The Brewers Association (BA) is pleased to announce that NSF International Applied Research Center (ARC), in cooperation with the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE) at Montana State University, is the recipient of a $120,000 grant to conduct an unprecedented draught beer line cleaning study.

Brewers devote a great deal of time, effort and resources to making the best beer possible for consumers. That hard work can be ruined in the time it takes the beer to travel from the keg to the glass if the draught system and lines have not been properly cleaned and maintained.

This study, the first of its kind and the largest grant awarded to date from the Brewers Association, will see development and execution through 2016 with the potential for project expansion into future years.

The goals of the study are to:

• Create a deeper understanding of the development of biofilm in draught beer lines.
• Validate or disprove current draught line cleaning recommendations found in the Draught Beer Quality Manual.
• Develop and create a repeatable standard assay to be used as the basis for determining the cleaning effectiveness of draught beer line cleaning variables, including:
  • frequency
  • flow rate
  • chemical type
  • chemical concentration
• Assess the impacts of various materials and components used in draught dispense systems.
• Identify the components in varying craft beer styles that contribute to the development of biofilm in draught beer lines.

The study will draw on the combined expertise of the ARC and the CBE, which includes decades of experience researching biofilm in industrial settings and internationally recognized quality standards related to public health and sanitation.

“The NSF International Applied Research Center and the Center for Biofilm Engineering are excited to work with the Brewers Association to examine the science behind the presence of biofilms in draught beer lines,” said Jesse Miller, Director of the Applied Research Center, NSF International. “Our work aims to create a reproducible standard method for draught beer line testing that allows purveyors of draught beer to optimize their cleaning procedures and ensure the highest quality product is being delivered to customers.”

“By combining the method development expertise of the CBE with the unique, rapid testing ability of the NSF International Applied Research Center, we are confident that a reliable, reproducible method will be created to assist the brewing industry with an effective draught beer line standard cleaning method,” said Darla Goeres, Associate Research Professor at Montana State University’s Center for Biofilm Engineering.

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Jesse D. Miller, Ph.D., Director, NSF International Applied Research Center

Dr. Jesse D. Miller has more than a decade of experience in microbiology, molecular biology, commercialization and front end innovation. He holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Wayne State University School of Medicine and a B.S. from the University of Michigan. Dr. Miller’s academic research focus has been on the bacterial pathogenesis of Streptococcus, while his industrial research focus has been on the creation of diagnostics for the health care industry. In his role, he has led and trained multiple teams on the tools and principles necessary to create meaningful products and services in today’s fast-paced product development world. He has authored numerous publications and holds more than a dozen patents (granted and applied for).

Darla M. Goeres, Ph.D., Associate Research Professor, Montana State University

Dr. Darla M. Goeres is an Associate Research Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE), Montana State University. Dr. Goeres leads the Standardized Biofilm Methods Laboratory at the CBE, and is a leader in the development and validation of standard methods for growing, treating, sampling and analyzing biofilm bacteria. Dr. Goeres has researched biofilm growth in a variety of industrial and engineered systems including oil field reservoirs, Danish district heating waters and treated recreational water venues. She has evaluated a multitude of products designed to control, kill and/or remove biofilm from hard non-porous surfaces such as those found in hospitals and the home environment.