Drinktec (Euro) 2013 Showcases Solutions to Fit both Global Concerns and Local Specialist Breweries

The brewing industry of the future will be diverse – diverse in the raw materials used, in the energy sources, taste profiles and types of beer. 

This diversity is being driven by on the one hand by companies which optimize costs and efficiency, but on the other hand, also by small specialist breweries which consistently emphasize quality and individualism. From September 16 to 20, 2013 there will be one single point of convergence for both strategies, despite their widely divergent requirements: drinktec. This is the world’s leading trade fair for beverage and liquid food technology, and it offers important insights for the entire brewing industry. Globally active companies will benefit as much as small- and medium-sized enterprises; technical managers will find it rewarding, and so will the purchasing and marketing experts for the breweries.

Beers with appeal and the lowest possible variable costs

With the rising costs of energy, raw materials and human resources, the global players in the brewing industry are faced with the central task of producing beers with appeal and the lowest possible variable costs (opex). Against this background, continuous, fully automated and inline-monitored production processes and ‘high gravity’ will penetrate this market sector generally. Compared with conventional equipment in the brewing room and cellar, ‘high gravity’ saves approximately 30 percent capacity, and so also economizes on operational and capital costs.
As to energy, the trend is towards decentralized supply, meaning that heating, refrigeration and electricity requirements will be covered, as far as possible, by in-house biogas and also other renewable sources such as solar-thermal energy. Also, the brewery facilities will undergo further energy improvements, not just of individual machines but of the process as a whole. For example, in future two brewing rooms will be used instead of a single large one. The advantage of this is that the brewery will have smaller operating units and will not always have to run at full capacity, thus enabling it to brew smaller volumes efficiently.

Raw materials are becoming more and more variable

The use of raw materials will be a central theme of drinktec 2013 in two respects. This prediction comes from Professor Martin Krottenthaler from the Weihenstephan Triesdorf University. He says, "Here, in the global market, the first matter of interest is the highest possible yield. The second is that the raw materials will become more variable. The central question is: where do I get the starch for brewing at low cost? And it doesn’t have to come from traditional raw materials, if, perhaps, logistical costs are rising, or the competition is growing, or because of the arable areas. This directly influences the machine technology needed." Professor Krottenthaler sees human resources as another strategic corporate goal. "Employees with dual training, meaning they are equally competent in theory and practice, will become an important factor for the future, as this is the only way to operate the complex production units optimally with the lowest possible input from human resources."

Smaller production units

Technology is the watchword. Smaller ‘high-tech’ production units are needed so that the specialties in demand can be brewed flexibly. All the famous suppliers who are exhibiting at drinktec are picking up on this trend. As Klaus Wasmuht, Head of Process Technology at the Ziemann Group, explains: "At drinktec 2013 we are showing an appropriate brewing room design. I also think that horizontal tanks will undergo a renaissance, at least in some circles, because of their characteristically different taste profile."