We returned from the EBC Congress in Rotterdam with one message confirmed clearly: sugar composition and sugar utilisation are becoming increasingly relevant topics across the brewing value chain.
We presented our work around Beer-o-Meter and direct fermentable sugar monitoring, and the conversations went far beyond one specific type of brewery. We received interest from academic researchers and brewing scientists, breweries working on process optimisation and new products, yeast suppliers looking at how different strains use available substrates, and malt suppliers interested in how raw-material performance translates into the fermentable sugar profile of wort.
That breadth of interest makes sense. Modern brewing is asking more from fermentation. New yeast strains, low- and non-alcohol products, different malt and adjunct combinations, dry hopping and increasingly specialised processes mean that understanding only the final outcome is often no longer enough. Brewers and suppliers increasingly want to understand how sugar composition is created and how it is utilised throughout fermentation.
For us, this is exactly where direct sugar analysis becomes interesting. It provides a common analytical language between malt, wort, yeast and the finished product. It can support both fundamental research and very practical questions around repeatability, fermentation performance and process optimisation.
The Congress was also a valuable opportunity to expand our network, reconnect with existing contacts, start new conversations and explore potential partnerships across the industry. EBC continues to bring together exactly the combination of brewing science, practical production experience and technology development needed to move these ideas forward.
Most importantly, we left Rotterdam very positive about the future of brewing. The market is challenging, but the level of engagement we saw around better science, better process understanding and meaningful innovation shows a community that is actively working to make brewing stronger and more competitive.
We are looking forward to continuing many of the discussions started at EBC. If sugar utilisation, fermentation optimisation or at-line process control is something your brewery, research group or ingredient business is working on, we would be very happy to continue the conversation.