in Aruba

The Balashi Brewery, founded in 1999, has established itself as the leading brewery in Aruba, which is a Caribbean island off the coast of Venezuela. The current owners (Veer family) reaffirm their commitment to Aruba and its people by offering high quality products, including its beers Balashi, Chilli and recently Mango.

(BF) As part of the strategy to ensure staff training, Balashi entrusted VLB Berlin with two trainings, which were conducted by Senior Consultant Roberto Biurrun. The first training, aimed at operational and quality management staff, took five days. The “Brewing Technology Seminar ” covered all aspects from raw materials through the complex brewing process to packaging. In the second week, the two-day “Brewing in a Nutshell” course brought together the

company's administrative staff, giving attendees the opportunity to appreciate the different aspects of the brewing process. For Eduardo Fernow, Balashi's brewmaster, the training was a success: “The attendees' feedback was thoroughly positive.” Warren Stanley, General Manager, commented: “This type of high quality training was long overdue for

Michaela: When you returned to CCN, how did you use your knowledge and what do you want to work on next?

Bertha: The training is not finished yet, now I need to improve my knowledge putting everything into practice. As part of the brewmaster team I will be involved closely in the process of supervision, in projects for testing new materials and good brewing practices. Now, I can help more efficiently evaluating projects and externally consulting to maintain a consistency of good quality beer. Additionally, I will participate in expansion projects with our brewmaster and project manager to evaluate new technologies looking for the best sustainable options for future facilities.

Paola: Back in business, I can support my colleagues in developing the technical parts of production and additionally find opportunities to improve the process and find savings for the company.

my brewhouse staff. They really appreciated having the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of beer and the brewing process.” Finally, Roberto Biurrun added: “Balashi offers consumers incredibly high quality options. Thus, I am not surprised that they are leaders on the island, with products appreciated by locals and tourists alike.”

The team of Balashi Brewery in Aruba enjoyed the VLB trainings

Photo: VLB Berlin

VLB institutes and departments – Contacts

VLB Berlin, Seestrasse 13, 13353 Berlin, Germany

 + 49 (30) 450 80-0,  brewmaster@vlb-berlin.org ,  www.vlb-berlin.org

Managing Directors

Dr.-Ing. Josef Fontaine (CEO)

 + 49 (30) 450 80-292

 fontaine@ vlb-berlin.org

Gerhard Andreas Schreiber (CFO)

 + 49 (30) 450 80-292

 g.schreiber@ vlb-berlin.org

Research Institute for Beer and Beverage Production (FIBGP)

Dipl.-Ing. Jan Biering

 + 49 (30) 450 80-132

 biering @ vlb-berlin.org

Research Institute for Management and Beverage Logistics (FIM)

Dipl.-Ing. Norbert Heyer

 + 49 (30) 450 80-139

 heyer@ vlb-berlin.org

Dipl.-Ing. Ingo Pankoke

 + 49 (30) 450 80-192

 pankoke @ vlb-berlin.org

Dipl.-Ing. Alexander Scharlach

 + 49 (30) 450 80-239

 scharlach @ vlb-berlin.org

Logistics

Dipl.-Ing. Norbert Heyer

Returnable Systems and Packaging

Dipl.-Ing. Ingo Pankoke

Truck Database

Dipl.-Ing. Alexander Scharlach

Further Education

Dipl.-Ing. Norbert Heyer

Event Management

Dipl.-Ing. Alexander Scharlach

IfGB – Events Spirits & Distilling

Wiebke Künnemann

 + 49 (30) 450 80-270

 kuennemann@ vlb-berlin.org

International Sales / Coordination

Iberoamerica & Africa

Roberto Biurrun

 + 49 (30) 450 80-185

 biurrun@ vlb-berlin.org

PR and Publishing Department / Editorial Office “Brauerei Forum”

Dipl.-Ing. Olaf Hendel

 + 49 (30) 450 80-255

 hendel@ vlb-berlin.org

Research Institute for Biotechnology and Water (FIBW)

Dr.-Ing. Martin Senz

 + 49 (30) 450 80-153

 m.senz@ vlb-berlin.org

Microbiology and Brewing Biology

Dr. Martin Hageböck

 + 49 (30) 450 80-157

 m.hageboeck@ vlb-berlin.org

Water Quality, Management and Technology (WMT)

Dr. Alfons Ahrens

 + 49 (30) 450 80-294

 ahrens@ vlb-berlin.org

Research Institute for Raw Materials and Beverage Analysis (FIRGA)

Dr.-Ing. Nils Rettberg

 + 49 (30) 450 80-106

 n.rettberg@vlb-berlin.org

Beverage Analysis

Ludmilla Linke

 + 49 (30) 450 80-100

 linke@vlb-berlin.org

Special Analysis and Research

Christian Schubert

 + 49 (30) 450 80-299

 c.schubert @ vlb-berlin.org

Spirits Analysis

Christian Schubert

 + 49 (30) 450 80-299

 c.schubert@ vlb-berlin.org

Sensory

Patrícia Diniz Fischer

 + 49 (30) 450 80-149

 diniz.fischer@ vlb-berlin.org

Raw Materials Analysis

Gustav Creydt

 + 49 (30) 450 80-135

 creydt@ vlb-berlin.org

Pilot Malting and Customer Services

Markus Wildegans

 + 49 (30) 450 80-285

 wildegans@ vlb-berlin.org

VLB LaboTech GmbH

 + 49 (30) 450 80-220

 labotech@ vlb-berlin.org

Imprint

Brauerei Forum

Technical periodical for breweries, malthouses, the beverage industry and their partners

Information service of VLB Berlin www.brauerei-forum.de

ISSN 0179–2466

Publisher

Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB) e.V. Seestrasse 13, 13353 Berlin, Germany

Editorial Office

Brauerei Forum

Seestrasse 13, 13353 Berlin, Germany

Phone: + 49 (30) 4 50 80-251

Fax: + 49 (30) 4 50 80-210

Email: redaktion@brauerei-forum.de Internet: www.brauerei-forum.de

Editorial Department

Olaf Hendel, Editor-in-Chief (oh) hendel@vlb-berlin.org

Eva Wiesgrill (ew) e.wiesgrill@vlb-berlin.org

Julia Bork (jb), j.bork@vlb-berlin.org

Brauerei Forum Advisory Board

Dr.-Ing. Josef Fontaine, Dr. sc. techn. Hans-J. Manger

Advertising Sales

VLB PR and Publishing Department

Phone +49 (30) 450 80-255 media@brauerei-forum.de

Publication Dates

Appears with 8 editions a year, in German plus 2 issues in English. Day of publication: 26 May 2023

Subscriptions

Domestic 95 € incl. VAT Abroad 95 € (+ shipping) Cancellation of the subscription in each case at the end of the year

Westkreuz Verlag, Berlin

Phone +49 (30) 7 45 20 47 Fax +49 (30) 745 30 66 abo@brauerei-forum.de

Print and Distribution

Westkreuz Verlag GmbH

Töpchiner Weg 198/200 12309 Berlin, Germany

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of VLB Berlin. We do not accept any liability of unsolicited sended scripts. The editor do not assume any responsibility for contributions marked with a name or signature.

Our next German edition will be released on 30 June 2023

The next international edition will be released on 27 November 2023

VLB SCHEDULE 2023/2024

 4th VLB Africa Brewing Conference

12 to 14 June 2023

Douala, Cameroon

 VLB Summer Party

7 July 2023, Berlin

 VLB Africa Brewing Seminar

28 August to 1 September 2023

Online-Seminar

 13th Iberoamerican VLB Symposium

Brewing & Filling Technology

4 to 6 September 2023

Bogotá, Columbia

 Craft Brewing in Practice

Workshop: 4 to 15 September 2023

VLB Berlin, Germany

 VLB October Convention

9/10 October 2023

Berlin, Germany

 VLB General Assembly

9 October 2023

Berlin, Germany

 Training: Applied Microbiology

20 to 24 November 2023

VLB Berlin, Germany

 Certified Brewmaster Course 2024

8 January to 28 June 2024

VLB Berlin, Germany

 108th International Brewing & Engineering Conference 2024

13 to 15 March 2024

Groningen, The Netherlands

Nuremberg, Germany

28 – 30 November 2023

VLB Berlin in Hall 6