Two anaerobic inverse fluidized bed reactors were utilized to evaluate organic matter removal from brewery wastewater, applying different OLR and testing two support materials. Hydrodynamic tests varying liquid flow and solid concentration were developed on the supports in order to establish operational conditions. A batch colonization stage was applied using 25% active volume of extendosphere and triturated polyethylene as support materials. The reactors were subsequently operated continuously with stepwise increments in organic loading rate until limiting conditions was reached. For the supports studied, IFBR technology was suitable for organic matter removal present in brewery wastewater with COD removal efficiencies greater than 90%. The reactor with triturated polyethylene support showed an excellent COD removal with OLR values up to 10 g COD/L d, whereas the reactor with extendosphere support had an excellent hydrodynamic and biologic behavior working with OLR values up to 70 g COD/L d. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.