Speakers: Dr. Darla Goeres, Dr. Jesse Miller

Biofilm is a community of microbes encased in a matrix that is most often associated with surfaces but also exists as flocs or chunks of floating matter. Biofilm challenges many industries, because once established in a system, it is hard to kill and remove. In the brewing industry, it is suspected biofilm in beer draught lines is harboring bacteria responsible for off-flavors in the draught beer, a situation that is frustrating for the on-premise retailer who may lose profits from poor reviews, the brewers who take great care to craft a beer with a specific taste profile only to have the quality compromised, and lastly the consumer, whose expectations of a high quality product are not met. In this presentation, Dr. Jesse Miller and Dr. Darla Goeres will describe what biofilm is, how it grows, why it is challenging to kill and remove, and the research they are doing to better understand and control biofilm in beer draught line systems.