Finland: Microbial insights to improve brewing

Research lead

Research by Arja Laitila at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has provided new insights into the role of particular bacteria, yeasts and fungi in brewing beer, which will make it possible to manage industrial scale brewing processes more precisely and produce higher-quality products.

Bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi are central to the brewing process, greatly influencing the malting and brewing performance as well as the quality of the end product. But the role played by individual microorganisms is poorly understood.

Laitila’s research shows that by modifying the microbial populations during malting, the brewing efficiency of malt can be notably improved. The work demonstrates that the malting ecosystem is a dynamic process, exhibiting continuous change.

For example, suppression of Gram-negative bacteria during steeping (soaking the barley in water) improves brewhouse performance. While some yeasts were shown to improve malt processability, others were active against undesirable moulds, and one yeast was found to prevent beer gushing.

Laitila says this detailed understanding of individual members of the microbial community and their role in malting will enable more controlled management of the brewing process and the production of high quality malt with tailored properties.