Cost efficient Quality Management in Microbreweries

Transcription

1 Nordic Meet on Brewing Technology 18 th 20 th MAY 2016 Cost efficient Quality Management in Microbreweries Axel G. Kristiansen Deputy Director DTU Diplom Danish Technical University

2 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... 2

3 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.

4 The Quality Hierachy (large brewery)

5 Sample Plan Recipe Process Description Analysis Specification Useful Terminology for any (micro)brewer List os samples taken during process: The sampling plan is maybe the most important element of the Quality System! List of all ingredients incl. amounts. Does not explain the manufacturing process. Manufacturing guide to produce a defined amount of product on a defined plant. A laboratory s measurements of contents of certain contents in the product or in raw materials. Does not explain the used recipe or process. The brewery s limits for which analytical values, we will accept for selected parameters. Production log Declaration The brewery s registrering of the used process for each batch, i.e. temperatures, times and volumes. The Brewery s garanti to the consumers and the authorities about certain contents in the final product. Does not explain the used recipe nor process. 5

6 Example of a production log Fermentation control: Temperature and % Plato during fermentation: Allows the Brewer to spot slow fermentations and when fermentation has ended. Cost and effort: Almost nothing % P Days 6

7 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 < Portable instruments: Costs >

8 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 Sara Poyri examining fermentation charts in a Danish medium size brewery

9 Example of a Beer chemical Analysis (large brewery) 9

10 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) CO 2 [%] g/100 ml 10

11 These 7 chemical parameters can all be measured in the microbrewery by the microbrewer him/her self 11

12 The microbrewer s choices 1. What do I need to measure in the microbrewery? 2. Basic instruments: Cheap 3. Basic instruments: Costs < Portable instruments: Costs >

13 Malt after the mill often forgotten Visual examination of crushed malt enables checks for: whole kernels (should not be there!) That all kernels are squeezed Some flour not too much 13

14 Brewhouse test: Iodine test Shows, whether the mash has converted 14 14

15 Extract analysis in spent grains: Shows whether we make efficient use of the malt Example of home made press Saccharometer 15

16 Refractometer: Shows OG of wort Accuracy: +/- 0.2 % P Obs.: Other limitations; but convenient Microbrewer using refractometer Refractometer, Lab. Bench type Refractometer, hand held 16

17 The good old Saccharometer Shows OG of wort Accuracy: +/- 0.1 % P Saccharometer Selection of Saccharometers Reading af Saccharometer 17

18 Use of Saccharometer in practice as seen in many breweries Time consuming very manual 18

19 Pycnometer Shows OG of wort Methods with highest accuracy: Densitometry using Pycnometry Accuracy: +/ % P 19

20 Accuracy: +/- 0.1 ph ph meter Shows mash and wort condition Hand held ph - meter Brewers measuring wort ph 20

21 More Brewhouse tests For check of efficiency of wort boil: For check of fermentation start: Break formation measured by an Imhoff cone Wort aeration checked by a simple flow meter 21

22 ...and some simple packaging tests most of these are rarely seen used Humidity test - labels Air in headspace test Glue test 22

23 CO2 measurement of bottled beer to ensure same pressure in each bottle Quick not so accurate 23

24 Taste testing: A Powerfull Quality and Diagnostic Tool Can reveal process defects Some times under estimated for its process diagnostic power 24

25 The microbrewers choices 1. What do I need to measure in the microbrewery? 2. Basic instruments: Cheap 3. Basic instruments: Costs < Portable instruments: Costs >

26 The microscope cheap, yet powerfull Microscope in daily use in one leading Danish microbrewery s basic lab. Acetic Acic bacteria found In the draft beer from a Microbrewery 26

27 Microscope 27

28 FermentoFlash example of automatic beer analysis Alcohol (% v/v & w/w) Extract real & apparent Original gravity Density Osmotic pressure Accuracy: +/ % ABV Degassing of sample 10 ml sample Analysed in 1 minute Printer or PC Calibration with reference beer (up to 18 different) Prize: ~ VAT 28

29 The microbrewer s choices 1. What do I need to measure in the microbrewery? 2. Basic instruments: Cheap 3. Basic instruments: Costs < Portable instruments: Costs >

30 Portable Density Meter to achieve fast and accurate chemical parameters Density Specific gravity Extract Alcohol Viscosity mpa*s Temperature compensated 0 40 C Sample: 2 ml Time: Few seconds Price: Approx

31 Portable CO 2 / DO Measurement to measure Oxygen take up during production Several suppliers Anton Paar CarboQC Dr. Thiedig Digox Pentair s CO 2 Gehaltemeter 31

32 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) 32

33 Automised micro methods Beckman Coulter: Vi-Cell viabilitet by Trypan Blue staining in flow cell Aber instruments: Lab Yeast Analyzer: Viability by. capasitans metering Chemometec: NucleoCounter viabilitet by Iodine staining 33

34 Customers satisfaction some times forgotten 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? 34

35 Conclusion: Quality can be managed and product consistency achieved even in the smallest Brewery for little effort and limited costs! Thank you for your attention! Axel G. Kristiansen

36 Back - up 36

37 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 mm 2 37

38 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 38

39 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 39

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41 Content of Cold Wort 41

42 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 42

43 Apparent and Real Extract Real extract Alcohol Apparent Extract 43

44 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 - E R ) / OE OE and E R in % Plato, RDF in % Pilsner type beers: RDF is normally % Low energy/lite beers: RDF can be as high as % 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 44

45 Other type O 2 Measurement Dr. Thiedig Digox 45

46 Flavour & Proces Diagnosis 46

47 Quality Course for Microbrewers 47