Tuur Mertens - CraftSense

15/01/2026

CraftSense in the local news 🍻 Feel free to contact me if you're interested in attending the workshop.

De Wijn- en Biermakers de Slotbrekers uit Wetteren organiseren een workshop voor brouwers en hobbyisten in samenwerking met CraftSense onder leiding van doctor in de brouwwetenschappen Tuur Mertens.

06/01/2026

In Part 2 of a special “Can You Solve This?” episode of The Modern Brewer Podcast, Chris Lewington and I reveal the root cause behind a long‑standing, sporadic gushing problem at a renown Belgian brewery.

A big shout‑out to everyone who participated. Some of the submissions were incredibly sharp, and a few of you came very close.

If you enjoy real‑world brewing problem‑solving — the kind that doesn’t fit neatly into a textbook — this episode is for you.

👉 You can find Part 1 in the comments if you want to follow the full story from the beginning.

🎧 Part 2 – The Reveal 👇
- Spotify -> https://lnkd.in/eGpMNCeX
- Apple -> https://lnkd.in/em8DyK-x
- YouTube -> https://lnkd.in/e9Gau6hA

09/11/2025

This past week, I had the distinct pleasure of joining the judging panel for the Brussels Beer Challenge, hosted this year in the charming Belgian town of Marche-en-Famenne. As Belgium’s premier international beer competition, the BBC is a true celebration of global brewing excellence, and being a part of it was a real honour.

The scale of the competition is impressive. Over three days, more than 70 international judges evaluated over 1,700 beers from 30+ countries. Each beer is tasted blind and assessed meticulously according to its style category. The challenge isn’t only about picking winners, it’s also about providing constructive, objective feedback that helps brewers understand how their beers are perceived and how they can continue to innovate and improve.

Tasting such a wide and diverse range of beers in a short time is intense but rewarding. It requires real focus to identify the subtle nuances that separate a good beer from a gold-medal winner.

This process also highlights one of our core beliefs at CraftSense: expert feedback is one of the most powerful tools a brewer can have. It helps uncover strengths, identify off-flavours or processing issues, and provide the critical insights needed to achieve exceptional quality.

Cheers to everyone who continues to raise the bar for great beer!
— Tuur

10/09/2025

I'm excited to announce that I have been selected as one of the 16 finalists for the 2025 Flemish PhD Cup! For those unfamiliar with the event, it's an annual SciMingo competition in which young researchers are challenged to explain their PhD research clearly to the general public in just three minutes.

💡 So, what was my PhD about again?
I researched how to keep beer fresh and flavourful for longer. The main culprits? Metal ions, such as iron, which accelerate oxidation and lead to the infamous 'cardboard flavour'. My solution? A natural pomegranate extract rich in antioxidants that removes these metals at an early stage. This keeps the taste fresh for longer in a simple, natural way.

🎤 In the coming weeks, alongside the other finalists, I will undertake four days of media training at SciMingo and VRT (the Flemish national broadcaster). We'll participate in intensive workshops on presentation skills, writing and interview techniques. I can't wait to share the wonderful world of beer chemistry with you and bring science straight to your glass! 🍺

📌 Curious for more? You can find my full profile here: https://lnkd.in/e5UnWvjq

--- Nederlandse versie onderaan ---

Met veel trots mag ik delen dat ik geselecteerd ben als één van de 16 finalisten voor de Vlaamse PhD Cup 2025! Voor wie de wedstrijd niet kent: deze jaarlijkse pitchwedstrijd van SciMingo daagt jonge onderzoekers uit om hun doctoraat helder uit te leggen aan een breed publiek in slechts drie minuten.

💡 Maar waarover ging mijn doctoraat ook alweer?
Ik onderzocht hoe we bier langer vers en smaakvol kunnen houden. De grote boosdoeners? Metaalionen zoals ijzer, die oxidatie versnellen en zo leiden tot de beruchte "kartonsmaak". Mijn oplossing? Een natuurlijk extract van granaatappel, rijk aan antioxidanten die deze metalen al in een vroeg stadium uit het bier kunnen halen. Zo blijft de smaak langer fris, op een eenvoudige en natuurlijke manier.

🎤 De komende weken start ik, samen met de andere finalisten, aan een vierdaagse mediatraining bij SciMingo en de VRT. We krijgen intensieve workshops in presenteren, schrijven en interviewtechnieken. Ik kijk er enorm naar uit om de wondere wereld van de bierchemie met jullie te delen en wetenschap tot in je glas te brengen! 🍺

📌 Benieuwd naar meer? Je vindt mijn volledige profiel hier: https://lnkd.in/e5UnWvjq

📸: Kevin Faingnaert

02/09/2025

I'm thrilled to announce the launch of CraftSense, a consultancy I've co-founded with my partner, Nina De Vlieghere.

At CraftSense, we'll combine in-depth brewing science with proven expertise in scaling food tech operations. Our goal is to empower breweries and beverage innovators to perfect their products and achieve sustainable business growth.

We're ready to help with anything from solving stubborn quality issues and implementing HACCP plans to managing complex international rollouts.

Want to know more? You can find all the information you need to know on our brand new website. We look forward to connecting with you and discussing the challenges and opportunities in our fantastic industry.
https://craftsense.net/introducing-craftsense-your-partners-in-product-and-process/

08/11/2023

I'm happy to announce that my PhD journey came to an end this week with a successful defence. My deepest thanks to everyone who was there and to those who have supported me over the years. The next chapter awaits! Onwards and upwards!

09/08/2022

Another milestone achieved! Another chapter closed!
This paper is a little special. Being a review article, it summarizes the current state of understanding on my research topic. It took a lot of sweat and tears writing it, that's for sure.
If you want to learn about my field, and what I have been jabbering about these past years, this is the one to read.

Beer inevitably changes over time: the colour will darken, haze may form, and stale flavours develop, while others fade. The challenge of maintaining the fresh flavour quality of beer (over a typical...