Brewing industry solutions on show by Krones at BrauBeviale 2026

Alcohol-free beers, increasing demands for energy and resource efficiency, and the ongoing advance of digitalisation: the brewing industry is undergoing significant change. Krones will demonstrate how these developments can be translated into practice at BrauBeviale 2026. From 10 to 12 November in Nuremberg, the company will present solutions covering the entire value chain, from process technology and filling and packaging technology through to digital applications.

Process technology: new requirements and solutions

One focus at the event for Krones will be on process technology. In response to growing global demand for alcohol-free beers, Steinecker is continuously advancing its dynamic fermentation process. Based on the Poseidon circulation unit and combined with Crabtree-negative NEER yeasts from Novonesis, the solution is now in operation at several sites around the world. The experience gained from these projects is feeding directly into the further development of the process.

Alongside the brewing industry, Steinecker is also placing an increasing focus on other sectors. At BrauBeviale, the company will present for the first time an application example from the field of special vessel manufacturing for spirits production. This demonstrates how its expertise in stainless steel processing can be used beyond the brewing industry, including applications in spirits and cheese production.

In addition, Krones and Steinecker will provide insights into their own extraction system. This solution is particularly suitable for flavour extraction in tea beverages as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic ready-to-drink products. The technology enables the gentle recovery of valuable ingredients and further expands the portfolio of process solutions for the beverage industry.

The exhibition program will be complemented by solutions from Evoguard and other process technology developments.

Glass remains the benchmark in beer filling

Current brewery requirements are also at the heart of developments in filling and packaging technology. Glass remains the most important packaging type in the beer segment, which is why numerous innovations are focused on enabling the most resource-efficient and cost-effective handling of this container type.

With the Lavasonic HI, Krones can provide the next generation of bottle cleaning technology. The new high-intensity module uses ultrasound to achieve highly efficient cleaning while reducing both energy and water consumption.

In filling technology, the spotlight will be on the further developed Modulfill HES. The development project will be completed at the end of the year, with the new generation of fillers entering serial production. The system achieves outputs of up to 78,000 glass bottles/h. In addition to improvements in operator convenience, hygiene and footprint, product quality was a key priority throughout the redesign. Low oxygen pick-up values contribute to a longer shelf life for beer.

Flexibility in the dry end

Packaging requirements are also evolving. A growing variety of products and changing pack formats call for highly flexible solutions. The Smartpac NXT packaging machine is designed to address this trend by handling different bottle formats and secondary packaging types. In addition to glass containers, it can also process PET bottles.

In palletising technology, Krones will present a newly developed layer pusher at BrauBeviale for the first time. The new machine combines a range of features from the existing portfolio in a single solution.

Whether alcohol-free beers, resource-efficient production or digitalisation, the key themes of BrauBeviale 2026 reflect the challenges currently facing breweries. Krones is addressing these developments and will showcase practical solutions.

Image: Supplied