Centre profile

Dettagli

The Italian Brewing Research Centre (CERB – CEntro di Ricerca per l’eccellenza della Birra) is Italy’s first independent research institute dedicated to beer. Established in 2003 through a bilateral agreement between the University of Perugia and ASSOBIRRA (the Italian Brewers Association), CERB was founded to pursue shared goals across various areas of the brewing sector.
The Centre’s pilot plants and equipment were funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of University and Research, both of which recognized the strategic importance of establishing a dedicated brewing science research facility. However, brewing research in Perugia began even earlier, in 1998, when the University’s Department of Food Science launched a project—funded by the Ministry of University and Research—focused on the nutritional and technological aspects of fermented beverages, particularly beer. Developed in collaboration with ASSOBIRRA, the project demonstrated the department’s strong scientific capabilities and reliability in achieving its objectives, ultimately justifying the creation of Italy’s first and only public brewing research centre.
CERB’s multidisciplinary team includes food technologists, agronomists, chemists, engineers, and technical staff. The Centre aims to serve as a hub for research in beer production, development, and quality certification, to protect both consumers and the product. According to its Quality Policy and in compliance with ISO 9001:2015 standards for Quality Management Systems, CERB is recognized for its work in research, training, and analysis of key processes in beer production.

These processes include:

1. Research and testing of agro-food raw materials, with a focus on brewing ingredients and beer;
2. Studies on the brewing process and quality evaluation (nutritional, health-related, sensory, and commercial aspects) of beer;
3. Development of chemical and biological analytical methods for assessing raw materials, intermediates, and final beer products;
3. Consultancy services for breweries and laboratories;
4. Training programs for university students, microbreweries, and brewing industry professionals;
5. Dissemination of scientific findings.

In the first, CERB can initiate studies on topics relating to the beer production chain, such as traceability and quality control of the raw material. The second, CERB may develop projects that have been requested by the brewing industry, such as improvements to the final product. The Centre has fully equipped chemistry labs that can offer the entire range of EBC analyses, in compliance with the ISO/IEC 17025:2018 and following the guidelines of the national body for accreditation, ACCREDIA (The Italian Accreditation System). ACCREDIA is the unique national accreditation body of Italy.

Accreditation guarantees that reports on testing, inspection and certifications - of systems, products or personnel - carrying the ACCREDIA mark are in line with the most stringent international requirements of evaluation, including constant and rigorous surveillance of the activities of the accredited laboratories and bodies.

To constantly monitor and improve the quality of the measurements, evaluating methods ad instrumentation, CERB periodically takes part in several international proficiency tests: Malt Analytes Proficiency Testing Scheme (MAPS) and Brewing Analytes Proficiency Scheme (BAPS) (LGC Standard Proficiency Testing, Lancashire, UK), Gritz corn proficiency test (IFBM, Nancy, FR), and Beer and distilled beverage (AG. DOGANE, Roma, IT).

CERB also features a micro-malting plant (with steeping, germination, and kilning units) and a 110-litre pilot brewery. The brewery is fully automated, includes five fermentation vessels in a flexible system, and supports both decoction and infusion mashing, as well as lautering or mash filtration. It also includes a semi-industrial isobaric bottle filler and a complete keg-filling system.
Beyond technical support, CERB plays a key role in consulting for microbreweries and has developed a dedicated research and training program, including a Master’s degree in Brewing Technologies.

Organization