Focus Session - Mash Filtration: An Overview and Practical Application in a Contemporary Brewing Environment.

Description: The panel will cover both basic and advanced concepts about mash filters coming from a diverse set of user experiences. While the technology has been around for over a century, this discussion will put forth a contemporary viewpoint looking at current wort production efficiency needs given a more and more unpredictable barley crop. Further, pulling from the craft sector, panelists will also discuss the opportunities and challenges managing diverse beer portfolios. This panel will represent brewhouses ranging from 20bbl to over 250bbl in facilities managing hugely different production realities.

Relevance: Mash filters are not new technology but their widespread adoption on the industrial scale is somewhat taken for granted. Further, recent craft-sized brewhouse manufacturers/integrators have made smaller systems available. There are now breweries producing a few 1,000 barrels of beer running mash filters. Many of these brewers embrace this technology not only for the efficiency gains, but for the flexibility and ability to push the boundaries of brewing.

Please be advised that I am sourcing panelists from a pool of ~8 people: large industrial brewery, large contract brewery, craft brewer, and manufacturer. I have not confirmed all speakers but working from a large pool to guarantee a panel of 4 presenters.

Brewing Summit 2025 Theme: Given the current industry and climate reality, embracing efficiency and brand diversity offers many opportunities for gains. The market for malted barley will only be more dynamic and seasonal malt quality shifts will be more profound. Operating a high efficiency wort production system offers a competitive advantage to cutting costs and mitigating malt quality challenges. Craft brewers are also using this technology to push the boundaries of beer styles by taking advantage of the technology to brew higher gravity stouts and even Hazy IPAs with 100% adjuncts!