So, you're a brewer. What's your approach to bringing out the best in your brewery? You understand what beer lovers want in their glass. And by now you have the expertise and experience to know what it takes to deliver that. But how do you make sure your beers live up to enthusiasts' expectations - every single time? Because as a brewer, you're only as good as your last beer.
To make sure you never have to lose sleep over the beer you put on the market, quality should be your top priority. What the trade calls: Quality Analysis, Control & Assurance.
The best possible version of your beer
Quality is about the need to produce the best possible version of your product - always, under any circumstances - and to do so in a way that is reproducible and, ideally, scalable. As a brewer, it's no use if a beautifully executed batch of your brilliant recipe turns out to be a one-off.
When it comes to your product 'beer', the goal is to brew every recipe in your range as a version your customers and beer lovers will recognise - every time. That beer you always package under the same name, in a bottle or can with the same label. Something beer lovers can enjoy without worry, that bars and restaurants can confidently stock and sell. Something bottle shops and supermarkets are happy to put on their shelves - because it not only takes up shelf space and purchasing budget, but above all generates turnover and margin.
On top of that, you want your beer recipe to perform as brilliantly as possible - not only in your home test brewery, but also on a professional 50-hectolitre or 100-hectolitre system. Failed batches are demoralising.
How do you get a grip on quality? If you want to manage quality, it helps to focus on two things: quality control and quality assurance.
Quality Control
This covers the measurements you take to establish whether your 'end product' meets the requirements you've set for it. You measure the result of your work: has your beer turned out the way you wanted it to?
Quality Assurance
This covers all the measurements you carry out to establish whether every step of your production process stays within the parameters you've defined. Ensuring that your final product meets the standards you've set. That means measuring a wide range of parameters throughout the entire brewing process - from the composition of your brewing water to the colour of your beer in the lagering tank.
Creativity makes you happy
I can hear you thinking now: 'Sure, but that's not why I started a brewery…' You almost certainly had a different vision in mind when you decided to start brewing professionally. Your dream was to delight beer lovers with exuberant aromas and memorable flavours. To show what you're made of and craft a beautiful artisan product. To make people happy with your creativity.
Do yourself a favour and remember: your creativity needs boundaries - at least if you want it to pay off. That's possible when you don't just put your energy into inspiring beer recipes, but also commit to a way of working that ensures they come out of the lagering tank at their absolute best every time. Because those beer recipes are not your most important business asset as an independent brewer. What is? Your reputation!
You know the saying: trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback. It takes an enormous amount of time to turn beer lovers into fans of your beer. And when you release something that disappoints those fans, you throw all that hard work away. A beer that fails to meet expectations makes you look bad. Did you do everything in your power to prevent that failure?
Minimal effort, optimal results
There are many ways to take quality seriously. With Beer-o-Meter you can run laboratory-level tests without having to set up a full-scale lab in your brewery - and without having to invest in training. We've developed a method where quality control and assurance require minimal effort for optimal results. So you can keep your hands as free as possible for the thing that truly fires up your passion as a brewer: brewing. Curious about how Beer-o-Meter can help take your brewery further? Book a no-obligation introductory meeting. Because as a brewer, you're only as good as your last beer.