Discuss the options facing Belgian craft brewers desiring to sell their products in the United States if researchers cannot discover a way to sufficiently extend the shelf life of craft beers.
Brewing craft beer is both an art and a science, and Sonia Collin, a Belgian researcher, is trying to devise a way for this highly perishable beer to have a longer shelf life. If successful, brewers can ship more beer longer distances. Hoping to boost exports of homegrown products, the Belgian government is investing $7 million for research, with $1.7 million of that allocated to Ms. Collins’ research. A $250,000 tasting machine in her laboratory identifies the chemical compounds in a sample of beer, which allowed researchers to recommend using organic ingredients, adjusting the oxygen and yeast levels, and reducing the time the beer is at high temperatures in the brewing process. Although pasteurization and bottling methods allow giants such as Heineken and Anheuser to export their brews, aficionados prefer the more delicate flavor of craft beers. But craft brews don’t travel well—time and sunlight are its worst enemies—so they are limited to local distribution. Most craft beers lose flavor in less than three months.