HOME  >  Newsletter  >  VOLUME 59, No.4 - 1999

ASBC Newsletter
VOLUME 59, NUMBER 4 - 1999

Hek," said the Ancient Egyptian petulantly. His retainer immediately brought him a goblet of beer.

This drink would not have tasted like any kind of modern beer, for there were no hops in Egypt to give the fermented wort the distinctive bitter taste of beer. But the basic method used 5000 years ago, of molding barley into a kind of malt, manufacturing wort from the barley malt and "emmer" (an early variety of wheat), and then fermenting it, has not changed much since. The means of brewing, not brewing itself, has become more sophisticated.

Hek was also used as a medicine, a tonic for building strength, according to a medical manual of the time. In fact, this manual indicated that Hek was used as a universal cure for coughs and colds, shortness of breath, problems of the stomach and lungs, and a guard against indigestion!

Throughout history, beer has been considered important for refreshment and also for its health-giving and medicinal properties. In fact--if, as some books would indicate, beer was produced before the ancient Egyptians had vineyards to produce grapes and, therefore, wine--beer could be considered the oldest nutraceutical product.

So important were these properties that when ale was introduced to Britain just before the Roman Conquest, it was kept in casks that, according to an old ruling, must be "so capacious as to serve the King and one of his councillors for a bathing tub." Ale seems to have reached Ireland about the same time as St. Patrick, for "suppers with ale" are mentioned in the Senchus Mor, the ancient law book of Ireland composed about 430 A.D. An Irish chief was expected to have in his house three sacks and two casks. The sacks contained malt, salt, and charcoal; the casks, milk and ale.

In ancient times, ale was used for a variety of purposes in addition to merry-making. Old ale was fed to pigs to give their bacon the required taste. Anglo-Saxon veterinary doctors emphasized the importance of giving a little new ale to sheep when they were sick--to make them well, and obviously very happy! For human ailments, ale mixed with various herbs, such as bishopswort and fen-mint, was a certain cure for fever. And if you suffered from stiff knee joints, the only sure remedy was to rub in a mixture of woodwax, hedge-rife, and ale! A popular remedy against "fiend-sickness" was to mix a number of herbs into clear ale, add garlic and holy water, and, after the singing of seven masses, make the patient drink the remedy out of an inverted church bell! It was guaranteed that even the most fiendish of devils would take to his or her heels and leave the possessed body calm and healthy again!

In addition to the vitamins and trace elements found in beer, we have, in the past decade significantly increased our knowledge of other components of beer. The antimicrobial properties of specific hops acids, including their action against Listeria as well as against the bacteria that can cause forms of acne or even tooth decay, are novel extensions of this research! And we should not forget the significant international research that has recently shown the possible medicinal and antioxidant properties of various flavanoid compounds found in beer.

The above paragraphs describe just a brief outline of the beneficial curiosities of beer (or its ingredients or components) as they pertain to history and to the modern day. However, in modern times, due to international concern about abuse of alcoholic beverages, it has become more and more difficult to advertise, or even realize, the more positive properties of our noble beverage, beer. On the other hand, we are all aware (particularly through the media but also through technical literature) that more and more concern is being focused on the safety and wholesomeness of various foods and beverages, and beer is no exception.

It is a strategic imperative for the ASBC that safety and wholesomeness be at the forefront of our thinking. Whether the issue is pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, mycotoxins, nitrosamines, halogenated derivatives, coolants, boiler water treatment compounds, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the ASBC regards it as vital to keep its members informed. Consequently, using our annual meetings, short courses, the Journal, our web site, and our Newsletter, we will fully communicate and explore potential risks or opportunities to our industry and to malt beverages in the future. Where appropriate, we will continue to encourage methodology through our Technical Committee and subcommittees to provide our members with analytical/microbiological methods that can help to assess risk or opportunity. And, through our international liaisons, we will keep ASBC members fully informed of such activities on a global basis.

It follows, therefore, that a major plank in our Strategic Plan is safety and wholesomeness. In this issue of the Newsletter, we have included all the elements of our updated Strategic Plan. As we move into the year 2000 and beyond, we will communicate the essentials details of each plank as they develop, and we welcome input from members on any of the developing issues.

While we might not be able to celebrate today all the virtues of beer that the ancient Egyptians celebrated, we can surely be proud that such a safe and wholesome beverage has survived and, in fact, has received continuous improvement for all these thousands of years. It seems to me that the ASBC is determined to keep it that way!

--David Ryder

CONTENTS

• First Call for Nominations
• Student Travel Grant Program Fund Solicitation and Participation
• Highlights of the ASBC Board of Directors Meeting
• Second Call for Papers
• Contributors to Eric Kneen Award
• ASBC Methods of Analysis Index
• Local Section News
• 1999 Membership Survey: Leading ASBC into the Future
• Industry News
• ASBC Corporate Members
• New Active Members
• ASBC Past Presidents
• Upcoming Annual Meetings & Events

First Call for Nominations

The ASBC Nominating Committee has begun its assignment of providing qualified Society members to serve on the Board of Directors. Nominations for the offices of secretary, vice-president, and president-elect are required for voting at the 2000 Annual Meeting.

The term of office for secretary is two years, from the close of the 2000 Annual Meeting to the close of the 2002 Annual Meeting. The term of office for vice-president is one year, beginning with the close of the 2000 Annual Meeting. However, because the vice-president is the principal candidate for president-elect and subsequently succeeds to the offices of president and past-president, a commitment of four years is expected. Following the same progression, the commitment for president-elect is three years.

The selection of candidates for these offices is critical to the Society. The Nominating Committee needs your help to identify qualified members to fill these leadership positions. Please remember that all nominees must be active members of the Society, be willing to serve, and have the permission and support of their employer management. Nominees for elected offices will be published in Newsletter No. 2 of 2000.

Please direct nominations to any of the members of the Nominating Committee.

Nominating Committee

David W. Hysert, Chair
John I. Haas Inc.
31 N 1st Avenue
P.O. Box 1441
Yakima, WA 98902-2663
509/575-5411
Fax 509/248-2380
E-mail: dave.hysert@johnihaas.com

David A. Thomas
Coors Brewing Company
P.O. Box 4030, BC 600
Golden, CO 80401-0030
303-277-3350
Fax 303-277-6834
E-mail: dave.thomas@coors.com

Robert McCaig
Molson Breweries of Canada Ltd.
33 Carlingview Road
Etobicoke, ON M9W 5E4
Canada
416/679-7538
Fax 416/679-2342
E-mail: rxmccaig@molson.com

James H. Munroe
303 Park Avenue
St Louis, MO 63122-4651
314/577-9968
Fax 314/577-1055
E-mail: james.munroe@anheuser-busch.com

Bruce R. Sebree
ADM Lecithin
1001 N. Brush College Road
Decatur, IL 62521-1656
217/424-4067
Fax 217/424-2693
E-mail: sebree@corp.admworld.com

Student Travel Grant Program Fund Solicitation and Participation

For four years now, the ASBC Student Travel Grant Program has awarded travel funds to students so they may attend the Annual Meeting and participate in the Technical Program. The program will continue this year for the WBC 2000 meeting. Ten students will be able to take advantage of the program at the Orlando meeting. The travel grants cover partial expenses for students who are presenting a paper or poster at the Annual Meeting.

The amount of the grant is determined by the amount of funds raised for the program versus the number of eligible students.

Eligibility: All ASBC student members, graduate or undergraduate, who are at least 21 years of age are eligible to apply for these awards. Applicants should send a written request (up to 300 words typed) to attend the WBC 2000 meeting; a copy of the abstract that was submitted to the ASBC; and verification of ASBC student membership.

Funds to support the program are needed. Any corporation, ASBC Local Section, or individual who would like to contribute may forward their contribution to ASBC Headquarters, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. Checks should be made payable to ASBC Student Travel Fund.

Highlights of the ASBC Board of Directors Meeting

October 9, 1999

The ASBC Board of Directors met Saturday, October 9, 1999, at ASBC Headquarters in St. Paul, MN. The Board meeting was called to order at 8:15 a.m. Holly Kuester read the previous meeting's minutes, which were accepted as read.

Amy Hope presented a summary of the 1999 ASBC Membership Survey. An abbreviated version of the survey results are included in this Newsletter. The full report will be posted on ASBCnet. Amy also reviewed the ASBC Strategic Plan priorities, which are listed in this Newsletter. Discussion of these items followed.

Many actions will be implemented, especially with regard to ASBCnet. Some of these include: linking ASBCnet to other organizations of interest to the membership, posting industry-related articles on the website, adding e-commerce, and posting the Newsletter and Journal on the website while eventually adding past years's issues. Long-range goals for ASBCnet include posting the Methods of Analysis (MOA) and ASBC posters. Eventually the MOA could include links to MSDS sheets, referenced articles, video clips of certain aspects of testing, and vendor lists. An annual budget of $20,000 was approved for ASBC Journal posting and e-commerce.

Other strategic planning actions were approved. Liaisons from other organizations will be asked to summarize their organization's activities that may be of interest to ASBC members. These will be printed in the Newsletter. President David Ryder will initiate communication with those organizations to see how our current relationships can be enhanced for the good of all.

A "Special Issues Committee" was formed to keep the membership informed of new industry issues. Made up of the Board of Directors and the five most-recent past presidents, this group will communicate and decide what actions should be taken as situations arise. The membership should feel free to contact someone on the Special Issues Committee when they see an emerging industry issue.

President David Ryder followed with his report. David appointed Rob Maruyama as MBAA Liaison. Communications will be made with Dr. Hugo Patino, President of MBAA, regarding his recent proposal of a joint ASBC-MBAA committee. This committee would work together more closely in a way that would add value to ASBC and MBAA members. David recognized two ASBC members who recently passed away: Professor Charles A. Masschelein and Professor Tor-Magnus Enari.

President-elect Nona Mundy presented her report. There are currently 948 members in ASBC. The member-get-a-member campaign with the "1,000 by 2000" goal is still under way. The 1,000th member will receive complimentary registration to WBC 2000. Local sections vary with regard to their level of activity. Nona wrote a letter to each section suggesting that they feel free to customize meeting schedules in a way that would be most appealing to their membership. Everyone agreed that it's imperative that the local sections be comfortable in their operations and feel no unnecessary stress in this regard.

Vice-president Rob Maruyama presented his report, followed by Sherman Chan's Training and Education Committee report. The Hop Technology course was held on September 8-9, 1999. As part of the Strategic Plan, the current training program will be reinvented in an effort to better address the needs of ASBC membership.

David Hysert presented his Past-President's report. Two press releases were submitted for publication in the ASBC Newsletter and the American Brewing Press, "Ice-2 Is Stable" and "Third Meeting of the International Subcommittee for Isomerized Hop Alpha-Acids Standards". David also reported on the Nominating Committee and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. The first call for nominations for the offices of secretary, vice-president, and president-elect are published in Issue Number 4 of the Newsletter.

Secretary Holly Kuester gave her report. David Ryder expressed his sincere thanks to Sue Thompson for acting as secretary during the Phoenix meeting, while Holly was on maternity leave. Larry Hartman reviewed the Treasurer and Finance Committee report. The balance sheet for the six months ended September 31, 1999, reports assets of $455,818 and liabilities of $156,666. The member equity and operating reserve is $299,152. Year-to-date, we have income totaling $237,179 and expenses of $266,080, resulting in a net loss of $28,901.

The Technical Committee report was presented by Steve Nyarady. In addition to the three standing subcommittees (New and Alternate, Soluble Starch, and International Methods), the 1999-2000 program includes four continuing subcommittees (Selective Measurement of Acetohydroxy Acid Precursors of Vicinal Diketones, Beer Color Using Tristimulus Analysis, Surface Hygiene Testing Using ATP Bioluminescence, and Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction for Determination of Hop Essential Oils) and three new subcommittees: Malt Grind Standard Sieve Analysis, Determination of DMS Precursors in Malt by Headspace GC with Application of Nitrogen Purging of Extracts, and Alkaline Methylene Violet Stain for Yeast Viability. The Technical Committee will review all methods and make recommendations on whether they are acceptable as written, ready to be archived, or in need of revisions. An upcoming MOA supplement will include a list of archived methods.

October 10, 1999

The meeting was called to order by President David Ryder at 8:05 a.m. In Charlie Bamforth's absence, David presented the Publications Committee report. A total of seven manuscripts from the Phoenix meeting have been submitted to the Journal. Millenium Reviews on the topics of brewing water, hops, yeast, barley and malt, the brewhouse, sensory evaluation, and foam have been successfully solicited. Authors have promised material by issue no. 2 of 2000. Issue no. 3 of the Newsletter contained the first call for papers for WBC 2000 and an abstract form. The abstract form is also located on ASBCnet for convenient submission. Looking toward the future, particular emphasis will be placed on utilizing the internet as a means to present all ASBC publications. The Newsletter will have a new feature soon. In each issue, a topic or question will be posed for discussion. Experts will be chosen to reflect on the particular topic. The membership will then be invited to participate in topic discussion with the experts on ASBCnet.

Dirk Bendiak presented the Program Committee report. Dirk's report reviewed the 1999/2000 Program committee and WBC2000 Program progress. Papers for submission for the WBC 2000 program must be received by December 1, 1999. At this time, the program is moving along, with few issues or concerns. Dirk recognized Margaret Morrison's excellent work on the ASBC MOA index, which will be included in an upcoming MOA supplement and is included in this issue of the Newsletter.

Following Dirk's report, strategic planning was revisited. The next Board meeting will be held on March 18 and 19, 2000, at a site to be determined. The meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.

Holly Kuester
Secretary

Second Call for Papers

The Technical Program Committee is soliciting papers and posters for presentation at the World Brewing Congress 2000, which will be held in Orlando, Florida, USA, July 29-August 2, 2000.

The technical program calls for a unique blend of new topics or future visions to existing topics of importance to brewing science and associated industries. Preliminary plans call for sessions centering around raw materials, wort production, yeast and fermentation including continuous beer production, finishing, packaging, biotechnology, flavor stability, and related issues such as HACCP and ISO, consumer testing and health. Contributions relating to all other aspects of brewing and associated industries are welcomed. Prospective papers which present new analytical or microbiological protocols will be considered.

Subject matter for both oral presentations and posters may be original research and development, describe advances or progress in brewing and/or packaging technology, or be of a technical review format which summarizes existing problems and proposes future solutions.

This year, authors are strongly encouraged to submit their abstract(s) online. The online submission form is available on the WBC 2000 Internet site. You will notice that the paper forms available in this issue of the newsletter call for electronic abstract submission through the internet or by diskette. Electronic submission will ensure that abstracts will be available online in a searchable format prior to the meeting. Additional forms and instructions will be available on the WBC2000 website or from members of the Technical Program Committee (see below).

In order to ensure the highest technical quality for the Congress, the number of oral and poster presentations will be limited. Therefore, all oral and poster submissions will be reviewed by the Committee for acceptance into the program.

Deadline for Abstract Form Submission is:
December 1, 1999

Our Committee encourages your participation and welcomes contributions for consideration. Please accept this invitation and extend it to your colleagues. Any questions or correspondence may be directed to members of the Technical Program Committee.

Technical Program Committee

Contributors to Eric Kneen Award

The Eric Kneen Memorial Award was established in 1987 as a tribute to Dr. Eric Kneen's guidance and contributions to the maturation of the Society. Contributors to the award as of September 15, 1999, are:

Individual

Charles W. Baker
Hans W. Baker
Vincent S. Bavisotto
Kurt Becker
John B. Bockelmann
Peter C. Buscemi
Alfred P. Busch
Roger A. Carroll
Anthony J. Cutaia
Philip E. Dakin
Carroll A. Dayharsh
Allan D. Dickson
G. Calvin Dyson
Peter Gales
Harold H. Geller
H. Stephen Gress
John H. Grigsby
Myron Hammond
Thomas Hartzell
Alfred Haunold
W. M. Ingledew
Phillip D. Israel
Bruce B. Johannes
Donald J. Leger
Sam T. Likens
Michael A. Madson
Lydia Marinelli
Gerard W. McNeil
Morten C. Meilgaard
W. O. S. Meredith
Manfred Moll
Margaret Morrison
Nona Mundy
James Munroe
George D. Nelson, Jr.
Miyoko Ono
John R. Piening
Edwin Raabe
Susan M. Rasmussen
Arthur J. Rehberger
Herman K. Rosenbusch
Inge Russell
Leonard T. Saletan
Shirley M. Shircel
Ron Siebel
Karl J. Siebert
Robert I. Tenney
Dwight B. West
Thaddeus J. Wisk

Corporate

American Society of Brewing Chemists
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
ASBC Milwaukee-Chicago Local Section 4
ASBC North Central Local Section 3
ASBC Northwest Local Section 7
ASBC St. Louis Local Section 2
Bass Public Ltd. Co., S. W. Molzahn
Bio-Technical Resources, Inc.
Canada Malting Co. Ltd.
Carling O'Keefe Breweries Ontario Ltd.
Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc, S.A. de C.V.
    Arnulfo M. Canales
Fleischmann-Kurth Malting Co.
Great Western Malting Co.
Heileman Old Style Foundation
Incell Corp.
Ingman Laboratories, Inc.
Kalsec Inc.
Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.
Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.
    Y. Yamamoto, Y. Horie, E. Kokubo, T. Arima, T. Inoue, A. Hujioka
Labatt Brewing Co., Ltd.
Miller Brewing Co.
Minnesota Malting Co.
Molson Ontario Breweries Ltd.
Pfizer Inc.
Rahr Malting Co.
Schreier Malting Co.
The Stroh Brewery Co.
Wahl-Henius Institute, Inc.

Memorials
Eugene H. Heger

ASBC Methods of Analysis Index

(Archived methods not included)

Prefix abbreviations for chapters with multiple sections:
A = Adjunct Materials
B = By-Products
M = Microbiology
P = Packages and Packaging Materials
S = Statistical Analysis
T = Tables

Acidity: A-Sugars and Syrups-9
    total: Beer-8; Wort-7
Alcohol: Beer-4; T-Wort, Beer, and Sugar Determinations-2
Alpha-acids: Hops-6, -14
Alpha-amylase: Malt-7
Aluminum: Beer-42
Anions: Beer-43
Aphids: Hops-3
Ash: A-Cereals-7, A-Sugars and Syrups-12; Beer-14
Assessors: Sensory Analysis-4
Atomic absorption: Beer-18, -19, -20, -36, -37, -38, -42;
    Wort-15, -16
Automated flow analysis: Beer-23; Malt-6

Baume degrees: T-Wort, Beer, and Sugar Determinations-6
Beta-acids: Hops-6, -14
Beta-glucan: Wort-18
Bitterness: Beer-23

Calcium: Beer-20, -38
Calculated values: Beer-6
Calibration: Appendix I
    linear: Statistical Analysis-1
Caloric content: Beer-33
Capacity: P-Bottles-4, P-Fills-1, -2,
Carbohydrates: Beer-6
    total: Beer-4l
    fermentable: A-Sugars and Syrups-18;Wort-19
Carbon dioxide, dissolved: Beer-13
Cell counting: M-Yeast-4
Chemiluminescence: Beer-44
Chill haze: Beer-27
Chi-square: S-Appendix VII
Chloride: Beer-39, -43
Coatings, protective: P-Bottles-5
Color: A-Cereals-2, A-Sugars and Syrups-2; Beer-10;
    P-Bottles-3; Wort-9
Comparison
    microbiological data: Statistical Analysis-6
    paired: Sensory Analysis-6
    test methods: Statistical Analysis-5
Contents: P-Fills-l, -2
Copper: Beer-19
Crimp: P-Bottle Closures-6

Decarbonation: Beer-1
Defects: P-Bottles-2, P-Bottle Closures-1, P-Cans-1
Definitions: Sensory Analysis-1, -12
    statistical terms: S-Appendix VIII
Deoxynivalenol: Barley-11; Malt-13
Descriptive analysis: Sensory Analysis-10
Detection: M-Microbiological Control-2
    limits of: Statistical Analysis-2
Dextrose: A-Sugars and Syrups-16
Diacetyl: Beer-25
Diastatic power: A-Sugars and Syrups-13; Barley-8; Malt-6
Differentiation: M-Mcrobiological Control-3, -5, M-Yeast-10
Dimensions: P-Bottles-1
Dimethyl sulfide: Beer-44
    precursor: Malt-14
Duo-trio test: Sensory Analysis-8

Essential oils: Hops-13
Examination: M-Yeast-2
Extract: A-Cereals-5, A-Sugars and Syrups-5; Barley-6: Malt-4;
        T-Wort, Beer, and Sugar Determinations-1; Wort-3
    as is: T-Malt and Cereal Extracts
    apparent: Beer-3; Wort-4
    available: Brewers' Grains-4
    dry basis: T-Malt and Cereal Extracts
    fermentable: A-Sugars and Syrups-7; Wort-5
    original: Beer-6; T-Wort, Beer, and Sugar Determinations-3
    real: Beer-5,
    soluble: Brewers' Grains-5
    yeast fermentable: Beer-16; Wort-5

F-distribution: S-Appendix II, III, IV, V, VI
Feed analysis: Brewers' Grains-6; By-Products
Fermentation
    apparent degree: Beer-6
    end: Beer-16
    real degree: Beer-6
Flocculation: M-Yeast-11
Foam: Beer-22
Formazin standards: Beer-26
Friability: Malt-12

Gas chromatography (GC): A-Sugars and Syrups-17; Barley-11;
    Beer-4, -25; Malt-13, -14; Wort-14
Gas retention: P-Bottle Closures-3
Germination: Barley-3
    pre-: Barley-10
Grading: Barley-1

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC): A-Sugars and
    Syrups-17, -18; Beer-23, -41; Hops-9, -14, -15; Wort-19
Hop extracts: Hops-14
    isomerized: Hops-9
    non-isomerized: Hops-8
Hop resins: Hops-5
    nonmenclature: Appendix II
    fractions: Appendix II
    components: Appendix 11

Instrument standardization: Appendix I
International methods: A-Cereals-3, -5, A-Sugars and Syrups-5;
    Appendix-I; Barley-3, -7, -10; Beer-4, -18, -19, -20, -23, -31, -32,
    -35, -36, -37, -38, -39, -43; FilterAids-2, -3, -4; Hops-14; Malt-5,
    -7, -8, -9, -12; M-Yeast-3, -9; Sensory Analysis-l, -2, -3, -4, -5, 6,
    -7, -8, -9, -10, -l 1, -12; Wort-12, -13, -14, -16
Iodine reaction: A-Sugars and Syrups-8
Iron: Beer-18; FilterAids-4
Iso-alpha-acids: Hops-9, -15; Beer-23

Kernel brightness: Barley-9
Killer yeast: M-Yeast-8

Limits of detection: Statistical Analyisis-2
Linear calibration: Statistical Analysis-1
Lithography: P-Bottle Closures-4

Magnesium: Beer-38; Wort-15
Malt
    black: Malt-9
    caramel: Malt-9
    high-dried: Malt-9
    modification: Malt-12
Medium: M-Microbiological Control-4, -5
Method choice: Sensory Analysis-3
Moisture: A-Cereals-3, A-Sugars and Syrups-6; Barley-5; Brewers'
    Grains-3; B-Barley-3, B-Malt-3; Hops-4; Malt-3
Morphology: M-Yeast-2, -9

Near-infrared: Barley-5, -7
Nitrogen: Malt-5
    free amino: Beer-31; Malt-5; Wort-12
n-Nitrosamines: Beer-40; Malt-10

Odor: A-Cereals-2, A-Sugars and Syrups-2; Filter Aids-3
Oil, fatty substances: A-Cereals-4
Oxygen, dissolved: Beer-34

Paired comparison: Sensory Analysis-6
pH: A-Sugars and Syrups-10; Beer-9; Filter Aids-2; Wort-8
Phosphate: Beer-43
Physical
    characteristics: A-Cereals-2, A-Sugars and Syrups-2
    examination: Hops-2
    stability: Beer-27
    tests: Barley-2; B-Barley-2, B-Malt-2; Malt-2
Polyphenols, total: Beer-35
Potassium: Beer-37
Preparation, sample: Barley-4; Beer-1; Brewers' Grains-2
Pressure test: P-Bottle Closures-2
Protein: A-Cereals-6, A-Sugars and Syrups-11; Barley-7; Beer-11;
        Brewers' Grains-7; B-Barley4, B-Malt-4; Malt-8; Wort-10, -17
    wort-soluble: Malt-5

Ranking test: Sensory Analysis-11
Reducing sugars: Wort-11
    Lane-Eynon: Beer-12; T-Wort, Beer, and Sugar Detenninations-5
    Munson-Walker: Beer-12; T-Wort, Beer, and Sugar
        Determinations-4
    total: A-Sugars and Syrups-14
Reporting guidelines: Sensory Analysis-5
Ruggedness testing: Statistical Analysis-3

Saccharides:
    fermentable: A-Sugars and Syrups-17; Wort-14
Sampling: A-Cereals-1, A-Sugars and Syrups-1; Barley-1; Beer-1;
        Brewers'Grains-1; B-Barley-1, B-Malt-1; Filter Aids-1; Hops-1;
        Malt-1; M-Yeast-1; Wort-1
    aseptic: Beer-1; M-Microbiological Control-1
Sodium: Beer-36
Solids: M-Yeast-5
Specific gravity: Beer-2; T-Wort, Beer, and Sugar Determinations-l,
    -2; Wort-2
Spectrophotometry: Beer-10, -41; Hops-6, -8; Wort-17
Sporulation: M-Yeast-7
Stains: M-Yeast-3, M-Microbiological Control-3
Standardization, instrument: Appendix I
Standards
    flavor: Sensory Analysis-12
    formazin: Beer-26
Storage index: Hops-12
Sucrose: A-Sugars and Syrups-15
Sulfate: Beer-43
Sulfur dioxide: Malt-11
    total: Beer-21

Taste: A-Sugars and Syrups-2; Filter Aids-3
    difference: Beer-30
t-Distribution: S-Appendix I
Terminology, flavor: Sensory Analysis-12
Test room: Sensory Analysis-2
Threshold: Sensory Analysis-9
Torque: P-Bottle Closures-5
Triangular test: Sensory Analysis-7
Turbidity: Beer-26

Viability: M-Yeast-6
Viscosity: Beer-32; Wort-13
Volatiles, low boiling: Beer-29

Water analysis: Appendix III
Wort
    analysis: Malt-5
    original extract: Beer-16

Youden block: Statistical Analysis-4

Zinc: Wort-16

Local Section News

Local Section 2--St. Louis

Section 2 is currently finalizing plans for its kick-off meeting to be held September 29 at the King and I. The guest speaker will be Nona Mundy, president-elect of the ASBC, and her topic will be "ASBC--2000 and Beyond." Several meeting dates for the 1999-2000 session have already been set: October 28 and November 18, 1999, and January 26, March 29, and May 25, 2000. Discussions are currently ongoing whether to have a holiday party in December or have a Mardis Gras party in February; therefore, those dates have not been decided upon. Locations and speakers are still being investigated, however, Carolyn Fisher of McCormick is scheduled to be the speaker at the November meeting. Excitement is building as we prepare to enter the Millennium, and the St. Louis section is looking forward to an enjoyable and informative year.

-Keith Malphrus

Local Section 4--Milwaukee/Chicago

Local Section 4 held an officers meeting on Friday, September 3. At this meeting, the calendar was set up for this year's events. They are currently in the process of booking facilities for the meetings. Meeting dates are September 30, 1999, joint meeting with local MBAA at Briess Malting in Waterloo, WI; December 2, ASBC meeting, location to be determined; February 2000, ASBC Family night (we will attend a Milwaukee Admirals hockey game or a Milwaukee Wave soccer game one evening in February); March 16, joint meeting with MBAA, location to be determined; April 27, ASBC meeting with officer elections, to be held at the Miller Inn.

New section officers are Chairman Frank Tanzer, Froedtert Malt; Program Chairman Brad Rush, Miller Brewing Company; and Secretary David Kuske, Briess Malting Company.

-Brad Rush

Local Section 7--Northwest

Local Section 7's fall meeting will be held in Seattle, WA, October 22-23. This meeting will be in conjunction with the northwest chapter of the MBAA. There will be golf on Friday and brewery tours of Pyramid Breweries Inc. and/or the Elysian Brewing Company. The technical session will be on hops, with several speakers, some posters, and of course the latest and greatest beers from the Pacific Northwest.

-Dan Christopher

Local Section 8--"Wild West"

The 14th meeting of ASBC Local Section 8 "Wild West" was held at the Left Hand Tap Room in Longmont, CO on September 14, 1999.

Ten attendees gathered for food, beer and socializing. The business meeting was called to order by recently elected ASBC Local Chairman Patrick Dobolek. Patrick welcomed everyone and outlined the agenda for the evening. Mike read the treasurer report.

Mike Joyce and Gina Pili lead a roundtable discussion on topics covered at the National ASBC convention in Phoenix. A majority of time was devoted to the workshops that were held at the convention. Mike and Gina also brought copies of poster handouts for the group. The meeting concluded with door prizes.

The next ASBC local section meeting will be a joint meeting with the MBAA Rocky Mountain district at the Coors Brewing Company on November 4.

-Mike Joyce

1999 Membership Survey: Leading ASBC into the Future

The American Society of Brewing Chemists is an international organization of brewing scientists and other allied industry professionals. But who are the individuals behind ASBC and what do they want from their Society?

ASBC recently answered this question by conducting a thorough survey of its individual members to gather information about attitudes, preferences, behaviors and intentions. A mail survey was distributed to systematically selected ASBC Active Individual and Student members. Data was collected from April 23 through June 11, 1999. An incredible 46% response rate was achieved. Life/Retired, Honorary, and Corporate Members were excluded from the sampling frame. Board members were also surveyed to analyze differences between their perspective and that of the general membership.

Member Characteristics

Close to two-thirds (62%) of ASBC members live in the United States. An additional 29% reside in international locations including Canada. Only 5% of the membership is made up of students. It is important to remember that this student segment represents a pool of future Active ASBC members. Board members make up the remaining 4% of those surveyed. The typical ASBC member is a male between ages 41 to 50 and holds at least a Bachelors degree.

Forty-three percent of ASBC members are still in the critical "trial" period, having been members for less than five years. These members represent a unique challenge. Familiarity of benefits is the largest factor determining likelihood of renewal. Therefore, it is important to provide these "trial members" with information to increase their familiarity with all of ASBC's products and services (Figure 1). Interestingly, 71% of ASBC members have been involved in brewing science for at least 10 years (Figure 2).

Approximately three-fourths of the membership (79%) indicated industry as their primary employer followed by 10% working in academia, 4% are self- employed, 3% work in government positions, and 4% chose the "other" category. Quality control is the most frequently mentioned primary area of expertise, with 34% working in that area, followed by research and development at 22%, and brewing at 17%. The remaining 27% was scattered among eight different categories. It is interesting to note that almost twice as many International members named research and development as opposed to Domestic members. Respondents were also asked to select their company's primary focus. Half (51%) selected brewing, followed by malting at 11% and "government, education & private institutions; research organizations" at 10%. The remaining 28% was scattered among 14 categories.

Reasons for Membership

ASBC members express virtually the same reasons for joining as for renewing their memberships in the Society. The primary reason for membership in ASBC is "to keep current on the latest scientific and technical information" followed by "contact/networking with colleagues." As a reason for renewing, keeping up with scientific/technical information was again named by more than three in four members while keeping current on industry trends was named by 69% of members. The third most popular reason for joining ASBC was "to keep current on industry trends" and the third most popular reason for renewing was "to receive the ASBC Journal." (Figure 3)

Member Needs
Respondents were also asked to indicate what issues they thought would be significant in their work in the next five years. Close to two out of three ASBC members said that "increased pressure to reduce costs" and "increased use of the Internet and other electronic media" would be significant. More than half also cited "industry consolidations" and "doing more with less" (Table 1). Substantially more International members mentioned "less fundamental, more applied proprietary research" and "generically modified organisms for brewing raw materials."

Table 1. Members' Most Significant Issues in the Next 5 Years
Issue	Percent Responding
Increased pressure to reduce costs	63
Increased use of Internet/E-media	62
Industry consolidations	55
Doing more with less	53
More sophisticated methods	48
Corporate downsizing	48
Increased demand for wider skill base	47
Food safety	46
Increased computerization of methods	45
Changing role of laboratories	43
Water availability, quality and regulations	42
Increased health and safety issues	42
Environmental regulation	39
Waste disposal and treatment	38
Increased demand for technical services	38
Fewer travel funds	37
Statistical process control	36
Less fundamental, more applied proprietary research	34
GMOs for brewing raw materials	31
Globalization	27
Outsourcing to external agencies	26
Other	2

Overall Opinions

Approximately three-fourths (72%) agreed that "ASBC membership is a good value for the investment." Only 3% disagreed and the remaining 25% remained neutral. For each of the 17 programs, products and services offered as part of ASBC membership, respondents were asked three questions: which are you not familiar with, how valuable are each to you, and how satisfied are you with each. Many members were unaware of the placement service as well as the various online products. Based on the survey, the primary value in ASBC membership currently comes from print products and meetings (Figure 4). Satisfaction ratings closely paralleled respondents' ratings of value with major print and meeting offerings topping the list (Figure 5). It is important to keep in mind that items toward the bottom of Figures 4 and 5 are not necessarily perceived as poor but that they are just not familiar to a majority of members.

Results of the survey are highly encouraging and indicate that ASBC has done a good job of striking a balance among the diverse needs and interests of its membership. ASBC volunteer and staff leadership are now carefully reviewing this survey to determine how ASBC can fine tune its programs and services to better meet your needs. If you would like to provide additional thoughts and ideas as to how ASBC can better serve you, e-mail your comments to asbc@scisoc.org.

Industry News

Poster Debate--YEAST--EBC Cannes 1999

John Hammond and Sachin Chandra
(Brewing Research International)
During the course of the EBC held at Cannes during May and June 1999, a workshop was held to discuss a number of the posters related to yeasts. The workshop was jointly run by David Ryder from Miller Brewing and Poul Sigsgaard from the Scandinavian School of Brewing. In his introduction Ryder reminded his audience of the importance of yeasts for beer production; happy yeasts will produce beers which delight the brewers' customers, whereas unhappy yeasts will lead to problems with both flavor consistency and flavor stability.

Five posters had been selected from those displayed at the Congress and their authors were asked to make a short presentation setting out the main findings of their work. In particular, they were asked to answer three questions:

What is the primary discovery of your contribution?
How important is this in terms of yeast?
How far is the work from implementation and use?

Encouraged by the chairmen, the small but select band of participants then debated the implications of the work.

The first discussion centered around poster 24, "Construction of S. carlsbergensis brewer's yeast without production of sulphite," Pia Francke Johannesen, Carlsberg Research Laboratory.

The primary discovery was concerned with producing yeasts that make no sulphite. Two diploid spore clones from brewers yeast had been separately manipulated in order to inactivate the MET14 genes (one of the genes encoding enzymes on the sulfate-to-sulfite pathway). The diploids had then been crossed to generate a tetraploid brewers yeast that had all four copies of the MET14 gene inactivated. This yeast had been used in 50-hl pilot fermentations.

The met14 strain produced virtually no sulphur dioxide while the control produced about 10 mg/L. The met14 strain also produced about 50% of the level of acetaldehyde. There were, however, no differences between the levels of trans-2-nonenal produced in the two beers on forced aging. Thus, sulfur dioxide levels affect acetaldehyde but not trans-2-nonenal production. The low sulfite beer after forced aging was heavily oxidized but the control beer was not.

In terms of yeast, the work had clearly demonstrated that brewing lager yeast contains two copies of each of two homeologous MET14 genes.

The technology could be implemented immediately except that the low sulfite producing strain has been genetically modified and so might not be suitable for brewing.

Several debaters questioned the point of doing the work since, clearly, sulfur dioxide is needed for the prevention of aging and in some countries the addition of sulfur dioxide is not permitted. Here a yeast that makes sulfur dioxide is required. The author pointed out that the main point of the work had been to see whether sulfur dioxide produced during fermentation is any different from added sulfite. On the other hand since sulfur dioxide is mainly added to mop up oxygen and to get rid of aldehydes (especially acetaldehyde) another debater questioned whether, with good modern brewing practice, sulfur dioxide was needed at all. It was his opinion that yeast that produces large quantities of sulfur dioxide tends to produce unstable beer. To a question on hydrogen sulfide production, the author reported that, as expected, there was also a reduction in the level of this compound on using this yeast. She also confirmed that there were no differences in the uptake of free amino nitrogen or the levels of glycerol when compared to the control. Since the yeast is not producing sulfur dioxide, one member of the audience wondered what else it is producing and how the redox balance is achieved. The presenter had no data concerning this.

The second presentation was about poster 25, "Improvement of maltose and maltotriose brewery fermentation efficiency using immobilised cell technology," Ronnie Willaert, Hogeschool Gent.

The primary discovery was that the uptake of maltose by immobilized yeasts is greater than uptake by yeasts in suspension. Using a specially designed membrane reactor containing alginate-immobilized yeasts the presenter had measured the uptake of glucose and maltose and developed a mathematical model to describe the system. Yeast cells located in the depth of the alginate are not repressed by glucose (which has been removed by yeast cells in the outer layer of the gel) and consequently take up maltose at about three times the rate of free floating cells. Thus, using gel immobilization, sugar uptake can be separated in space. Similar effects should occur with maltotriose and amino acid uptake.

In terms of yeast, this represents another way of eliminating the glucose repression effect on maltose metabolism. This procedure has the advantage that it does not require genetically altering the yeast.

As for implementation, the model should be useful in optimising immobilized yeast systems although considerable work is still needed to look at diffusion limitations etc.

During the discussion, several participants wondered whether the simplest solution may not be to eliminate glucose from brewer's worts. An alternative was to ferment glucose only, but it was generally considered that this would produce poor quality beer. Regarding the model, one debater felt that it was dangerous to use a model based on a steady-state system since the uptake rates may be very different in a real situation. The discussion also encompassed the much wider subject of immobilization for primary fermentation, but it was generally felt that two-stage fermentations corresponding to primary and secondary fermentation would be needed, especially if a fast primary fermentation generated beer with large amounts of diacetyl.

Next we heard a presentation on poster 27, "The oxidative stress response of ale and lager yeast strains," Veronique Martin, Oxford Brookes University.

Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring resistance of yeast cells to hydrogen peroxide. The main findings were that stationary phase cells from YPD medium were more resistant than exponential phase cells and that growth in wort generally increased the resistance of cells. The rate of death depended upon hydrogen peroxide concentration. Lager yeasts were more resistant than ale yeasts. Catalase levels appeared to be related to the resistance to stress while glutathione content was inversely related to catalase activity.

Having established a baseline, the work will be expanded to see whether oxidative stress affects fermentation performance. As yet, the work is only a preliminary investigation and is far from implementation.

Several members of the audience questioned the likelihood of any negative effects of oxygen on yeast since heavily aerated yeasts from both propagation vessels and continuous fermentation systems appear to behave normally as far as beer production is concerned. Others, however, felt that in some circumstances over-oxygenation can trigger strange responses and it may be that on recycling such yeast, brewers may be storing up problems for themselves. It may also impact on the flavour and flavour stability of the products. Another debater commented on the similarity between these results and those seen during acid washing, particularly when ammonium persulphate, an oxidising agent, is used. Specifically, the difference in sensitivity between exponential phase and stationary phase cells is also seen when yeast cells are acid washed. There followed a general discussion on the methods used for the measurement of viability and in one debaters opinion, other methods of determining viability should be included in the study. One member of the audience commented that it would also be interesting to know the effect of oxidative stress on yeast vitality.

The fourth presentation was concerned with poster 30, "A novel system for propagation of brewing yeast" by Chris Boulton, Bass Brewers Ltd.

The primary novelty described in this poster was the use of a two-vessel propagation system in which oxygen is metered using a thermal mass flow meter coupled with a continuous variable speed agitator. Foam is controlled by applying nitrogen top pressure. The yeast cells are not under stress because the oxygen concentration is always below 0.5 ppm.

The system achieves growth from 5 million cells to 200 million cells per milliliter in about 30 hours, enough to pitch a 1,500-hl fermenter. The complete propagation cycle takes as little as five days. The yeast is of consistent physiology and performs well. However the fermentation rates are always significantly slower for the first and second generation fermentations. This is overcome by raising fermentation top temperature by 1°C. Commercially, the system works well and has already been in use for two years.

One advantage of this system is that, since oxygenation is well controlled and never exceeds 0.5 mg/L, there is little chance of the sort of yeast stress described in the preceding presentation. The yeasts ferment well with about 98% viability. There was some concern about the need for nitrogen top pressure for foam control since some yeasts are very pressure sensitive; however this was clearly not the case with the yeasts for which the system was designed. One debater asked if there was an increase of sulfur compounds with the use of top pressure, but the author replied that the yeast produced perfectly normal beer. Comments were also made concerning the fact that the use of oxygen rather than air can sometimes produce yeasts which ferment well but which are slow at removing diacetyl at the end of fermentation. Once again, the importance of strain to strain variation was emphasized.

The question of the slower initial fermentations was discussed at some length. Explanations included oxidative stress, low pitch rates due to heavily oxygenated cells being smaller than usual and the changed conditions (lower temperature, large vessel, lower oxygen content) in the fermenter. It was generally agreed that lower attenuation rates are nearly always observed in the first fermentation after propagation.

The final discussion was concerned with poster 31, "A novel yeast factor--Impact on brewing performance," Alain Debourg, Institut Meurice.

The author explained that he was about to describe a case of cannibalism. A novel yeast peptide factor (YPC) had been extracted from dried yeast using methanol and water followed by purification by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. YPC appears to have a molecular weight of about 1500 and contains a number of amino acids. YPC has a positive effect on yeast metabolism, in particular it increases its fermentative capacity, improves its tolerance to ethanol and osmotic stresses and improves its rate of fermentation of high gravity worts. At the same time however it appears to stimulate formation of acetate esters and propanol whilst decreasing formation of other higher alcohols.

Clearly, this is of major importance as far as yeast physiology is concerned since YPC improves so many aspects of yeast behaviour. However implementation is not imminent since further purification and characterisation is required coupled with an investigation into the mechanism of action. In particular the nature of the effects needs to be investigated, especially the effects on production of flavor compounds.

Discussions focused on the possible nature of the material. Although methanol had been used in the extraction procedure there appeared to be no lipid in the active YPC fraction. However most of the effects of YPC could be membrane-related and so interactions with lipids should not be ruled out at the moment. At present there is no information on the stage during the yeast life cycle when this material is produced but it can certainly be extracted from both freshly propagated yeast and yeast derived from fermentations. As yet, no attempt has been made to extract the material from active dried yeast or from bakers' yeast.

Although attention had been concentrated on the physiological effects of YPC, one member of the audience pointed out that the major potential commercial benefit could be in the shortening the yeast recycle times in high gravity fermentations. He did, however, point out that rather large amounts of material are needed for an effect and moreover that the results so far had been achieved with only one yeast and one wort. Further investigation would be needed before the universal use of YPC could be contemplated.

The two chairmen are to be congratulated for organizing an interesting and occasionally controversial workshop, which was sufficiently stimulating to keep a group of brewing scientists in a lecture hall on a warm afternoon in Cannes when they could have been sunbathing and drinking a cold beer.

ASBC Corporate Members

A Gusmer Co
Altek Co
Anheuser-Busch Inc
Anton PAAR USA
APS Analytical Standards Inc
Asia Pacific Breweries Pte Ltd
Assn of Brewers
Beer Ind Assoc Shandong China
Bio-Chem Lab Inc
Boston Beer Co
Boulevard Brewing Co
Brewing Research Intl
Briess Industries Inc
Bruker Instruments Inc
Brulotte Farms Inc
Burns Philp R&D Pty Ltd
Busch Agric Resources Inc
Carlsberg Brewery A/C
Carlsberg Research Center
Casco Inc
Cerveceria Leona SA
Cerveceria Polar CA
Cerveceria y Malteria Quilmes
Cervejarias Kaiser Brasil Ltda
Coors Brewing Co
DB Breweries Ltd
Diversey Lever Inc
Empresas Polar
Fabricas Nacionales de Cerveza
Firestone Walker Brewing Co
Froedtert Malt
Genesee Brewing Co
Guangzhou Malting Co Ltd
INIFAP
J Boag & Son Brewing Ltd
John I Haas Inc
Kalsec Inc
Karl Strauss Breweries
Kirin Brewery Co Ltd
Kirin Brewery Co Ltd Fukuoka
Labatt Breweries of Canada
Ladish Malting Co
Lupofresh Inc
Millennium Specialty Chemicals
Miller Brewing Co
Minnesota Malting Co
Mitco Inc
Molson Breweries
Morris Hanbury USA Inc
NDC Infrared Engineering
Novo Nordisk BioChem Inc
Orbisphere Lab
Pabst Brewing Co
Pacific Western Brewing Co
The PQ Corp
Pure Malt Products Ltd
R-Biopharm Inc
Rahr Malting Co
Rascher & Betzold
Siebel/Quest Intl
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co
Sievers Instruments Inc
Union de Cervecerias Peruanas
Vicam LP
World Minerals Inc
Yakima Chief Inc

New Active Members

Bouchard-Marchand, Edith, Engineering and Production Trainee, Molson Canada, Montreal, PQ, Canada

Casey, Joseph, P., Brewer, Widmer Brothers Brewing Co, Portland, OR

Coene, Douglas, G., Molson Canada, Etobicoke, ON, Canada

DesAlliers, Christian, Production Trainee, Molson Breweries, Etobicoke, ON, Canada

Hemphill, Cheryl, Microbiologist, Williams Ethanol Services, Pekin, IL

Hussey, Tracy, C., Production Trainee, Molson Canada, St John's, NF, Canada

Kuhnhenn, Bret, M., President, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co LLC, Warren, MI

Long, C. Matt, Lab Manager, Big Sky Brewing Co, Missoula, MT

Loucks, Brad, Manager, Great Western Malting, Vancouver, WA

More, Greg, T., Production Trainee, Molson Breweries, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Olson, Don, C., President, Global FIA Inc, Gig Harbor, WA

Paquette, Christian, Production Trainee, Molson Canada, Regina, SK, Canada

Pinard, Paul-Andre, Production Trainee, Cornwall, ON, Canada

Prevosto, Regina, Quality Systems Manager, Coors Brewing Co, Golden, CO

Richard, John, L., Romer Labs Inc, Union, MO

Sherman, Andrew, E., Postgraduate Student, Warrington, Cheshir, Scotland

Smith, Fiona, Quality Assurance Manager, Canterbury NZ Malting Co Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand

Tarks, Jeffrey, J., President, Specialized Malting & Roasting Co, Tottenham, ON, Canada

ASBC Past Presidents

Upcoming Annual Meetings & Events

WBC 2000
July 29-August 2
Orlando, FL
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

ASBC 2001
June 23-27
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Empress Hotel and Victoria Conference Centre

Upcoming Events

Yeast Physiology--A New Era of Opportunity
EBC Symposium
November 22-23
Nutfield, United Kingdom

National Brewpub Conference & Tradeshow
October 21-23, 2000
Portland, ME

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