Beers

Since the 1990s, the brewing sector has undergone major changes, with the rise of microbreweries. Craft breweries, which were in sharp decline at the beginning of the 20th century, are once again booming. More traditional products are on the rise, with abbey beers gaining in popularity and local products gaining ground. As for industrial breweries, they are adapting and taking the lead in a new trend that complements craft brews: alcohol-free beers.

The industry demands rigorous quality control of both raw materials and finished products. Whatever the size of the company, production requirements such as technological choices, process regularity and quality control are key to success.

For smaller structures, the technological challenges are numerous and justify grouping together to access local raw materials, reinforcing the environmental positioning and short circuits of microbreweries.

This process sheet details the processes involved in craft and industrial-scale beer production, and the impact of these differences on the finished product. The description of the manufacturing stages provides the references needed to make your own beer. The article also includes a brief description of the industry's economic context and recent changes.

For more detailed information on this subject, please refer to the article [F 6 205] , which deals with the biochemical and microbiological knowledge needed to understand these phenomena, as well as the importance of the quality of raw materials (malt, hops, etc.).