We are currently working on the conference schedule programme. Please check this page regularly for updates. The final programme will be available soon in PDF format.
Non-starch polysaccharides as pasting temperature predictors
Kristina Mastanjevic | University of Osijek, Faculty of Food Technology Osijek
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Catch 'em all! How chelating metal ions enhances flavour stability
Jonas Trummer | Murphy & Son Ltd.
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Diastatic power of hops in connection with hop creep
Iztok Jože Košir | Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing
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Hailing from the greenest part of Slovenia on the sunny side of the Alps. Although coming from the wine-growing part of Slovenia, I love and believe in beer. Lagers are still my favourites. From my early beginnings till now, I am a proud member of scout organisation and in recent time as a grown up, also active in Lions charity family.
Brewer’s Best Friend: Unlocking the Potential of Yeast Management
Jan Biering | Versuchs- und Lehranstalt für Brauerei in Berlin (VLB) e. V.
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Powdered barrel – tannins in brewing
Andrzej Turlej | Brenntag Polska sp. z o.o.
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Rapid solubilization and retention of hop aroma compounds during whirlpool
Sarah Tyree | Iowa State University
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Wort acidification in the production of non-alcoholic beers
Edyta Kordialik-Bogacka | Politechnika Łódzka
The production of non-alcoholic beers requires precise control of technological parameters, including microbiological stability, sensory profile, and product shelf life. Wort acidification is one of the key tools supporting quality management in this segment.
Proper pH adjustment at an early stage of the technological process affects enzymatic activity, fermentation performance, and limits the growth of undesirable microflora. This parameter also plays a significant role in shaping flavour profile, colloidal stability, and microbiological safety of non-alcoholic beers.
The lecture will focus on wort acidification as an element of quality management in the production of low- and non-alcoholic beers, with particular emphasis on technological aspects and process control.
Dr. hab. Edyta Kordialik-Bogacka is affiliated with the Lodz University of Technology, where she conducts research and teaching in the field of fermentation technology and industrial microbiology. Her research interests include fermentation processes, microbiological quality of fermented products, and innovative technological solutions in brewing.
LOWBOIL: Optimization of Wort Boiling Without Loss of Beer Quality
Gert De Rouck | KU Leuven - Ghent
Wort boiling requires a substantial amount of energy due to the evaporation of water and DMS. Minimal evaporation is desirable, but DMS still needs to be removed sufficiently. Nevertheless, DMS occasionally appears in specialty beers, affecting flavour. Do we truly understand enough about the origin of DMS, and what is the role of DMSO?
Edyta Kordialik-Bogacka is employed as a university professor at the Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences of the Lodz University of Technology. Her doctoral thesis concerned the foam-forming abilities of the brewing yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. She obtained her habilitation degree based on the thesis “Waste brewery yeast – sorption capacity of heavy metals”. He is the vice-dean for education at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences of the Lodz University of Technology, and a member of the Brewing Science Group EBC. Currently, her scientific interests focus on the use of unmalted raw materials in beer production, the use of botanical substances in the production of fermented beverages, including beer, and improving the kombucha production process.
Off flavours combination and early detection and prevention of microbiological problems
Boris Gadzov | FlavorActiV, UK
Available shortly
The Role of Yeast in Hazy IPAs: Exploring Hop Thiol Release and Long-Term Haze Stability in Pilot Settings
Eduardo Liza-Diaz | Fermentis SI Lesaffre
The Hazy IPA beer style, also known as New England IPA (NEIPA), has gained increased popularity among brewers for more than a decade worldwide. Hop-forward aromas and pronounced haziness are defining characteristics of this beer style. The aromatic complexity of this beer style is largely influenced by yeast-driven polyfunctional thiol release (e.g., 3SH, 4S4M2Pone) and biotransformation (3SHA) from non-volatile hop precursors (cysteinylated and glutathionylated forms). Haze is a critical visual aspect of this beer style, and it must remain stable to meet product quality over time. The interaction among certain proteins, carbohydrates, and polyphenols coming from the different ingredients (e.g., oats, hops) used in a typical Hazy IPA recipe are the primary source of haze. On top of this raw material influence, yeast has been observed to also play a role as an additional variable in the haze equation. In this context, this study investigated the impact of yeast on thiol release and haze stability through two consecutive phases. In the initial lab-scale screening (30L brew/2L fermentations), several yeast strains and blends were preliminarily evaluated for their ability to release polyfunctional thiols, maintain haze stability, and contribute to sensory attributes (e.g. tropical fruitiness). Among the tested strains, SafAle™ K-97 and SafAle™ S-04 demonstrated dominant performance in both thiol release and haze stability. Building on these results, the second phase was carried out at pilot scale (20hL/1hL fermentations) and expanded the scope to include a haze functional yeast derivative (Spring’Blanche™) and additional commercially available Hazy IPA yeast products. This phase focused mainly on the nephelometric monitoring of haze evolution in beers stored at 4°C and 20°C over a six-month period. The findings confirm the strains SafAle™ K-97 and SafAle™ S-04 as outstanding performers at pilot scale, exhibiting comparable or superior haze-stabilizing properties and thiol-release capabilities relative to other commercial yeast products. Furthermore, Spring’Blanche™ was confirmed as a functional ingredient enabling additional haze over time without any sensory impact.
Eduardo Liza-Diaz is a food engineer with a master’s degree in innovation and product design, specialized in brewing biotechnology – where science meets yeast and good ideas ferment best. His professional journey has been firmly rooted in fermentation, mainly in the beer industry, with a brief but delicious side quest in breadmaking. Shaped by academic and professional experiences across Latin America and Europe, Eduardo currently works as an R&D Project Manager at Fermentis, leading research and development projects focused on new strain development for the Beer and Brewing category. When he’s not working on microbes, he enjoys traveling and discovering local beer practices around the world. His favorite beer? The one that’s shared with good company.
Alternative Yeast Strains in Beer Production – Impacts on Quality and Nutritional Value
Loránd Alexa | University of Debrecen, Hungary
Discovering new yeast species can be crucial for creating new types of beers. In this study, three new yeast species were investigated: Saccharomyces bayanus, Schizosaccharomyces japonicus, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe var. malidevorans, which have not previously been used in the brewing industry.
Colour, total acidity, bitterness, aroma profile, total phenolic content, flavonoid content, mineral composition, and organoleptic characteristics of beers fermented by these strains were analysed to evaluate their applicability in brewing. The strains did not significantly affect the nutritional value or colour of the beers but showed increased acidity compared to the control strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
GC-MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) analysis revealed 33 aroma compounds, some common and some unique to specific strains. S. cerevisiae and S. bayanus produced a similar number (19–20) of aroma compounds, while S. japonicus produced the fewest, including some undesirable compounds. Compounds such as isobutyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, acetol, dimethylpyrazine, acetic acid, 4-cyclopentene-1,3-dione, butyrolactone, 2-furanmethanol, phenylethyl alcohol, maltol, and pyranone — mostly responsible for desirable beer aromas — were found in all samples.
The new yeasts significantly increased polyphenol content and decreased flavonoid content. Based on analytical results and sensory scores, S. bayanus and S. pombe var. malidevorans may be suitable for brewing, while S. japonicus appears less suitable or appropriate mainly for mixed fermentation.
Loránd Alexa is one of the few academic brewers in Hungary and among the first in the country to obtain a PhD focused on brewing-related research. He is currently an assistant professor at the Institute of Food Science, University of Debrecen, teaching food safety and food analytics alongside his primary focus on brewing technologies and the role of alcoholic beverages in human nutrition. He has published multiple research papers in international journals and actively supports student research projects. In his spare time, he enjoys travelling, nature, and international beer tasting — with a special preference for stouts.
When Final Gravity Is Not Final: Fermentable Sugars as the Missing Control Parameter for Hop Creep
Maciej Grajewski | Beer-o-Meter / SG Papertronics, Netherlands
Hop creep remains one of the most underestimated and poorly controlled risks in modern hop-forward beer production. Late and dry hopping introduces active enzymes, primarily amyloglucosidases, that convert previously unfermentable dextrins into fermentable sugars after primary fermentation appears complete.
This secondary digestion can reactivate yeast metabolism, leading to unexpected over-attenuation, refermentation in package, elevated CO₂ levels, flavour instability, and reduced shelf life.
Traditional brewery control tools such as density, apparent extract, and alcohol measurements are fundamentally blind to this process. These methods assume that fermentable sugars are depleted once final gravity is reached and therefore fail to detect newly generated fermentables originating from dextrin breakdown.
This contribution presents fermentable sugar testing as an innovative and game-changing approach for truly monitoring and controlling hop creep. Using the Beer-o-Meter platform, fermentable sugars can be measured directly and selectively in real time, independent of non-fermentable carbohydrates.
Case examples demonstrate how fermentable sugar profiles evolve after dry hopping, even when density remains unchanged. By integrating fermentable sugar data into fermentation and packaging decisions, brewers can accurately assess refermentation risk, determine safe cold-crash and packaging windows, and significantly improve product stability and shelf-life predictability.
The results underline that fermentable sugar analysis is not merely an additional quality parameter, but the only reliable method to close the critical blind spot left by conventional measurements.
Maciej Grajewski is a Polish biotechnologist currently based in the Netherlands. He holds a PhD in microfluidics from the University of Groningen, where he specialized in developing precise and scalable analytical solutions. With a strong background in biotechnology and a passion for applying advanced diagnostics to real-world brewing challenges, he founded Beer-o-Meter to bring laboratory-grade quality control tools directly into craft breweries. His work bridges cutting-edge biotechnology and practical brewing needs, enabling scalable sugar management and improved process stability.
Low-Temperature Mashing as a Tool for Process Optimization: Improved Filtration Without Loss of Foam Stability
Krzysztof Kucharczyk | Grupa Żywiec, Żywiec Brewery, Poland
Mashing conducted at lower temperatures (approx. 45°C) promotes the selective activity of cytolytic enzymes, primarily β-glucanase, which plays a key role during the early stages of mashing. Its main function is the degradation of β-glucans — polysaccharides forming the cell walls of cereal grains, particularly barley.
This enzymatic activity reduces mash viscosity and significantly improves filtration performance. The study characterizes the enzymatic mechanisms occurring during low-temperature mashing and evaluates their impact on mash filtration properties, overall process efficiency, and the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the final beer.
The results demonstrate that low-temperature mashing can accelerate and improve mash filtration while maintaining foam stability and overall beer quality, offering practical optimization potential for modern breweries.
Krzysztof Kucharczyk is a Senior Specialist in Process Technology at the Archducal Brewery in Żywiec (Grupa Żywiec). He began his brewing education at the Brewing Technical School in Tychy and continued at Lodz University of Technology and the University of Agriculture in Krakow, where he obtained his PhD in food technology with a specialization in brewing fermentation and maturation processes in 2013. He also completed postgraduate studies in Production Management. He has been working at the Żywiec Brewery since 1998.
Nutritional Value of Low and Non-Alcoholic Beers – Scientific and Technological Approach
Goran Šarić | Karlovac University of Applied Sciences, Croatia
Residence Evil: The Secret Life of Barrel-Interior Crafting Spontaneous Fermented Beers
Sam Crauwels | KU Leuven, Belgium
Belgian traditional beers, such as lambic, have seen a remarkable rise in popularity in recent years, with their distinctive sour character especially appreciated abroad. Spontaneous fermentation remains essential for developing the characteristic flavor profile of these beers, formed during maturation on wooden barrels after overnight spontaneous inoculation of the wort in a coolship.
Despite the interest, the process is still largely a black box, making consistent quality control challenging. In current practice, quality variation is managed by blending lambics of different ages, rather than by controlling the spontaneous fermentation process itself.
To strengthen the scientific knowledge and thus enable better production control, we provide a look inside the microbiome black box of spontaneous beers using deep sequencing techniques. We sampled the microbiota on barrel interior surfaces immediately after emptying and continued monitoring up to 90 days after sanitizing the barrels. Our analyses reveal that key microbial community members, similar to those detected in the freshly inoculated wort, persist for months after cleaning, which suggests that they reside in the barrels as well. Remarkably, the same microbial signals can also be traced back to the walls and ceilings of the brewery complex.
We apply an innovative molecular approach to characterize the microbial community of traditionally spontaneous fermented beers and to track their distribution across the wort, wooden barrels, and the brewery environment, demonstrating that the process of spontaneous fermentation is influenced by far more than the obvious infected wort alone.
Though Sam Crauwels had his ‘wild yeast’ years during his PhD and postdoc, focusing on Brettanomyces, spontaneous fermentation, and wood-matured beer, the only ‘wild’ thing that remains is his love for Belgian Trappist beer Orval. Today, as an associate professor, he is working on an ambitious research line on the study of the assembly of microbial communities and how they are affected by biotic and abiotic factors, aiming to better understand and manage microbial processes (like beer and wine production). Lastly, ‘Nie umiem mówić po polsku’ (‘I can’t speak Polish’) is his most – or perhaps only – used Polish phrase, but it has saved him from numerous peculiar situations.
Influence of Climate Parameters like CO2-Content on Malt Quality Attribute pH
Martin Zarnkow | Technische Universität München (TUM), Germany
Coming soon
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Zarnkow is Head of the Technology and Development Division at the Research Center Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality at the Technical University of Munich (Technische Universität München, TUM). His research focuses on malting and brewing technology, raw material quality control, and the development of innovative process technologies in brewing.
Prof. Zarnkow bridges scientific insight with practical industry needs, with special emphasis on the analysis of raw material quality and its impact on fermentation and brewing processes.
