‘With Beer-o-Meter I go into the weekend with peace of mind’

At Rotterdam craft brewery Kaapse, quality is an unwavering part of the company philosophy. In this article, you will learn more about head brewer Étienne Vermeulen’s vision on quality. Read how often, what and why Kaapse Brouwers measure to be as sure as possible of their business. Discover what they do to deliver all their beers to retail and hospitality with confidence. And what advice brewer Vermeulen has for ambitious brewers who are looking for consistent quality for their core range.

As head brewer, Étienne Vermeulen is responsible for every beer that goes to the consumer at Kaapse Brouwers. Care for quality is even embedded in the company philosophy. With success, because beer from the Rotterdam craft brewery has penetrated the basic assortment of the largest Dutch supermarket chain.

For Vermeulen, caring for quality means closely monitoring every step in the process: on the brewing day itself, during fermentation and certainly also before, during and after bottling. “Quality is knowing what is happening as well as possible at all times,” he says. “That is why we measure every day at Kaapse. Density and °Plato during brewing. Temperature, pressure and yeast vitality during fermentation. Measuring pH and ABV is also part of our standard procedure. But these are derivatives. With Beer-o-Meter we can look even deeper at our wort because we can measure total fermentable sugars (TFS). That gives us even more insight and therefore extra control over what we do. We are also looking forward to the new tests that Beer-o-Meter is developing.”

According to Vermeulen, predictability is crucial for the success of a craft brewery. “It makes a big difference if you know what to expect. With reproducibility of your success, you brew beers that consumers will enjoy. And therefore also the catering establishments and shops that buy your beers. As an independent brewer, you have to do your best because of the variation in raw materials. Large breweries can demand specifications from suppliers, but as independent brewers we don’t have that luxury. That’s why measuring your wort is so important when brewing.”

Brewer Vermeulen explains further: “Something can always go wrong with a batch that Kaapse has delivered to a customer. The more you know about your beer and the better you can substantiate this with measurement data, the stronger your position with customers when problems arise. These can arise at various times after a batch has left our brewery. With Beer-o-Meter, I, as a brewer, can go into the weekend with peace of mind.”

“If you want to start with quality measurements in your brewery, Beer-o-Meter is a great tool,” Vermeulen concludes. “For a competitive price, you can perform tests that are important for every professional brewer: EBC, pH, ABV and TFS. Compared to other test methods, Beer-o-Meter is less prone to errors. And even if you don’t work that accurately, it still gives reliable results. Thanks to the app, all measurement results are automatically recorded. This makes it easier than traditional methods and takes less time.”

“Beer-o-Meter is still in full development and is working on tests that not only measure the proportion of fermentable sugars, but also show exactly which types of sugars they are. This is especially interesting for brewers who develop their own non-alcoholic beers. For breweries who want consistent quality in their core range of beers, Beer-o-Meter is definitely recommended.”

Would you also like to start the weekend with peace of mind as a brewer?

Quality is not a luxury; it is a must. And by knowing what you are doing, your brewery will gain more economic return and you will deliver beer to your customers with even more confidence. Contact Beer-o-Meter and discover how you can get more out of your brewery with smart process control. Make an appointment today!

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Contact us and discover how smart process control can help you get more out of your brewery.