Hello again. Long time, no see!
It is about time to catch up, right? Finally, the training sessions slowed down and I was able to seat down and update you. So, let’s go!
You may be asking yourselves where have I been and what have I learnt during the long time I disappeared. Let me just tell you how awesome it has been! Not only we visited all the Universities involved in the project, but also a company, VLB.
A small recap on where I have been so far. In March 2017 I flew to Poland for UA Krakow to kick-off with classes about proper research methodology. In May 2017, I packed my bags and went to Berlin to learn about micro-malting, and the reality and problems of the brewing industry and packaging by VLB. Once again, in September 2017, TU Berlin invited us to broaden our malting and brewing knowledge, allowing us to work on a traditional German brew. In November 2017, we got together in Copenhagen to have a peek into beer stability and its chemistry. In January 2018 I welcomed my colleagues in Ghent and discovered fermentation and Belgian speciality beers at Ghent University. We also stepped up our game with many problem solving concepts from the industry’s point of view at KU Leuven. And last but not least, in June 2018, I travelled to Nottingham to plunge into the world of beer sensory tests. What amazing trips we had! Full of new knowledge, new people, fun and of course, beer.
Our next trip is schedule for late January 2019 to visit FlavorActiV in England. I can’t wait for this whole week, when I will train my brain to recognise different beer flavours. Luckily nobody will be driving, and we can enjoy this training to the fullest.
Beyond the training sessions, I also had the opportunity to attend two conferences. First, the 13th Trends in Brewing in Ghent, Belgium (8-12 April, 2018), which gathered 460 participants from the world of malting and brewing. There, we had the chance to spread the word about the EJD Food Science project and experience real-life networking. What is more important, I was in charge of planning and organising the booth at Trends in Brewing and I must say, it was a fun experience. It’s not as easy as it seems, you know!
Later, (16-18 May, 2018) I had the opportunity to present my research at XIX School of Fermentation Technology (Kocierz, Poland) to around 150 participants. I must admit, I was nervous! But it was a great opportunity to talk about my topic and even get some feedback from experts; constructive criticism is always welcome. You have no idea how beautiful is over there, I was in love. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of time to explore the area.
September brings a new conference, the 6th Young Scientists Symposium on Malting, Brewing and Distilling. I will be presenting my first poster (that looks amazing, just saying) and I am super excited to finally show some of my results!
I hope I have made you slightly jealous with all my trips and acquired knowledge, and fear not, there is much more to come, so stay tuned!
Cheers,
Magda
