Everything about know-how

As a food chemist, Stefan Pieczonka has developed an analytical strategy to make the “molecular fingerprint” of beers visible. He was recently awarded the Henrich-Funke-Pschorr Prize for his dissertation at the German Brewers’ Day. As part of his research, the 29-year-old analyzed around 500 beers, including “Germany’s oldest beer” from 1885. He told us not only what it tastes like, but also how the brewing industry can benefit from his scientific findings in the long term.

The media response was huge when the Beck’s brewery presented “Autonomous” in spring 2023 to mark its 150th anniversary: Germany’s first beer developed with artificial intelligence. It bumped into the middle of the public discussion around ChatGPT, which has been in full swing since the beginning of the year. Since many people have become aware of what artificial intelligence can do, a heated discourse has erupted, ranging from utmost fascination and enthusiasm on the one hand to existential fears on the other. We wanted to know: What is the brewing world’s position on the subject?

Brewing beer requires craftsmanship, passion and brewing training. But what will happen when artificial intelligence makes its way into this field as well? The fact is that, as in almost all industries, machine learning and AI will also become increasingly important in beer brewing in the future. Instead of fearing the risks, open-minded brewers should take advantage of the opportunities it presents.

After the introduction of the can deposit in 2003, sales of beverage cans rapidly collapsed. Metal packaging seemed to be at an end. But for some years now, demand has been rising ever more strongly. Cans are becoming increasingly popular, especially among beer drinkers – despite the fact that beer sales are steadily declining in Germany. Twenty years ago it was almost written off and sunk into insignificance, but recently the beer can has surprisingly developed into a trendy container. What are the reasons for the comeback of canned beer?

At many breweries, the carbon dioxide tanks are getting more and more empty. Some have already completely used up their reserves. The reason for this is that carbonic acid, or more precisely the basic ingredient carbon dioxide, is currently in extremely short supply. While some breweries have already had to shut down their production, others are making do with unconventional fiddly solutions using substitute gas to make ends meet. Thanks to new plant technology, CO2 recovery plants could even be worthwhile for smaller breweries in the future.

Many things are easier with a good partner at your side. This is exactly what cooperative marketing is all about. We explain why it’s worth looking beyond one’s own nose, what role the minikeg can play here, and how breweries are already successfully using the party keg for marketing campaigns in collaboration with other companies.

Posters, print ads, or the occasional label relaunch – these are no longer nearly enough to market a beer attractively. Especially when it comes to reaching younger target groups, social media with its new formats and channels is becoming increasingly important.

Over the past ten years, non-alcoholic beer has grown faster than any other type of beer. Breweries would therefore be well advised to focus more on non-alcoholic varieties in the future. In seven exciting facts about the trend beverage non-alcoholic beer, we reveal why there is still a lot of potential here and how this can best be utilized.

142 years of company tradition, a team of 16 nationalities and a company boss who lives the pioneering spirit like no other: Weyermann, a family-owned company in Upper Franconia, is the world market leader in specialty malts. Its individual products, which it exports to 135 countries, influence the taste of beer all over the world.

Dr. Johann Pichlmaier is one of Germany’s leading hop experts. He talks to us about the quality of the German hop harvest in 2021, the challenges of an increasingly global market, the latest trends in the types of crops, and the impact of the craft beer boom on international hop demand.