From April 6 to 9, 2025, the 16th edition of the international symposium Trends in Brewing took place in Leuven, Belgium. This renowned event, organized by KU Leuven, provides a biennial platform for scientific exchange on brewing and malting. This year’s symposium focused on the theme “Innovations in products and processes”, with particular emphasis on technical advancements in brewing processes and product development.
The Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology at TUM was once again represented this year: In addition to Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Neugrodda and Dipl.-Ing. Roland Kerpes, who both attended the event in person, M.Sc. Sönke Kienitz and M.Sc. Antonia Korbmacher presented their own research in oral presentations. Sönke Kienitz shared his findings on the dealcoholization of various beer styles using reverse osmosis, while Antonia Korbmacher explored the potential of lignin as an alternative protein-binding stabilizer for beer. Additionally, Dipl.-Ing. Roland Kerpes presented a poster titled Proteinase A – An Artefact in Beer Analysis, which addressed analytical challenges in detecting this foam-negative enzymatic activity in the context of yeast management.
Abstracts of the Presentations and Poster Presentation:
Impact of different beer styles on the reverse osmosis dealcoholization behaviour
Sönke Kienitz, Thomas Becker, Christoph Neugrodda
Technical University of Munich, Germany
The increasing demand for non-alcoholic beer varieties across diverse sensory profiles calls for process technologies that preserve flavor while effectively removing alcohol. This study investigates the applicability of reverse osmosis for the dealcoholization of various beer styles, including lager, wheat beer and IPA. Parameters such as transmembrane pressure, temperature, and membrane selection were optimized to minimize flavor losses. Sensory analyses and key compound quantification revealed style-specific retention patterns, highlighting the potential and limitations of reverse osmosis in modern non-alcoholic beer production.
Lignin as an alternative protein-based stabilizing agent for beer
Antonia Korbmacher, Roland Kerpes, Thomas Becker
Technical University of Munich, Germany
Beer stabilization traditionally relies on silica gel or PVPP to reduce haze-forming proteins and polyphenols. This study explores lignin—an abundant, plant-based biopolymer—as a novel stabilizing agent due to its high protein-binding capacity. Different lignin sources and treatment conditions were tested in various beer matrices. The results show promising turbidity reduction, good sensory neutrality and favorable environmental characteristics, positioning lignin as a sustainable alternative in the stabilization of beer.
16th TiB
Dipl. Ing. Roland Kerpes
Proteinase A – An Artefact in Beer Analysis
Roland Kerpes, Jennifer Schneiderbanger, Thomas Becker
Technical University of Munich, Germany
Proteinase A is a yeast-derived enzyme known to negatively affect beer foam stability. However, its accurate detection in brewing samples remains analytically challenging due to rapid degradation and matrix effects. This poster presents findings on the occurrence and behavior of Proteinase A during yeast propagation and storage. Methodical artifacts that lead to false positives in foam analysis are critically discussed. The study underlines the importance of refining analytical protocols to avoid misinterpretation in routine quality control.
We sincerely thank our colleagues for their contributions to this year’s Trends in Brewing. Once again, the symposium offered valuable insights into current research, engaging discussions, and intensive exchange with the international brewing science community.
A special thanks goes to Sönke Kienitz and Antonia Korbmacher for their dedicated work – and for their role in sharing scientific knowledge from Weihenstephan with the international community.
Fabian Lauck
