Cost efficient Quality Managementin Microbreweries

Axel G. Kristiansen

Deputy Director DTU Diplom

Danish Technical University

Nordic Meet on Brewing Technology 18th – 20th MAY 2016

Many microbrewer’s Quality Challenges

• Lack of time

• Lack of money

• The microbrewer does every job in the brewery

• Sometimes limited technical and QA knowledge

• Too late, if the customer has to tell, my quality is poor

• Quality is inexpensive, missing quality is costly...

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Definition of Quality

Most people agree, Quality is important, but what is good Quality ?

One definition of quality is:

“Quality is meeting the needs and expectations of customers”

Customers want quality, that corresponds to the price, that they are prepared to pay and the level of competition in the market.

Another definition offered:

‘’Quality is, when the customer returns – not the Beer’’.

Quality may also relate to the consistency in manufacturing meaning, that the brewery is able to produce the same quality brew after brew.

The Quality Hierachy (large brewery)

Useful Terminology for any(micro)brewer

Sample Plan List os samples taken during process: The sampling plan is maybe the most important element of the Quality System !

Recipe List of all ingredients incl. amounts. Does notexplain the manufacturing process.

Process Description

Manufacturing guide to produce a definedamount of product on a defined plant.

Analysis A laboratory’s measurements of contents of certain contents in the product or in rawmaterials. Does not explain the used recipe or process.

Specification The brewery’s limits for which analyticalvalues, we will accept for selected parameters.

Production log The brewery’s registrering of the used processfor each batch, i.e. temperatures, times and volumes.

Declaration The Brewery’s garanti to the consumers and the authorities about certain contents in the final product. Does not explain the used recipe norprocess. 519-05-2016

Example of a production log

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Fermentation control: Temperature and % Plato during fermentation:

Allows the Brewer to spot slow fermentations and when fermentation

has ended. Cost and effort: Almost nothing.

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Days

% P

Before venturing into expensive equipment

1. Am I selling and distributing beer nationwide and with a long shelf life – or selling locally only ?

2. What do I need to measure in the microbrewery ?

3. And which accuracy of measurement do I need ?

4. Basic instruments: Cheap

5. Basic instruments: Costs < 2000 €

6. Portable instruments: Costs > 2000 €

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What makes sense to measure ?

• Chemical parameters (Alcohol, Colour, Bitterness)

• Microbiology (level of infection, pitching yeast standard)

• Raw material checks (malt, hops, glass bottles)

• Flavour (positive flavors and off – flavors)

• Packaging quality (fill level, labelling standards)

• Customer satisfaction (product shelf life)

• Manufacturing logs:

• Raw materials used

• Mashing diagrams

• Fermentation logs

• Samples taken / analysed

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Sara Poyri examining fermentation charts

in a Danish medium size brewery 2012

Example of a Beer chemical Analysis (large brewery)

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Only 7 chemical parameters define the Beer Style and - Quality

1) Original Extract OG [% P] g/100 g

2) Specific Gravity SG [g/ml] 1.00XX

3) Real Extract ER [% P] g/100 g

4) Real Degree of Fermentation RDF [%] g/100 g

5) pH [number]

6) Alcohol by Volume ABV [%] ml/100 ml

7) CO2 [%] g/100 ml

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These 7 chemical parameters can all be measured in the microbrewery by

the microbrewer him/her self

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The microbrewer’s choices

1. What do I need to measure in the microbrewery ?

2. Basic instruments: Cheap

3. Basic instruments: Costs < 2000 €

4. Portable instruments: Costs > 2000 €

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Malt after the mill – often forgotten

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Visual examination of crushed malt enables checks for:

• whole kernels (should not be there !)

•That all kernels are squeezed

• Some flour – not too much

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Brewhouse test: Iodine testShows, whether the mash has converted

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Extract analysis in spent grains:Shows whether we make efficient use of the malt

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Example of home made press Saccharometer

Refractometer:Shows OG of wort

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Refractometer,

hand held

Microbrewer using refractometer

Accuracy: +/- 0.2 % P

Obs.: Other limitations;

but convenient

Refractometer,

Lab. Bench type

The good old SaccharometerShows OG of wort

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Saccharometer Selection of SaccharometersReading af

Saccharometer

Accuracy: +/- 0.1 % P

Use of Saccharometer in practiceas seen in many breweries

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Time consuming – very manual

Pycnometer

Methods with highest accuracy:

Densitometry using Pycnometry

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Accuracy: +/- 0.03 % P

Shows OG of wort

pH – meterShows mash – and wort condition

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Hand held pH - meter Brewers measuring wort pH

Accuracy: +/- 0.1 pH

More Brewhouse tests

Break formation measured

by an Imhoff cone

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For check of efficiency of wort boil: For check of fermentation start:

Wort aeration checked by

a simple flow meter

...and some simple packaging testsmost of these are rarely seen used…

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Humidity test - labels Glue testAir in headspace test

CO2–measurement of bottled beerto ensure same pressure in each bottle

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Quick – not so accurate

Taste testing: A Powerfull Quality – and Diagnostic Tool

Can reveal process defects

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Some times under estimated

for its process diagnostic power

The microbrewers choices

1. What do I need to measure in the microbrewery ?

2. Basic instruments: Cheap

3. Basic instruments: Costs < 2000 €

4. Portable instruments: Costs > 2000 €

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The microscope – cheap, yet powerfull

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Microscope in daily use in one leading

Danish microbrewery’s basic lab.

Acetic Acic bacteria found

In the draft beer from a

Microbrewery

Microscope

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FermentoFlash – example of automaticbeer analysis

• Alcohol (% v/v & w/w)

• Extract – real & apparent

• Original gravity

• Density

• Osmotic pressure

• Degassing of sample

• 10 ml sample

• Analysed in 1 minute

• Printer or PC

• Calibration with reference beer (up to 18 different)

• Prize: ~ 2000 € + VAT

www.funke-gerber.de

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Accuracy: +/- 0.02 % ABV

The microbrewer’s choices

1. What do I need to measure in the microbrewery ?

2. Basic instruments: Cheap

3. Basic instruments: Costs < 2000 €

4. Portable instruments: Costs > 2000 €

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Portable Density Meterto achieve fast and accurate chemical parameters

• Density

• Specific gravity

• Extract

• Alcohol

• Viscosity 0 – 1000 mPa*s

• Temperature compensated 0 – 40°C

Sample: 2 ml

Time: Few seconds

Price: Approx. 2000 €

www.anton-paar.com

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Portable CO2 / DO Measurementto measure Oxygen take – up during production

Anton Paar – CarboQC

www.anton-paar.com

Dr. Thiedig – Digox

www.thiedig.com

Pentair’s CO2 Gehaltemeter

www.Pentair.com

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Several suppliers

Lab. bench Methods – accurate, not cheap

Highest accuracy (do You need it ?)

Densitometry using automatic apparatuses

(most common is PAAR densitometer based on ultrasonic vibrations. The PAAR unit may be a stand-alone or may be built into an automatic complete wort analyzer called a SCAWA)

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Automised micro methods

Aber instruments: Lab Yeast

Analyzer:

Viability by. capasitans

metering

Chemometec: NucleoCounter

viabilitet by Iodine staining

Beckman Coulter: Vi-Cell

viabilitet by Trypan Blue

staining in flow cell

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Customers satisfaction – some times forgotten

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• Do You know, what your customers think

of your beers in trade ?

• Winning beer competitions is nice, but your

everyday customer pays your profit

• Do You systematically collect complaints

statistics and use complaints for process

Improvements ?

Axel G. Kristiansen

Thank you for your attention !

Conclusion:

Quality can be managed and product consistency achieved even in the smallest Brewery for little effort and limited costs !

Back - up

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Type of Chambers for Yeast Cell Count

Haemocytometer with counting chamber type:

• Thomas

• Neubauer or Neubauer improved

• Bürker-Türk

• Malassez

Data for Bürker-Türk:

• Depth: 0.1 mm

• Number of large squares: 9

• Large square area: 1 mm2

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Prepare the Counting Chamber

Representative sample: mix thoroughly

Dilute if necessary

Take up sample with pipette

Cover with cover slip both of the 2 sections

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Count the Cells in the Counting Chamber

Count all 16 small squares in the large square

Count the 2 sections:

• All cells inside the squares

• Include cells touching the left and top boundaries

• Exclude cells touching the right and bottom boundaries

• Budding cells: daughter cells larger than ½ mother cell

• Use the counter – do NOT rely on your memory

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Content of Cold Wort

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Real/Apparent Extract

• Real extract is the amount of carbohydrate measured in weight % Plato.It is measured by measuring the density of the wort/beer (without alcohol) and transformed into %Plato

• Apparent extract is the amount of carbohydrate measured in weight % (% Plato).It is measured by measuring the density of the beer and transformed into %Plato

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Apparent and Real Extract

Real extract

Apparent Extract

Alcohol

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Real Degree of Fermentation

The real degree of fermentation – RDF – is a calculated, not measured, figure expressing the percentage of the extract which has been fermented by the yeast.

• RDF = 100*(OE - ER) / OEOE and ER in % Plato, RDF in %

• Pilsner type beers: RDF is normally 66-72 %

• Low energy/lite beers: RDF can be as high as 85-90 %

• The higher the RDF the more alcohol is formed with the same amount of extract

• A stronger beer can be produced by increasing the Plato and/or increasing RDF

• The RDF is depended on the mashing profile, the type of raw materials, the fermentation method and the use of external enzymes

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Other type O2 Measurement

Dr. Thiedig – Digox

www.thiedig.com

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Flavour & Proces Diagnosis

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