Ask The Brewmasters

  • 1.  analytical lab

    Posted 01-27-2024 21:36

    Good evening, looking to build our very basic analytical lab to incorporate more durability and reliability in alcohol, ph and other QC parameters. I'll be so appreciative of suggestions, either a single unit or a combination of devices in the total spend of $5-10K.

    Thanks so much!

    David



    ------------------------------
    David Turner
    Owner and President
    Eosin Brewing Company
    Magnolia TX
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: analytical lab

    Posted 01-29-2024 13:23
    Essentials for a new QA lab:
    • microscope
    • hemocytometer (bright lined)
    • 0.5-10ul & 100-1000ul pipettors
    • centrifuge
    • handheld density meter (DMA35)
    • benchtop pH meter
    • wort dissolved oxygen probe (optional)
    If you're resourceful in your shopping you should be able to pick all this up for under $10k.

    Cheers,

    Gabe Wilson






  • 3.  RE: analytical lab

    Posted 01-30-2024 13:46
      |   view attached

    ASBC has a nice guide for this too. Here is the link, I also attached it as a pdf. 



    ------------------------------
    Caitlin Singer
    Quality & Sustainability Manager
    Georgetown Brewing Company
    Seattle WA
    (602) 696-0550
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    GrowYourOwnLab_UPDATE.pdf   324 KB 1 version
    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: analytical lab

    Posted 01-30-2024 13:47

    I would suggest the Anton Paar  EasyDens, which works just fine for your purposes. You could also add a UV/VIS with quarz cuvettes (there is a chinese model available for ca. $1k), a small incubator for petri dishes or 3M petri-film. If you start canning or bottling, I would add a Hygiena Luminometer to check for proper sanitation, especially around your filler heads and couplings, and a C-Box (sit down before you check on the pricing for that one) with a can piercer.

    You find a lot of good information in Mary Pellettieri's book on Quality Management by Brewers Publications, or John Sheppard's book "Introduction to Brewing and Fermentation Science".

    Happy brewing!



    ------------------------------
    Volker Bornemann
    President
    Avazyme, Inc.
    Research Triangle Park, NC
    avazyme.com
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: analytical lab

    Posted 01-30-2024 13:47

    Page 34 of Mary Pellettieri's book Quality Management has a nice table that lists what lab capabilities are typical and/or appropriate for breweries of various sizes.  It's a good book published by the Brewers' Association, and I recommend you take a look at it.  Beyond that, I would only suggest that you first ask yourself how you will use the data generated by the lab to guide your operations.  There's not much point in collecting data that nobody looks at.  You really only need to measure parameters that you intend to control.  So, instead of saying "our lab needs a spectrophotometer and distillation apparatus so that we can measure diacetyl", I think it's better to come up with standards for diacetyl levels, and a program for how you will uphold those standards, and then ask yourself "what on-site capabilities do we need to execute this program?"  Also consider how often you will be running any assay, and how quickly you will need the results.  Sending samples to an outside lab sometimes makes more sense than developing in-house capabilities.

     

    Cullen Dwyer

    Q/A Manager

    P: 978.874.9965 X1160


    Wachusett Brewing Company, Inc.
    175 State Road E.
    Westminster, MA  01473

    www.wachusettbrewingcompany.com

     




    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: analytical lab

    Posted 01-30-2024 15:06

    Dear David;

    You've gotten some good links and insight.  It's great that the ASBC link is included, but I wouldn't be surprised if you found that hard to translate into actionable next steps.  That, and the analytical supply biz is opaque and overpriced, imho.  A good reason to join the ASBC is lab folks are mostly generous with tips & tricks and can share favorite vendors, technique hacks and SOP clones.  Too bad there's no discount for joining both, but I digress.

    Check out this great blog post from the good folks at QC2:

    Starting a QA/QC Program With No Money

    Quality Control Collaboratory (QC2) remove preview
    Starting a QA/QC Program With No Money
    Introduction Some breweries start developing a QA/QC program before they've even opened their brewery, others wait until they're more established to start thinking about building a QA/QC program. Regardless of when you start your program, everyone has similar goals; create a consistent product, ensure your product is safe, and make sure you're always putting your best foot forward.
    View this on Quality Control Collaboratory (QC2) >

    Good luck and don't hesitate to reach out and build relationships, of which this is a good start.



    ------------------------------
    Scott Bruslind
    Laboratory Manager
    Analysis Laboratory
    Lebanon OR
    (541) 451-8571
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: analytical lab

    Posted 02-01-2024 09:27

    If you have the time and resources to attend the Microbiology for Brewers at UW Stevens Point,I can't recommend it enough. You get to use all the equipment and make a decision on what to purchase first and put together a program for the future. Also included is a spiral bound book with everything that was gone thru for reference.



    ------------------------------
    Michael Schaefgen
    Mequon WI
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content