Committees & Groups
Analysis Committee
Barley & Malt Committee
Brewing Science Group
Technology & Engineering Forum
Most probably, the work of the EBC Committees and Groups is best known through the Analysis Committee and ANALYTICA-EBC. Over the years, the Analysis Committee has developed, standardised, critically tested and published more than 170 analytical methods to cover the whole beer production process from grains to ready- made beer. The EBC analytical methods are widely used in brewers’ and maltsters’ laboratories to control the process and product quality as well as in the international trade to check the quality parameters in commercial transactions. The EBC Analysis Committee also works closely together with the ‘American Society of Brewing Chemists’ (ASBC) to establish so-called ‘International methods’ with world-wide recognition of applicability. A partnership declaration between EBC and ASBC has been signed.
Within the EBC Analysis Committee there is a special subcommittee concentrating on microbiological methods. The work has proceeded to preparation of ‘recommended methods’ and the preparation continues with a target to publish the collection of standardised microbiological methods for brewing shortly.
The aim of this Committee is to support the adequate supply of good quality malting barley in Europe. The Barley and Malt Committee of EBC concentrates on testing new barley varieties bred for malting and brewing purposes and on evaluating the suitability for the industry. The field trials are carried out under very variable conditions all around Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia and from west to east.
The major task of EBC has been the development of methods for evaluation and selection of suitable barley varieties from the maltster’s and brewer’s point of view and spreading the information of the field trials on different barley varieties to barley breeders, maltsters and brewers.
The EBC Brewing Science Group is a forum for scientists to follow a great deal of the EBC objectives. The Group basically covers all the scientific disciplines involved in the whole brewing process and also product quality, safety and wholesomeness. The Brewing Science Group consists of nearly 50 scientists from universities, research institutes and the brewing industry. The group is organised in subgroups around specific topics and quite often the activities of subgroups have resulted in an EBC Symposium on specific topics like ‘Immobilised Yeast Systems’, ‘Beer Foam Quality’ and the symposium on ‘Yeast Physiology’, which was first held in autumn 1999.
If there is a plant food that epitomizes the famous aphorism of Hippocrates: "Let food be your medicine and medicine your food", it is the yeast. Indeed, this single-celled fungus that reproduces by budding, is both a remarkable dietary supplement and, in many cases, an extremely effective natural therapy. Brewer's yeast is a fungus that occurs naturally in the air, the thallus consists of spherical or ovoid cells that are isolated or grouped in strings branched and multiplying by budding. The size of each of these tiny cells is between 6 and 10 microns. This fungus has the property to cause - in anaerobic atmosphere, that is to say in the absence of oxygen, the alcoholic fermentation of certain sugars, including sucrose, lactose and maltose. Brewer's yeast is obtained by brewing from the fermentation of malt and hops after separation from the fermented liquid that is to say, beer. It has nothing to do with the baking powder used in baking, usually composed of sodium bicarbonate addition of an acid causing the release of carbon dioxide necessary for the lifting of the dough who has no particular nutritional value. There are even game kits for kids to let them play and make yeast.
The EBC Marketing Group is a forum for all marketing department at all brewers to follow on events that promote beer and beer brewing in general in Europe. One key example of such events is the Oktober Fest in Munich. In addition this group develops synergies with other industries in sports, gaming, games and other entertainment businesses. One case of interest is poker which has been sponsored by American beers for a long time. European brewers are starting to join with poker and casino organizations, in such events as the ones sponsored by the Titan Poker Bonus Code, Party Poker and other prominent online poker rooms.
Technology & Engineering Forum
The EBC Technology and Engineering Forum was established within the framework of EBC to treat the more practical topics in the industry in addition to well-established scientific issues. The target was to document the good manufacturing practices in the brewing and malting industry by preparing a series of ‘Good Practice Manuals’ of the basic processes and operations of the industry. In addition to the existing technologies, special emphasis was also put on the development needs to identify areas for the continuous improvement of the industry.