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Brewing Process Management software can be a godsend for breweries of all sizes, helping track nearly every part of the process and keeping operations on track. Like anything else with a brewery or small business, picking the right software is critical to getting business done and to ensure it will be able to grow with a brewer that chooses to do so.
Nearly every aspect of running a small business is online these days and the amount of bad actors trying to access information has never been higher. Brewers are well served by following basic tips to ensure their online resources are well protected.
So much of every day business is done through tailored software. From running human resources and payroll there is a lot of nuance on how to manage data and make sure things run smoothly.
Breweries can be different from other small businesses with additional licensing and reporting so having the right software is paramount.
In this digital world software plays a big role in running a small business. Breweries are still creating a “handcrafted” product but increasingly relay on software and technology to run the day to day, minute-to-minute aspects of the business.
Social media is a critically important tool in helping a brewery interact with consumers. Whether its talking about new releases, highlighting employee good, or simply to entertain drinkers while they scroll through their phones, there is a lot that can be accomplished through all of the various platforms.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed a lot of ways business was done. Remote working, where possible, was chief among them. While messaging apps like Slack had long existed before March 2020, the services really rocketed afterwards and its important for breweries to have guidelines for using these apps.
Brewery taprooms are the front line experiences for customers and a major source of income for most breweries. Having access to a smartly designed point-of-sale (POS) system that manages all your customer service needs along with providing access to insights and data are no longer mere luxuries, they are business necessities.
The reputation of your business is everything. From the customer experience, to the quality of your beer, and employee retention and satisfaction, maintaining and protecting your brewery’s good name takes many forms. When it comes to your staff, it’s important to maintain a strong relationship even in the tough times.
In the past two years, the brewing industry has relearned the importance of treating its employees well. When things go wrong, they rarely stay within the four walls of the brewery. Instead, the details get splashed across Internet job forums and social media sites, such as Instagram, where they take on a life of their own.
Hiring solid, reliable, and engaged employees is always one of a company’s greatest challenges and in the present market, it’s even harder. Taking some time to consider, build, and maintain your corporate reputation can be key to attracting top talent to help your brewery grow.
After a recipe is developed, the ingredients are carefully selected, a beer is brewed with care, and fermented properly, it is time for packaging. Brewers put a lot of thought into their packaging, not only design but function, durability, and how it takes care of the beer.
As the world continues to change and a greater focus is put on sustainability, environmental impact and becoming carbon neutral breweries are going to have options and choices when it comes to creating a brewhouse of the future that has smarter packaging.
The brewhouse of the future, which is closer than some might realize, is also going to focus on automation – even on the smaller scale – which will still allow brewers to be hands on but will increase safety.
What will the brewery of the future look like?
In many cases the industry, at present, is standing on the edge of an enhanced digital revolution that will bring efficiencies not only to the brewhouse but also the tap room. The COVID-19 pandemic sped up many of the digital encounters that had already been available but that are now commonplace.
In turn, the companies behind these technologies have turbocharged their innovations and offerings. A walk through the BrewExpo America last year in Minneapolis was a showcase of technology and apps as much as it was stainless steel equipment and packaging.
In an industry that revels in terms like “craft” or “handcrafted” there is also a fondness for automation. For brewers that started on small manual kits that required constant hands-on attention, there is celebration when budgets allow for pro-equipment where the machines are of the Ron Popeil school of thought.
Automation is something brewers strive for as it helps with all manners of the brewing process and the carefully dialed in machines can help create lagers and ales to spec while (hopefully) ensuring a smoother brew day.
From mash tuns to fermenters, packaging lines and labelers automation continues to make brewing easier and more efficient A stroll through the annual Brew Expo America and smaller conferences around the country there are companies that are eager to show off the latest technical advancements.
There is a lot of talk about CO2 shortages these days and brewers are thinking about next steps, the supply chain, or adding equipment to their breweries that can help mitigate shortfalls.
Beer Edge editor John Holl spoke with Lindsey Cole, who directs Food and Beverage solutions at FuelCell Energy, a company that manufacturers equipment that can recycle CO2 about the technology, and benefits.
There is a lot of talk about the handcrafted nature of beer, conjuring up idyllic images of artisan beverages. While that is certainly true for certain parts of brewing, automation is a necessary part of the process. Machines that make brewing easier in practice and on the back are welcome.
Chief among the necessary brewhouse accessories (for some) is the forklift.
For breweries of a certain size that have the space and the need for something beyond a pallet jack a forklift can be a godsend.
It can be fun to focus on the lighter side of brewing. From taproom hangouts to clinking glasses there is a lot of reward to the hard work. Making sure the work is done in a safe manner is critically important not only for employees but the overall business.
While there are certain well known safety practices like how to properly wear boots to eye protection, there are additional steps breweries should be taking to ensure that everyone at the facility makes to that post-shift pint safe and sound.
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Managing your mental health is challenging regardless of your profession. The brewing industry is no different. The physical demands placed on brewers and staff can be substantial. Add in the temptations of free and frequent access to alcohol, and it’s easy to lose track of both your physical and mental well-being in this industry. The job and its mental load rarely stay within the four corners of the brewery.
Wet milling remains one of those topics that brewers discuss but rarely encounter in the wild. Once solely the province of the largest craft brewers, in more recent years wet mills have become slightly more common but remain unusual to find in a smaller craft brewery.
In contrast to dry milling, wet mills steep malt in a continuous stream of warm water to allow the grain’s moisture level to rise to a set mark, usually 15 to 20 percent. When a wet mill’s rollers grind the malt, the grain’s husk remains intact and doesn’t fragment. This significantly reduces the amount of dust and debris created and allows for faster run-off time and more loading of the lauter tun. The downsides, beyond cost, include additional cleaning of the mill and its rollers along with an increase in the time required to mill the malt.
We recently spoke with Scott Shirley, the Director of Brewing Operations at Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Vermont, to learn more about his brewery’s experience with a wet mill and hear what advice he has for brewers considering one.
In thinking about sustainability and flavor, a California company has been 3D mapping hops to create natural, optimized hop extracts to beers giving brewers a chance to dial in recipes to exact specifications.
“By understanding and being able to pinpoint compounds in hops, triangulate sensory and expectations off of what we think it could be, we have created a more true to type variety,” says Ross Hunsinger, Director of Food and Beverage Innovation for ABSTRAX.
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