District Philadelphia Fall Technical Weekend - November 1st & 2nd

Join MBAA District Philadelphia for our annual Philly Fall Technical Meeting on Saturday, November 2nd from 8AM to 7PM at the Yards Brewing Company.

This years technical presentations will cover a wide range of topics. Continue reading for more information.

There will be a Happy Hour the night before the Fall Technical Meeting held on Friday, November 1st from 5PM to 8PM at a Love City Brewing Company. Happy Hour is included in your Conference Registration.

***A Big Thank You to AFCO for Sponsoring Happy Hour!!!***

There will also be lunch with beer! We wouldn't let you go hungry or thirsty. The day of the Fall Technical Meeting, Saturday, November 2nd from Noon to 1PM. Lunch and beers are all part of your Conference Registration.

***A Big Thank You to Hopsteiner for Sponsoring Lunch!!!***

Don't forget to register before it's too late!!!

Registration Pricing....

 
Outside beer and raffle donations to the event are always appreciated!!!!

Fall Tech Speakers (Bios & Topics):

Dr. Roger Barth, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry

• Affiliation: West Chester University
• Topic: Managing Haze: Defect or Characteristic
  • Introduction: Haze as a defect and as a style characteristic.
  • What is haze? Measuring haze. Sedimentation.
  • Haze structure. Protein. Polyphenol. Binding model.
  • Clear beer. Finings.
  • Hazy beer. NEIPA. Bitterness.
  • Dry Hopping. Hop oils. Dry hopping and aroma.
  • Yeast. Haze positive strains.
  • Dry hopping technique.
  • Raising and keeping haze.
  • Hazy beer recommendations.
  • Haze and flavor.
  • Future research.
  • Annotated bibliography.
• Bio: Roger Barth, PhD, was awarded a BA in chemistry from La Salle College in 1973, and a PhD in physical chemistry from the Johns Hopkins University1977. His post-doctoral work at University of Delaware and Drexel University involved industrial catalysis. He was a faculty member in the chemistry department at West Chester University of Pennsylvania from 1985 until his retirement in June 2021. He created a university course entitled The Chemistry of Beer and is the author of its textbook. Barth’s research focus is brewhouse processing and beer, wort, malt, and hops analytical methods. He is author, coauthor, or editor of five books and five refereed book chapters. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Brewing Chemists, and he serves on the Editorial and Publications Committee of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

Tiffany Pitra, Senior Sensory Manager at Yakima Chief Hops

• Affiliation: Yakima Chief Hops
• Topic: What’s up with Hop Smoke Taint?
  • As wildfire smoke continues to threaten the quality of hops grown in the Pacific Northwest, industry stakeholders are collaborating through multiple approaches to adequately respond. This interactive presentation will cover how smoke taint is perceived in hops and beer, as well as provide an overview of ongoing research efforts, and allow participants to assess samples using a new method for screening hop smoke taint.
• Bio: Originally from Iowa, Tiff Pitra relocated to Yakima, Washington in 2010 where she immediately fell in love with the hop industry. Tiff holds a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, and in 2014 she completed the UC Davis Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program while building her first raw materials sensory panel. She actively serves on the ASBC Sensory Subcommittee (previously served as Chair), helping validate sensory methods and hosting workshops at annual meetings. At Yakima Chief Hops, she is fortunate to align her professional goals with personal interests; she is passionate about hop quality, sensory education, and growing the Yakima community.

Thomas Mooney, Sr. Yeast and Fermentation Scientist

•  Affiliation: Molson Coors
• Topic: Leveraging Machine Learning for Optimized Beer Production
  • In this presentation, we will explore the practical applications of machine learning (ML) in beer production, highlighting how it can enhance efficiency, product quality, and operational performance. This session will provide an overview of key machine learning concepts and demonstrate common use cases, such as predictive maintenance, quality control, and process optimization.  Industry-specific case studies will also be presented that outline these applications of ML. Attendees will learn the core steps for implementing a ML solution, from data collection to model deployment, and gain insight into the resources and tools available to create their own ML initiatives. By the end of the presentation, participants will understand the potential of machine learning in production environments and how to start leveraging it to improve their own operations.
• Bio: 
  • Thomas is a Microbiologist and Yeast Fermentation Scientist with over 11 years of experience in brewing microbiology, yeast physiology, and fermentation science. Currently, he serves as a Senior Yeast and Fermentation Scientist at Molson Coors, where he has led global yeast culture management, developed innovative microbiological testing methods, and optimized fermentation processes across multiple breweries worldwide.
  • In addition to his brewing expertise, he is also pursuing a Master's in Data Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he has honed his skills in machine learning and statistical programming using Python and R. This combination of brewing science and data-driven approaches allows him to address complex fermentation challenges, improve process efficiency, and maintain high-quality standards across production.

Jaime Jurado

• Topic: Quantifying Craft Brewery Carbon Dioxide Demand , and its Harvestable Fermentation Gas Collection Potential
  • More than ever before, breweries of different annual production capacities are finding harvesting of carbon dioxide a real possibility because of smaller/craft- scale turnkey systems offered by solution providers. Scaling CO2 demand for breweries of 20,000 bbl/yr to 90,000 bbl/yr is non-linear but approximated. Example calculations built on different size vessels illustrate how to compute the required CO2 for purging tanks, and realistic estimations of quantities of harvest-grade carbon dioxide fermenters will be presented. A discussion of the opportunity to collect greater carbon dioxide (at lower purity) via mechanical upgrade and by capturing CO2 often vented out from BBT will be a component of the presentation. Best practice SOPs will be described, and the opportunities for nitrogen use will be discussed. Economic justification of system investment will close the presentation.
• Bio: Former MBAA President Jaime Jurado has been in brewing since 1983. His undergrad degree is in chemical engineering, he earned his MSc in electrical engineering and he also did three years postgraduate engineering research and study at Oxford University while serving as brewery engineer at Britain's largest brewery. He has presented and published on a variety of topics in the sphere of brewery engineering, sustainability, and other research areas. He has published his work in the TQ MBAA, J. ASBC, and in engineering journals. In a break from beverages, he served as Plant Superintendent at a large chocolate plant near his home in NEPA for 15 months, and his last presentation was in May 2024 for the annual American Chemical Society Susquehanna Valley Section Awards Dinner,  "Inquiry-based Physical Chemistry: Observable Sensory Experiments with Chocolate and lessons  from the great Chocolatiers – A talk and a tasting"

Dr. Allison Lang

• Affiliation: Omega Yeast
• Topic: Yeast Management Best Practices: Dry Hopped Beers
  •  Working on improving your yeast re-pitching program, but running up against issues with dry hop timing or hop creep? We can help! This session will cover effective strategies for re-pitching yeast in dry-hopped beers that maximize viability and minimize the effects of hop creep. We will share two simple quality control assays to measure hop diastase activity and to help predict the impact of hop creep on the final finishing gravity. We will also cover methods to avoid extended tank time and potential quality issues with hop creep, including the approach of using our new ALDC-expressing yeast strains. Brewers will leave this seminar with tips to maximize their yeast re-pitching program and reduce hang ups and off flavors in the cellar when making dry-hopped beers.
• Bio: Dr. Allison Lange is the R&D Molecular Biologist at Omega Yeast in Chicago. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology and was awarded her PhD in Biochemistry from Emory University. Allison then brewed professionally for ~9 years in the Washington DC area. She began as a Brewer and Beer Scientist at Port City Brewing Company, then moved to be the Director of Brewing Operations, Lead Brewer, Lead QC, and Lead Cellarperson at 3 Stars Brewery. Most recently, she was Head Brewer of Old Ox Brewery.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, November 1st - Happy Hour at Love City Brewing Company
• Happy Hour runs 5PM - 8PM
• Love City Brewing Company
• 1023 Hamilton St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
***A Big Thank You to AFCO for Sponsoring Happy Hour!!!***

Please note that we are not allowed to bring outside beer to the Happy Hour Event however it is welcomed at the Technical Conference on Saturday!!!

• Technical Meeting runs 8AM - 5PM
• Happy Hour runs 5PM - 7PM
• Yards Brewing Company
• 500 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Schedule of the Fall Technical Day Events...

Morning Sessions:
• Morning Registration & Coffee to be held upstairs in the Conference Room *Start/End time 8AM - 9AM  
• Morning Meetings to be held upstairs in the Conference Room *Start/End time 9AM - Noon

Lunch:
• Lunch to be held in the upstairs Conference Room *Start/End time Noon - 1:00PM
***A Big Thank You to Hopsteiner for Sponsoring Lunch!!!***