Archives
In the brewery
How to go pro
Teri Fahrendorf, fromer head brewer at Steelhead Brewing Company, discusses how she made the jump from homebrewer to professional brewer.
Hiring the best brewers
Teri Fahrendorf offers the definitive checklist.
Quality control in the brewery
One good definition for a quality beer is therefore simply “a beer that consistently meets specification.” These words are of course quite a mouthful. The idea of a specification immediately requires that someone, at sometime and someplace, has decided what the beer’s defining character(s) should be and how it should be measured. The idea of consistency immediately requires a system of people, plant, and process who are able to repeat exactly what they do time and again.
Keeping your yeast healthy longer
Most brewery fermentations are carried out with reused yeast, but the question of how to store and maintain it frustrates even the most skilled brewers.
Comments on beer analysis
From time to time significant variations occur in analytical data pertaining to the chemical and physical composition of beer from a given plant. In this discussion, we shall dwell mainly on the chemical changes that are sometimes encountered, and shall review some of the checks a brewer can make in his plant with the aid of outside assistance, if necessary, that will help identify the source or sources responsible for these real variations in his product.
Quality control for keg cleaning
Of all the refillable beer containers currently in use, the modern beer keg is certainly one of the most difficult to analyze with standard quality control methods. Other refillable beer containers – bottles, growlers, serving tanks and bright beer tanks – are all relatively easy to inspect internally.
Tips to make filtration easier
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) filters are a large class of filters used quite often in breweries. Here’s a primer with practical advice.
Beyond the brewery
Seven steps of brand building
Successful beer brands require a balance of push and pull in the marketplace. Included are questions to help hone your marketing plan.
Off-site draft sales for brewpubs
Many brewpubs are opting to sell their products through retail accounts to utilize excess capacity and increase revenue. Off-site sales can also increase your walk-in business by creating exposure and interest in your brewpub.
Seven steps to brewpub success
The list begins with your brewpub philosophy and ends with your customers’ satisfaction.
Building your lunch business
How do brewpubs, which by the nature of their business are centered on beer, still have a successful lunch?
Troubleshooting draft problems
In the bar business draft problems often develop when the house is packed and there is absolutely no possibility of reaching the one or two staff draft experts. The best way to tackle draft problems is to be prepared.
Distribution 101
It is imperative that the microbrewer know and understand the second tier of the business to ensure their products are adequately marketed and handled after leaving the caring hands of the brewer.
The distribution handbook
Part I in a series on managing your distribution network.
Obligations of beer wholesalers
There are no strictly defined responsibilities of the beer wholesaler, but we’ve made a list of what are considered standard obligations of both parties.
Food spoilage
The first step in preventing food poisoning is to assume that all foods may cause food-borne illness.
The skyrocketing costs of worker’s compensation
What is going on in the insurance market place and is there anything you can do about it?