Graham Stewart (1); (1) International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland

Technical Session 18: Evolution of Brewing
Tuesday, August 16  •  3:30–5:15 p.m.
Plaza Building, Concourse Level, Governor’s Square 15

Traditionally, beer brewing has been a conservative, slow process. As a result of financial and efficiency pressures on the industry, lean manufacturing concepts have progressively been adopted. This has resulted in the development of brewing intensification procedures by a number of major brewing companies. The craft brewing sector of the industry (the definition of which is currently unclear) did not consider that the introduction of various aspects of brewing intensification was advisable or even necessary until recently. However, the current exponential growth of this sector has presented it with a number of capacity problems that have resulted in many of these breweries adopting brewing intensification concepts. Initiatives that are being adopted include increased rates of wort fermentation and final attenuation, high quality yeast viability and yeast vitality, decreased maturation times, enhanced beer quality and stability and a plethora of high-gravity brewing procedures. All of these practices, if adopted, must ensure that beer quality is protected and that the procedures also enhance production efficiency. Aspects of these procedures will be discussed.

In 1969, Graham Stewart joined the Labatt Brewing Company in London, ON, Canada, and devoted himself to the advancement of brewing science with an emphasis on yeast: first as a research microbiologist, then through various research positions, culminating in eight years as director of brewing technical affairs, with responsibility for strategic technical planning, research, process and product development, quality assurance, intellectual property management and related technical responsibilities. His teams’ subsequent achievements in the development of high-gravity brewing and related intensification concepts are widely acknowledged. In 1994, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, recruited him to head the International Centre of Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) as director and professor of brewing and distilling. He retired from this position in 2007. He holds Ph.D. and D.Sc. degrees from the University of Bath, is a visiting professor at the University of Nottingham and an emeritus professor at Heriot-Watt (which recently conferred on him an honorary doctorate). His Fellowships include the American Academy of Microbiology, the Institute of Biology and Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD). He has held various roles within the IBD, is a past president and holds its highest award—the Horace Brown Medal. Further awards include the Award of Distinction of the American Society of Brewing Chemists and the Award of Merit of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas. His academic publication record involves over 300 articles, including peer-reviewed papers, books, patents and reviews.