the magazine for the canadian brewing industry
Brewers T H E
J O U R N A L
SUmmer 2016 ISSN 2398-6956
LAUNCH ISSUe For the first issue of Brewers JourNal Canada we visit creemore springs AND BATCH
P.12
Hops: challenge and opportunity
P.32
ONTARIO: THE PATH AHEAD
P.46
CANNING: TRENDS AND INNOVATION
l e a d er
Fresh
Start
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elcome to the launch issue of The Brewers Journal. You probably weren’t expecting to receive this publication, but we hope it’s the start of a beautiful friendship. The brewing industry in Canada is in a state of positive transition. An observation that can genuinely applied to the brewing sectors across most of the globe at this moment in time. Demand for good beer has never been higher. This is both a reflection of the quality of the beer being produced, and a catalyst behind the exciting level of growth and expansion the brewing industry is experiencing. The level of innovation and invention taking place across the sector is astounding, but these success stories do not take place overnight. The effort poured in to breweries to make them sustainable is surely rivalled by very few other industries. Part of that journey is characterised by the drive to learn more about the craft of brewing, and the art of business. And one of the key reasons Canadian brewing remains on its upward trajectory has been the sharing of knowledge forged by the community and camaraderie that exists within the sector. The aim of The Brewers Journal is the be the go-to resource for those that work in, and around, breweries across Canada. This magazine will inform, educate and entertain. Brought to you by the team behind the successful UK publication of the same time, each issue will feature comprehensive, and diverse, editorial coverage that includes brewery profiles, equipment insights, supply-chain analysis and science papers that span the diverse brewing spectrum. In this first issue, we look at how canning has become big business. Breweries across the globe are increasingly turning to these vessels to ship their beer, and Canada is no different. There are benefits to bottling and there are benefits to canning, but the latter has ridden a growth trajectory that means it is in an ever-increasing numbers of bars, pubs and restaurants across the country. In this piece, our canning expert Daniel Searle investigates some of the developing technology driving this sector. “To date, we have canned 1.6m cans. That’s 34 or 35 brands for around 20 or so breweries. In my opinion, a 16oz single serve can is the perfect way to sample good beer in a can and that’s another reason why I think we are seeing such growth in this field. People try beer in these cans, and realise it’s a great
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Editor's choice Some of Canada's best brewers joined the team at Brew Culture to discuss hops, their supply and the challenges, and opportunities, that lie ahead - Page 12
way to sell beer,” Jeff Rogowsky, Chief Canning Officer at Sessions Craft Canning told us. It’s a buoyant sector that remains on an upward trajectory. We also visited Creemore Springs. The first pages of this brewery’s story were written in 1987, and while a number of chapters in the brewery’s journey have been committed to page since then, 2016 goes down as the latest, exciting, addition to that particular tale with the launch of its BATCH gastrobrewery in Toronto. We speak to the team about its plans going forward, and how its experience of acquisition helps form what it is today. Special thanks also to the team at Brew Culture and the fantastic brewers that took the time for our recent roundtable discussion on hops. We hope you enjoy the issue and would truly appreciate your feedback. Our details are elsewhere in this issue but please get in touch at tim@rebymedia.com. Have a good one, Tim Sheahan Editor
Summer 2016 | Brewers Journal Canada | 3
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The Brewers Journal is a quarterly magazine mailed every Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Subscriptions can be purchased for four or eight issues. Prices for single issue subscriptions or back issues can be obtained by emailing: subscriptions@rebymedia.com
Canada One year: Ca$39, two year: Ca$59 Rest of the world One year: Ca$49, two year: Ca$65 The content of The Brewers Journal is subject to copyright. However, if you would like to obtain copies of an article for marketing purposes high-quality reprints can be supplied to your specification. Please contact the advertising team for full details of this service. The Brewers Journal is printed at Buxton Press Ltd, Derbyshire, UK.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The Brewers Journal Canada ISSN 2398-6948 is published bimonthly by Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1PA, UK. Subscription records are maintained at Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1PA, UK. The Brewers Journal accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of statements or opinion given within the Journal that is not the expressly designated opinion of the Journal or its publishers. Those opinions expressed in areas other than editorial comment may not be taken as being the opinion of the Journal or its staff, and the aforementioned accept no responsibility or liability for actions that arise therefrom.
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c o n t en t s
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46 Cover story
26 - The Creemore Springs story started in 1987, and while a number of chapters in the brewery’s journey have been committed to page since, 2016 is the latest, addition to that tale with the launch of BATCH gastrobrewery in Toronto. news 08- Industry news the big issue: hops 12 - Some of Canada's finest brewers join Brew Culture discuss the issue of hops and their supply Comments 20 - Rob Lovatt from Thornbridge on barrel ageing 22 - Tonejet on the craft of canning 24 - Jonny Garrett talks tackling online criticism Province focus: ontario 32 - How changing legislation is having a positive impact on craft beer in Ontario
Foreign focus: belgium 40- How Belgian beer is reimagining its traditions, according to Tilquin Gueuzerie, Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille and Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal
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technology: canning 46 - From arriving at the brewery through to the filled product leaving for the store shelves, there are test and inspection systems for each stage of the process to help ensure a perfect result 58 - Edward M McD Scott from Ambro Systems seeks to shed some light on the operations inside the monobloc of a technologically advanced canning machine that is available in nominal speeds as low as 6,000 x 330ml cans per hour science: yeast 62 - Keith Lemcke, vice president at the Siebel Institute of Technology, talks yeast management science: brewing with adjectives 66 - Brewlab on qualifying quality in beer science: Malt modification 70 - Tim Faith, innovation brewer at Goose Island talks yeast and malt
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CRAFT BREWERIES TO BENEFIT FROM MARKUP REDUCTION in BC
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ritish Columbia has cut the markup rate it imposes on craft beer brewers by 25% from 3 July. British Columbia has reduced the markup rate imposed on craft beer brewers by 25%. The cuts are equal to $10 million in economic support for small and regional breweries, designed to increase their financial capacity to grow and expand. The Province said it will also take action to improve cash flow for craft brewers, ensuring they will have more money to fund payroll, rent, and investments in new equipment. Its new measures mean that craft
breweries will no longer be required to remit all of the revenue from the sale of their products to the Liquor Distribution Branch before the mark-up is applied. Coralee Oakes, Minister of Small Business, red tape reduction and responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch, explained: “Today’s announcement will support growth and create jobs for small businesses in B.C.’s booming craft beer industry. “We are witnessing new craft breweries popping up around the province, and this speaks to the entrepreneurial spirit of the craft brewing industry as well as the success of our changes to date.”
Ken Beattie , executive director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild added: “Increased support from the provincial government will not only help grow the sector, it will provide much needed assistance to existing breweries that blazed the trail for craft beer in British Columbia. “Our province is the craft beer leader in Canada and our established breweries have pioneered an industry that is now garnering world-wide recognition. Today’s announcement means all small brewers can look toward hiring more people, investing in more tanks, and growing their business in every region of the province.”
Krones launches 18,000 cans per hour filler
that is “out of the box” for firsttime brewers. For more extensive requirements in the higher output range, the familiar Krones can fillers from the existing families are available.”
business but for the craft beer industry overall. “Until now, customers could only get growler fills from our onsite brewery or the farmers’ market. This change will open up new retail opportunities for our products, which is something our customers have been asking for.”
Krones has launched a new can filler capable of handling up to 18,000 cans per hour. Craftmate is a modularised volumetric model with 24 filling valves, and as a stand-alone machine in ‘its own right’. It features a pitch circle diameter of 1,080 millimetres and is claimed to be suitable for a number of brewery sizes. The machine has been designed for filling cans in the standard 211/202 format, but can also be equipped to handle the 204/202 to 300/209 formats. Depending on volume and product parameters involved, the Craftmate’s output lies between 6,000 and 18,000 cans per hour. According to Krones, the new machine means a filler can now, for the first time, be operated without a lifting cam, which reduces the number of components while facilitating access to the machine. They added: “In order to minimise the transportation costs, the development people at Krones have also made sure that the Craftmate, together with the seamer, can be shipped in a sea container. “The user thus receives a machine
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Saskatchewan expands growler opportunities Growler fills in Saskatchewan are now available from off-sale outlets, franchises, private stores and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) stores. According to Don McMorris, the minister responsible for SLGA, interest in craft beer continues to grow but many of these products are not always available in cans or bottles. “Expanding the locations eligible to provide growler fills will give consumers additional opportunities to enjoy craft beer products in their homes,” he added. Businesses that opt to offer growler fills will be required to include Saskatchewan-produced beer if on at least one tap if there are four or fewer taps. They will be required to offer two Saskatchewan taps if there are more than four taps for growler fills. Rebellion Brewing president and brewmaster Jamie Singer explained: “This is great news not only for our
Beau's All Natural Brewing Company to be sold to employees Steve Beauchesne, CEO of All Natural Brewing Company, which has experienced growth at a compounded rate of 45 per cent year-over-year, confirmed the company will be sold to employees. The business started the process on 1 July. Employing 150 staff, these individuals will become co-owners in the business and as a result, have shared responsibility for the brewery’s future and continued growth. Beauchesne explained: “My Dad and I started Beau’s ten years ago with the promise of making excellent, flavourful beer, and using our brewery as a force for good. “Our success during this time is strongly rooted in the support of our employees and fans, who have always believed in our promise.” Despite the rarity of ESOP offerings
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MOOSEHEAD BREWERIES MOVES IN TO SMALLBATCH WITH NEW BREWERY CONCEPT
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oosehead Breweries is to build a 10,000 square feet openconcept brewery and taproom to enable the company to move in to small batch brews. The company is in the early stages of planning the development that will also comprise an area for training, tours and beer sales. According to Moosehead, its brewers will be able to use smallscale brewing systems to create a new series of small batch brews. These will then be available for sale at the new brewery, at licensees, and at retail outlets. Andrew Oland, president and
CEO of Moosehead Breweries that celebrates its 150th anniversary next year, explained: “We see this new brewery as a way to continue to express and explore our passion for beer. “It will also allow us to connect with our customers and be an active participant in the local beer community.” Moosehead’s Main Street West location will remain the company’s home and principal brewery. However the new small-batch brewery, which is pitched as a centre for education and innovation, will include two small-scale brewing systems.
Thus will allow the company to explore new product development and new brewing techniques. He added: “It is very exciting to imagine what this brewery could be. “Once we select the location, we’ll get down to detailed operational planning – deciding exactly what the brewery will have to offer, beyond the actual brewing, that is. “These days, beer drinkers are interested in experiencing not just new beer styles, but the beer-making process itself. “This brewery will allow us to deliver on those experiences in a very meaningful and personal way. We can’t wait to get started.”
in the craft beer sector, Beauchesne said he was happy to go against the grain. He added: “By handing the reins over to our employees we are saying this changes everything, because this change is everything. “We look forward to our expansion and success across Canada, with the help of our new company stewards.”
for significantly easier cleaning of lines or moving around kegs. The valve, highlighted by its distinctive red centre, has fewer moving parts inside, which make it stronger and more robust than previous versions. Andres Jensen, vice president of Petainer Canada explained: “The launch of the new valve is a really good example of Petainer’s commitment to continuous product improvement and our approach of listening and responding to our customers to ensure the best user-experience possible.” The company has also announced that is now rolling out www. petainershop.ca for the Canadian market, which make its high performance and sustainable PET packaging readily available to smaller customers. The webshop is aimed at craft breweries, wineries, cideries and other beverage producers that want to purchase smaller quantities of Petainer’s petainerKeg. The product is a popular alternative to traditional steel kegs, owing to its lower total cost of ownership and logistic benefits. Customers can choose, pay and take delivery of their kegs with the click of a mouse. These products include its 20 Litre and 30 Litre petainerKeg, available in pallets of 80 kegs and 48 kegs respectively.
Jensen added: “With its growing craft brewer market, Canada is a strategically important market for Petainer and we are seeing a lot of demand for petainerKeg. Our online store will help us drive growth by enabling us to meet the needs of smaller enterprises alongside our larger customers.” Nigel Pritchard, CEO of Petainer explained: “The roll-out of the online store in Canada is an important step in our distribution strategy. “In addition to building our network of distribution partners, our on-line channel makes our market-leading products available to smaller businesses efficiently and effectively.”
Petainer launches new nonpressure release valve and webshop Petainer has launched its newly redeveloped integrated non-autopressure release valve (NPR) design complete with depressurizing tool for its one-way petainerKeg. The manufacturer has enjoyed success with its PetainerKeg in Canada, especially with customers looking for an alternative to traditional steel kegs, offering a number of total cost of ownership and logistic benefits, explained Petainer. The new design replicates standard keg fittings and also prevents the keg from automatically depressurising when it is empty or disconnected. According to Petainer, end users can benefit from this easier-to-use solution that ensures kegs can be tapped and untapped multiple times, while allowing
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New brewery for Sooke A new brewery in the town centre of Sooke is a step closer to becoming reality after a development permit by the district council was issued. Sooke could soon have a new brewery after a team of five investors moved forward with their $2-million project, reported the Sooke News Mirror. The brewery, which is set to comprise a 15-hectolitre system that will produce 1,500 litres per brew, which will then transfer into two 30-hectolitre tanks.
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BLOOM outlines better water management
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LOOM, the recognized authority on sustainability and resource management practices in Ontario, has developed a comprehensive online resource called Water & Beer to make it easier for brewers to solve water problems coming and going. BLOOM, which works actively with Ontario industries to find practical and affordable business solutions that deliver economic, environmental and social benefits, has launched Water & Beer. It is a practical online platform designed to help craft brewers better manage their water and ingredient use. The platform is pitched as the 'go to' resource for craft brewers that recognize that water management is important for their business, their customers and their communities. BLOOM developed Water & Beer in collaboration with Ontario Craft Brewers, individual craft breweries, government agencies, and technology and solution providers. The company explained: “Ontario craft brewers who pride themselves on making all natural beers without additives or preservatives understand the value of good clean water. They also recognize the
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importance of being environmental stewards and adopting sustainable water use practices. “Water use and wastewater management can present craft brewers with environmental and economic challenges. Successful solutions to those challenges start with an understanding of the Ins, Outs and In-Betweens of good water management.” Michael Fagan, senior VP of BLOOM, added that improved water management practices begin when
a craft brewer understands the Ins, Outs and In-Betweens of production and cleaning. "If a craft brewery loses sight of this, they can spend valuable time and money applying band-aid and 'end of pipe' approaches to address the symptoms rather than fixing the problems upstream," he said. "By taking some progressive steps early, craft breweries can reduce operational headaches and a whole lot of pain later. It's that clean and simple."
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Summer 2016 | Brewers Journal Canada | 11
All images: Jakub Mulik
Hop SUPPLY: HOW BREWERS ARE EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE As the the number of breweries in the Canada continues to grow, so, unsurprisingly, does the demand on hops. While brewers are turning to increasingly diverse, forgotten or ‘unfashionable’ styles to broaden their remit and counter shortages in their hop inventory, varieties such as Citra, Amarillo and Cascade continue to stay in incredibly high demand. We sat down with some of the leading brewers in Canada to get their thoughts on the very subject that so many love to hate: Hops.
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Brewers Journal Canada Roundtable 2016: Those pictured include Jeff Broeders, Brewmaster at the Indie Ale House (centre front), Iain McOustra, Brewmaster at Amsterdam Brewery (far left), Mathew Tweedy, Brewmaster, Tooth and Nail Brewery (third from left) and Daniel Collins, President of Brew Culture (far right).
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Summer 2016 | Brewers Journal Canada | 13
A
longside brewery mergers and acquisitions mergers, one of the prevalent and inescapable issues dominating the modern brewing landscape is that of hops and more pertinently, their supply. Hop shortages, of varying severity, have been well documented, while the adage of necessity being the mother of invention has ensured that brewers are increasingly turning to yeast and malt to express themselves through their beers. According to Ann George, executive director of Hop Growers of America (HGA), 2015 was a tough year worldwide. Not quite an annus horribilis, but one that resulted in a defect in alpha production all the same. In the association’s 2015 report, released last month, she confirmed that high summer heats and water restrictions resulted in mixed results for crops, with earlier harvest aroma varieties being hit. While in Europe, where the majority of the crop’s water needs are supplied by rain, drought in Germany and other continental European countries bore witness to dramatically reduced yields. Germany had 34% of the world’s hop acreage, 4% lower than the US at 38%, but it contributed 33% of the 2015 crop while the US provided 42% of the global hop supply. “The unusually high temperatures experienced this past summer were unprecedented, and we do not anticipate a repeat of an early and persistent heat wave,” she explains. “While we are waiting to see the final snowpack situation in the spring, we know we are already far better off than last year, so we anticipate higher yields along with more acres going in to meet contract demands.” But going forward, George is bullish about the sector’s fortunes. “Going through our statistics, it is clear that growers are putting more hops in the ground to meet the needs of both domestic and international brewers. It was promising to see the Brewers Association report that so many of their members are contracting, coming in at around 95%,” she says. “While that definitely leaves uncertainty for those who are not contracting, the more contracts growers and merchants have, the better they can serve the domestic and global brewing industries. For those relying entirely on the spot market, that’s a pretty big gamble, especially considering the current market.”
improving picture
L
ooking at the broader picture, some industry experts are predicting an easing of spot prices for some particular varieties, regardless of the heavy demand placed on them by the brewing community. In a recent article in the Financial Times citing the International Hop Growers’ Convention, it was reported that global production is expected to increase by 21 percent to 105,442 tonnes, which is the highest
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it has been since 2009. Planted acreage is forecast to swell by seven percent, reaching 53,876 hectares worldwide. In the US alone, production is predicted to grow 20 percent, says the IHGC. And in Canada, like much of the world, the issue of hop contracts, or forward contracting, is guaranteed to catalyse fiery debate among the brewing sector that rely on them. As the burgeoning industry continues to bloom, placing increasing pressure on frequently strained supply lines, the dialogue between merchant and brewery is more important than ever. “The biggest challenge is supply. It is always supply,” explains Jeff Broeders, brewmaster at Indie Ale House. “As craft breweries, especially those on the smaller size. it’s about supply. When you’re not looking for massive volumes but you still want to make good beer, especially on a seasonal basis, then that can obviously be a challenge. “There’s no doubt that Canada is getting pretty much sh*t on as the US is getting all of the good hops out of Europe, which is perhaps unsurprising. So certain hops are just simply so hard to get and we are getting the raw end of the deal. We want the hops, we can’t get them. We want quality, that’s all we want and something that is difficult to come by.”
recipe development
M
athew Tweedy, brewmaster at Tooth and Nail Brewery, adds: “Looking at someone that may have started brewing only a few months ago, it’s an exciting time. But when you are putting together your recipes then that is also definitely a challenge. “You call someone up, then someone else, then someone else, then someone else up and get told time and time again that those hops are not available. You can take that in a positive light, and look at that as an opportunity by brewing the style you want but variants of the hops you were initially after. “But when you move that mindset aside then it is hard, of course it is. On one call I made recently, I was told that all of the Amarillo they had was sold until 2019. I mean…. what do you do? But is it surprising anymore? Then probably not. It’s a pretty daunting thing. “The other thing is that you can get a lot of these hops if you look into the contracting side of things but how on earth do you know the volumes you will need in your first year? Those formative stages are when you are developing, brewing and selling your foundation, core, beers. You are not to know what sales will be like in those first six, or 12 months, so how on earth can you know what volumes to forward contract on that basis, then?” But for Iain McOustra, brewmaster at Amsterdam Brewery, he is passionate, and adamant that the reliance on several types of hops in your beers programme can massively impact the hop profile experienced by drinkers.
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Summer 2016 | Brewers Journal Canada | 15
consistency issues
T
hrough replacement hops through to consistency issues, the end product will be way off, I mean not even close. If there are issues with the consistency of the hop, or a shortage of it then it can’t simply be a case of choosing the best of what’s available and hoping for the best No. Every single batch has to be the same.” “It is no secret that consistency, quality and of course, supply are key to breweries. Of course they are. But its not even just the season to season that can impact the hop you are getting but where that variety has been grown in particular region, too,” argues Daniel Collins, president of Brew Culture. “Cascade from Yakima can differ from another part 40km away where the weather patterns can vary greatly. Go from there to Oregon and you are getting something completely different again. Then you look at the impact water has, and when they were harvested, these things obviously have a huge difference,” he explains. Tweedy echoes McOustra’s earlier point. “Let’s say I have a certain recipe bill and on a smaller scale than you, and if we rely less on the consistency of the hop but more on the supply of what is available. If you have a beer that your customers are drinking, and one where the flavour profile changes pretty quickly, then before long people will be asking what the deal is. And you have to say that well…. I can’t get that particular hop anymore so the beer you enjoy has changed. That’s an unfortunate thing to have to tell someone,” he says. There is little argument however on the role contracts play, and the costs associated. The cold storage factor that plays a key role in the contracting proposition. Cold storage, below 5C, is expensive to run and with that in mind, many would argues that if the company was to contract 30kg, but allow the brewery to call this offer over the year, then it would prevent a merchant from realistically being able to offer both a premium product and retain any profit in the process.
creative solutions
F
or a take on the situation from overseas, Alicia Munoz technical specialist at Simply Hops, part of the Barth Haas Group, recently looked at the 2015 hop harvest, and the challenges and opportunities it poses to brewers. “While many of us enjoyed the nice weather during the summer, swimming in the beach or even drinking beer, the German hop fields were having a bad time with it,” she says. “And being fair, who wants to work when the thermometer reaches 35C and above? “Hop cultivation requires a particular environment. Long light periods during plant growth (up to 18 hrs/day) and temperate weather (sufficient warmth and moisture) are the conditions in which the hop
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Summer 2016 | Brewers Journal Canada | 17
plants like to grow. Normally, July is the month with the highest precipitation values in Central Europe. This together with the moderate temperature makes countries such as Germany, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Poland privileged for the growth of hops. But something totally different happened this year.” She explains: “This summer has been described as the summer with the most “heat days” on record and it had less precipitation than normal, even surpassing the record year 2003. This combination allows us to describe the 2015 crop as the worst crop for the central European hop industry within decades. At the end of August, the German hop industry association described the crop as significantly below-average in all European hop-growing regions due to the hot and dry conditions in the months of July and August. “In spite of an increase in acreage by 540 ha, the official harvest estimation commission’s forecast is down by 25-40% versus a normal crop in Central Europe. Also, experience shows that poor yields go hand in hand with low resin and oil contents which increase the problem exponentially. Fortunately, the US is expecting a more or less average crop so that at least the supply of US flavour hops should not run into any serious problems. The UK crop is looking good with an increase around 5% versus a normal crop. However, it’s not just supply that’s causing the problem. The huge demand increases that we have seen for aroma hops and continue to see will
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only make the problem worse. On the plus side, the supply situation in the high alpha segment is far more relaxed.” So, why is these particular comments relevant here? Because Munoz believes that brewers should be looking at creative solutions. “Brewers and hop traders should work together to achieve the targeted results. Some recommendations are for example to look into prior year inventories. Good hop traders keep their products under cold conditions (0-5°) and under vacuum or controlled atmosphere to ensure a good quality of the products over the years. The important value here is not the harvest year but the Hop Storage Index (HSI), which indicates the freshness of the hops. The HSI measures the amount of α- and β-acids lost over a period of 6 months at 20C,” she says. Munoz adds: “This value, which aims to estimate the future α-content, depends on the analysed variety, the time of harvesting and the packaging among others. The conditions and moment in which hops are harvested have also an influence on the initial HIS. The combination of these influences develops in that even older hops may have a better HSI than younger hops. This in combination with the hops contracted for crop 2016 may help to bypass the shortage in some varieties. Of course, those who have worked with and on their recipes and the sensory characteristics of the hop varieties contained in them
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will be at an advantage and well prepared for the hard circumstances. “Looking into new varieties to substitute or to prepare mixtures of different varieties to achieve the desired aroma profile offers a good solution. However, it is important to keep in mind that there is no one to one substitution of any hop variety. We have accumulated a wealth of knowledge in this field in recent years and can assist brewers in finding the optimal solution with the help of brew trials, sensory panels and flavour analyses. “Also optimising the recipe by using CO2 extract or bittering products such as IKE, Isohop… may help to save in other products used to give aroma to the beer. Or maybe considering the usage of PHAs or other hop oil products to kick the aroma and flavour of your beer to balance the final desired sensory perception.”
give and take
I
t is offering alternatives, finding solutions and doing their best to enable brewers is a point that rings true with Daniel Collins, president of Brew Culture. He is also sympathetic to the demands of brewers that just want the best ingredients possible to make the beers they want to brew. He explains: "At Brew Culture we're passionate about craft beer and the brewing community. We aim
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to supply brewers with the highest quality hops, direct from our partner growers around the globe, so they can explore their creative sides through the beers they so artfully create. “Brewers like what they like and part of our job is when the Citra, Nelson Sauvin and Simcoe’s of this world aren’t available, is for us to push other varieties. We answer the phone and nine times out of 10 it will be looking for those varieties and you simply have to cut the person off. It’s a shame, of course it is,” Collins says. “But our tastes are changing all of the time, consumer tastes are changing all of the time and hopefully we can see some development in what is demanded of us, too.” Tweedy agrees: “I am aware of some varieties that I wasn’t aware of before from speaking with my suppliers. It’s a positive as it opens your eyes to new possibilities, however it is a case of working out if, and where, they fit in with your recipes and your programmes going forward.” And it this willingness to learn, explore and innovate that effectively guarantees Canadian breweries will continue to produce some excellent beers, regardless of the challenges they face. Special thanks to the brewers that took part in our first roundtable: Iain McOustra, Sam Corbeil, Marc Mammoliti, Ryan Morrow, Jeff Broeders, Matthew Tweedy, Justin Da Silva and Andrew Crowder.
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Sour Power Fresh from their success in the barrel aged sour beer category at the World Beer Cup in Philadelphia, Thornbridge is looking forward to these beers reachers drinkers in the UK. Here, Rob Lovatt, head brewer and production director at the brewery, outlines his mantras when it comes to barrel aged beer.
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recently returned from the World Beer Cup in Philly with my best haul of awards there to date as a head brewer and I still cannot still quite believe I pulled it off. We won the Gold with ‘Love among the Ruins’ and Silver for ‘Days of Creation’ in the barrel aged sour beer category. These are two iterations of the same project; our barrel aged sours. A friend of mine, Alex Troncoso, founder of the new Lost and Grounded brewery in Bristol, sent me a message after the win: “What an amazing achievement! It is not an easy competition to win a medal, this is simply phenomenal!” For me, this pretty much sums it up. This is my
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fifth time judging at the WBC and the overall quality and number of applicants has increased dramatically. When I first started judging in the first round, it wasn’t unusual to be able to kick out at least a third of the entries because of faults. This year, whilst judging American sours, I remember sitting there being incredibly impressed by the quality of the beers and thinking that we would be very lucky to win anything. Rewind back 5 years ago. Myself and Caolan Vaughan (now head brewer at Stone and Wood in Australia), who was my right hand man at the time, were busy trying to ramp up production and implement stringent QA systems to a good team who were not used to that way of working. Going into any brewery and increasing production and changing the working culture can be challenging to say the least! So, in order to relieve the stress and inject even more creativity, we decided, as a pet project, to do some barrel ageing in a small room at Thornbridge Hall. Caolan wanted to go down the route of big dark beer in wood. This resulted in the Heather Honey Stout and an Imperial Oatmeal Stout. I fancied trying my hands at American-style sour beers, as I had always loved the Lambic and Oud Bruin styles, but was particularity impressed when I tasted Russian River’s sour beers. The balance and complexity of these beers was simply sublime. There are two mantras which I have when it comes to barrel aged beer: The beer should be better than when it went into the barrel. With barrel aged beers and in particular attempts at sours, this is obviously not always the case and consumers are expected to pay a high price for the resultant ‘beer’. We shouldn’t ask our customers to pay for our mistakes. When I discussed the sour beers with my boss, we agreed that if we weren’t 100% happy about the final beer, we would ditch it, because I didn’t want
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anything sub-standard going out into trade. Give me the remit of producing a Wit beer, Weiss beer, Stout, Dunkel, Double IPA etc and I pretty much have it dialed in on the first brew. However, with barrel aged sour beers, I was extremely apprehensive of getting it right and more than aware I might make mess of it. Over the next five years I produced three batches in all, including the winning beers. Batch 1, which we brewed and matured at the Hall, was packaged into 500ml bottles and labelled as ‘Sour Brown’. This beer was really well received and went down brilliantly. No-one else in the UK had really produced a successful American-style Sour Brown and it was a real leap forward. But personally, I felt there was scope for improvement, as by the time we had bottled it, I had learnt a huge amount about the process. Each time I learnt something new and changed something, I wrote it down, whether it be the EBU, the storage temperature, the timing and pitching rates of the bacteria and wild yeasts, how often we topped up the barrels, how much fruit, what type of fruit, how much residual extract to leave, the humidity of the room…the list of details that affect the final product is endless. Records for making barrel aged beers are so important as you don’t really get to know what the effect was of a subtle change until up to a year later, so we were fastidious about this. I think what was really key though was the blending. Prior to packaging, we did numerous blends to get it right. There were some barrels which were really funky and I think on their own, they would have been picked out as having faults and only desirable by the real sour connoisseur. However, blended back, they really gave the overall beer an edge; they were like the magic dust sprinkled over the blend! We also blended back some barrels from the second batch which were a bit less sour, which reigned in the final blend and improved drinkability. It would be wrong to think I achieved this all by reading books and trial and error. I also had a lot of communication with Vinnie
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Cilurzo from Russian River, who really helped me out with so many of the questions I had. I think anyone who has had the pleasure of his company, or even just tasted his sour beer range, can vouch for the fact he is an inspiration. Back to the World Beer Cup. After three days of judging, I decided to move on to check out Sierra Nevada’s new brewing facility, which was simply out of this world in every respect. To get back from Asheville, it was two flights back to NYC and I didn’t really want to travel back for the awards ceremony in Philly. Although I was hopeful we had maybe won an award, I didn’t really hold out too much hope owing to the sheer volume and quality of competition. I think there were entries from 1907 breweries from 55 countries this year and in the barrel aged sour beer category there were something like 120 entries. So to actually get the call from my old mate Caolan, while sat in the airport waiting to return to England, that we had won gold and silver in one of the toughest categories, just blew me away! I did have an inkling it was a good beer and sent a few bottles to friends a month before, who were all pretty damn good brewers, but had heard nothing back, so I was assuming that they were being polite by not saying anything! I also had a visiting Lambic blender comment when tasting one of the barrels that he thought the beer had gone too acetic. Although he didn’t brew a Flanders style, it still sowed a seed of doubt in my mind. It’s pretty common as a craft brewer gets bigger and more successful that a certain crowd can criticise you for being no longer being craft or that your beers weren’t what they were. So you must forgive me for having a little chuckle to myself, knowing we cleaned up in the probably the hottest beer category for hipsters! We sold out of the first small bottling run of both beers with most going overseas, but we have bottled more of the same batches now so you can get your hands on it very soon.
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P rinting
Craft of Canning
Marvin Foreman is Tonejet’s worldwide sales manager, and has been busy supporting the growth of a company on the verge of disrupting the craft beverage market. Here he gives his take on the market and where he sees it going next.
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ollowing his appointment in 2014 as Tonejet’s worldwide sales manager, Marvin Foreman has been busy supporting the growth of a company on the verge of disrupting the craft beverage market. Craft beer is a rapidly growing market and an exciting one to be in. The increased variety of craft drinks being launched shows no sign of slowing, from soft drinks and energy drinks through to ready-to-drink spirit based cocktails and more. - Craft drinks are fast becoming a significant and growing percentage of the overall worldwide beverage market. With growth, of course, comes competition and larger breweries and drinks companies have taken a keen interest in this market. Some have already diversified their own offerings to capitalise on this trend, and all are looking for creative ways to increase brand/product recognition and most importantly, appeal to the consumer. Small batch beers have been canned in the USA for some 20 years, and this is undoubtedly on the increase in the UK too. But it isn’t without its barriers. Minimum order levels typically in excess of 150,000, continue to throttle a brewer’s ability to cost effectively grow their business by moving from bottles to cans. Long lead times of 1-2 months and purchasing of excess cans, has also meant that until now, canning craft beverages hasn’t been an option for small to medium sized breweries. New digital can printing technology is addressing these issues, opening-up a whole new world of opportunity.... and not just for smaller breweries. In fact, with limited edition flavourings or oneoff special brews, digital can printing meets today's beverage demands head-on. From a cost perspective alone, digital can printing is roughly 15 times cheaper than the label printing of cans often used as a short term solution to move from bottles to cans. Cans are a better solution for preserving the beverage from light degradation, as well as storage and transportation. With the inherent nature of digital print and minimum orders of almost one, brewers are now provided with virtually limitless personalisation opportunities. Not only that, but as the technology is capable of printing several batches a day, product
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time-to-market is decreased too, enabling brewers to respond quickly to seasonal trends or produce and can special brews for events or social media campaign, opening-up new business opportunities. The ability to digitally print directly onto cans, also opens-up huge opportunities for larger brands/ breweries too. They can now cost effectively package their beverages in smaller volumes, with the printing flexibility to version or change the messaging on their cans as required. By example, a recent Tonejet customer in North America is setting up a contract can printing company, buying in blank cans and printing small run orders for local craft brewers. With no order constraints, even before the system is installed, its order book was full for several months. They are already expecting to invest in a second system to meet demands!” Tonejet, the leading manufacturer of advanced electro-static drop-on-demand digital print engines, called upon Marvin Foreman to help utilise its unique and groundbreaking digital print technology. Foreman is responsible for Tonejet’s worldwide go-to-market sales strategy. Part of this strategy includes educating the industry as to the business building and profit generating benefits of its technology. Foreman will continue to drive sales of Tonejet’s 2-Piece Can & Tube Digital Decorator, while further developing the company’s worldwide sales and service network.
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face the criticism When responding to criticism online you should stick to the facts, be timely, and explain your case, says Jonny Garrett, marketing manager at Cave Direct Beer Merchants and founder of the Craft Beer Channel.
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n many ways, Twitter is like a big family argument. Every one’s talking and no one’s listening, and everyone seems to care a lot more than you thought they did. Emotions run high for no apparent reason as you go round and round in circles, until finally it dawns on everyone that you were all making the same point anyway, and now the turkey’s burnt. Ok so that might have been more about me than Twitter. But it’s no wonder that many brewers and companies are shy about responding to criticism on social media. Sometimes it just feels like you are fanning the flames by trying to explain that the beer was supposed to be cloudy, because that’s what a hefeweiss is. Lord knows it’s frustrating to watch people with little clue about brewing tear apart your beer, but this is the reason why brewers must respond – not why they shouldn’t. Education is the most important way to grow the volume of good beer. If people don’t know about it, or mistrust it, they won’t try it. Giving drinkers the knowledge will allow them to understand beer better and make better choices. We all know that the first time you drink a lambic your face will look like a squeezed sponge, so don’t respond with silence or anger when someone tries your gose and says they’d rather drink petrol. As people who have gone through that beer journey, we know they’ll be gleefully forcing sour beer on their friends within the year. And when they are, they’ll be telling all their friends how your brewery explained what they had wrong. This transparency and approachability is part of who we are in the craft beer world. So where misinformation surfaces, we need to put it right. You wouldn’t ignore it if someone said it to you in person, and it’s even more vital to make sure you respond online, where thousands of people could witness your stony silence. It’s even more imperative to respond if someone makes a fair criticism, because then silence can look like arrogance. So if we definitely should respond to online criticism; the real question is how we go about it and avoid “burning the turkey”. My golden rule, which sounds simple but is broken time and time again by unthinking loudmouths, is if you wouldn’t say the words, don’t write them either.
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I’ve seen people and companies accused of things that could quite easily be taken to court for libel, and there is just no need for it. People respond to a human touch, so you need to sound like you have one even if you mashed in at 5.45am that morning and just spilt caustic on your hand. Aside from sounding like a normal human, it’s also important to be timely. If you’ve taken the trouble to set up a Facebook page, Twitter account or Youtube channel, you are saying “I’m here, talk to me!”. So if someone has to wait two hours for a response, that’s going to irk them. They can see you’re there, they know you get the notification, so why aren’t you responding? There’s little I hate more than those shotgun approaches to social media, where a company responds to 10 replies in a batch, retweets 5 compliments in a row and then goes offline for another few days. No one benefits from this approach, least of all the brand. The final rule to bear in mind when responding to criticism, or indeed any online conversation, is to stick to the facts. In trying to avoid the merry-go-round of arguing about craft beer, the truth is your biggest asset. The customer is, in fact, usually wrong and it’s your job to explain that as carefully as possible. Traditionally there is a little diacetyl in a Bohemian Pilsner, that brett pale ale is designed to smell a bit like Cornwall, keg beer does not have to be pasteurized, and actually Brewdog bashing is significantly more irritating than its marketing strategy. See? Facts. You can’t argue with them. And arguing is the last thing we want to do. Should breweries respond to criticism? A thousand times yes. Does that mean they can argue with customers or other breweries? A million times no. We may be small and independent, headed by whippersnappers in beards and check shirts, but we are also brand owners and we represent a business and the people who work for it. When I see brewers falling out on twitter it undermines everything. Our individuality and differences are what keep us together as craft brewers. So when you’re criticized fairly, an explanation of what went wrong with an apology can turn a negative into a positive. When you’re unfairly criticized, teaching the accuser something is the only way forward for everyone. Now to explain that to the bloggers…
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Craft A Future The first pages of the Creemore Springs story were written in 1987, and while a number of chapters in the brewery’s journey have been committed to page since then, 2016 goes down as the latest, exciting, addition to that particular tale with the launch of its BATCH gastrobrewery in Toronto.
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cceptance in beer is a process that many have to go through, though not all want to. This acceptance could lie in the letting go of a beer, or a style, that your favourite brewery no longer wants to brew. It could be based in their decision to move away from bottling to canning, or vice versa. Or it could be the acceptance that your favourite brewery takes the considered, major decision to accept an acquisition proposal from a company in big beer. In 2005, Creemore Springs did just that and despite it acting as a catalyst for the good of the brewery, its beers,and its ability to expand. it still leaves a sour taste in the mouth of some drinkers to this day. “When we were acquired, people had a fear of what it would change. How it would change us. Let’s be honest here, we all did. It was a fear of the unknown and how the future would unfold. But true to their word, they kept their hands off of us, explains Karen Gaudino, director of marketing at Creemore Springs. She recalls the period during the acquisition by Molson Coors, a relationship that is going strong to
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this day. “We were bought to help us grow, not to change us. We still get comments and you know what? They are to be expected and we can’t change that. But what we can change, or at least try to, is people’s perceptions of us,” she adds. “We tell these people that ownership does not define who we are. We are still the same people, making great beer and that’s not changing. When it comes to our relationship with our customers, especially. We have grown and we can’t and won’t hide from that. That’s not who we are. But we haven’t changed.” Gaudino and her colleagues, for today at least, brewmaster Gord Fuller and Geoff Davies, head of operations, empathise with the perception bestowed on them by fans of Creemore Springs beer. And that is not something exclusive to Canada or North America, it’s a feeling shared by beer fans across the globe. Acquisitions are taking place worldwide across the globe, and that isn’t something that will simple stop overnight. And for as long as these deals continue, so will the battles between breweries and their adoring public. “People here are aware of the Labatt’s effect on
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Kokanee beer to London Ontario. It didn’t take long for that beer to be no longer brewed with mountain spring water which was what made that beer. And as a result, that brand was ruined for so many people. They felt lied to, they felt betrayed. The story of Creemore Springs, our story, is one that could have been made up by a marketing person but it’s all true, so why would you tinker with it? explains Davies. Fuller adds: “Those first seven years were an interesting period for us. From working out who we would deal with, to whether they would change our beer, which they didn’t. It’s a relationship that continues to evolve, and remain exciting.” And what is important to Creemore Springs, based in Creemore, Ontario is that it avoids preservatives during the brewing process, as well as steering clear of pasteurizing afterwards. The brewery, the team explains, exclusively uses water from an artesian well in its brewing process. This water comes from the Creemore Spring that is located on one of the founder's property, which is trucked from the source to the brewery daily in 10,000l truckloads; and each truckload has enough water to brew one batch. Davies explains that the ability to continue working in this manner is something Molson Coors should be credited for. “They offer us a lot of things and yes, they also have to be responsible to their shareholders, but we benefit a great deal. They have given us a great deal of investment and we make good partners. They will questions us on decisions we make, but they listen to us and engage with us. It just works. “What is key to us, and one thing we are still working on is finding out what our sweet spot is,” explains Davies. “I like to think of it as a dairy, delivering fresh milk. When we can deliver the best customer experience, that means we need to deliver the beer fresh and to customers as close to the brewery as possible. Unless it is well transported, of course. Our experience in Quebec has demonstrated that the beers are best enjoyed it’s best closer to home. Freshness and storage and distribution is so key to us. “People are always asking us about wide distribution and exports. But our values make that difficult. And you have to ask yourself why you would anyway? Sure, you'd get a presence but the volume wouldn't really be there, sure but you’d be a small player and it won’t be worth it.” Gaudino adds: “We have been holding our own in light of how competitive the marketplace is right now. We are holding our ground and we are seeing regional growth, especially in the core brand of our lager and we are also doing well with Quebec too, which is an expansion market for us.” And it is the future that is important for the team at Creemore Springs. Located at 75 Victoria Street, Toronto, and previously home to several other breweries, BATCH is the latest step in the Creemore Springs story and one that broadens their reach. Featuring a selection of Creemore Springs brands, as well as beers brewed
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on-site by brewmaster Andrew Bartle (pictured), the expansion was important for the company. “Since 1987 we’ve fire-brewed our beer in small batches in an authentic copper kettle, using pure spring water sourced just around the corner from a natural artesian well. From this small-town craftbrewing heritage came an enthusiastic commitment to local food and makers,” says Gaudino. “BATCH is a warm gathering place for good food, cold beer, and friendly people, in the heart of the city. Everything we serve has been carefully curated and crafted by hand because that’s the way we do it back home.” And despite the efforts put in to the BATCH proposition, Gaudino says it has been even busier than expected. She adds: “What is great is that the history on the brewing side has been a bit difficult sell and people were a little worried when we made our decision. But for the first couple of months at least, we have been very busy and beating forecasts. The local community has resonated with the environment too. “The original model worked on the assumptions that sales would split with 70% on food and 30% on beer but to be honest, beer has reached a near 50% 50% split, which is great. People are reacting positively to the drinks selection, which is rewarding. It shows
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that it works.” The focus on beer at BATCH was always a key part of the brewery’s plans, as well as giving it a foothold in Toronto, which is the largest market for the company. Gaudino explains: “This environment is a bit of an incubator for our beer. It means we can get a handle on styles that could resonate with consumers, ones we may not have brewed with at the main brewery. This venture needed substance and it needed to support our larger business. “When Andrew came on board, and in consultation with Gordon, the idea was that we didn’t need to be crazy and experimental, but to brew some classics, enjoyable beers that people will want to drink. We will look to stretch the boundaries in time but part of the Creemore brand is accessibility.” And it’s the future that excites the team at Creemore Springs. She concludes: “Some people argue, asking if we are too big anymore. The term craft doesn’t come in to the equation. People want to envelop us and categorise us. The market is being driven by back to basics and people want simplicity, authenticity and provenance. It’s what people want, and what we want. And that’s what we will continue to do”
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Chris Goddard and Mike Laba from Craft Brand Company and Brunswick Bierworks ineeded
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Take the power back December 15th will go down as a incredibly significant date for craft beer brewers in Ontario, Canada. The province witnessed its biggest step change for beer since prohibition, with new legislation now permitting the sale of alcohol outside of strict existing channels and into grocery stores across one of Canada’s most populous areas. We speak to those involved with reaching this milestone, and how they hope to ride the crest of this wave.
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ntario’s premier Kathleen Wynne is currently a very popular individual in the eyes of breweries and beer buyers across the province. On the 15th December last year, she made history by simply buying a six-pack of beer at a grocery store. Commonplace for most, but for Ontarians, she was indulging in a simple pleasure that had been denied consumers for too long. “Today, the wait is over. Beer is here,” she announced at the Loblaws grocery store after procuring the Rhyme & Reason beers from Toronto's Collective Arts Brewing. For Wynne, she was marking a move away from purchasing beer controlled by the province’s strict Liquor Board of Ontario (LCBO) or the foreign-owned Beer Store. Loblaws immediately rolled out beer sales across 19 outlets, with grocery stores planning a swift acceleration, ensuring that nearly 500 stores offer beer by the end of 2017. "We salute Loblaw's commitment to Ontario craft brewers and its exceptional efforts to provide us new retail opportunities," says John Hay, President, Ontario Craft Brewers. "The province has a vibrant community of craft brewers and we expect Loblaw's business to create new energy and new opportunities to connect Ontario customers with Ontario beer throughout the province." "Our customers shop with us for all the flavours and
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ingredients of great meals, and today we can better serve that demand with the announcement that beer is here," said Grant Froese, CEO of Loblaw Companies. He adds: "This is a historic first step for our company and for the Ontario government, giving customers the greater convenience of shopping for groceries and beer in one stop. We expect great demand and customer anticipation for more opportunity in our local stores throughout the province, consistent with the government's planned roll-out.” While changes to the grocery setup will have a major positive impact on independent brewers, a new governance model at the Beer Store (TBS) outlets across Ontario, which involved increase visibility for craft breweries, is also considered ground-breaking and, according to Ontario Craft Brewers, brings it much closer to its roots where all brewers in Ontario benefitted equally from the system. “We look forward to working with the independent directors on an ongoing basis and in particular during in the transition phases that will take place over the next year or so. We welcome the creation of an Ontario Craft Beer category/section in all TBS stores at the shelf level and in any permanent and ongoing consumer-facing displays, they said in a statement. Greg Taylor knows a great deal about beer in Ontario. As co-founder of Steam Whistle Brewing, a company he co-founded at the end of the nineties, he has helped developed the brewery’s sole offering, a Pilsner, to ensure it has become a mainstay for
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Kathleen Wynne making history buying beer in Ontario
drinkers. “What Wynne is doing for those involved in beer is huge. It will take away some of the monopolised situation that the larger breweries that Molson coors and AB Inbev has with what The Beer Store offers. They have carried craft beers it but their approach has not been conducive to promoting it. But now, there is a 20% merchandising opportunity to craft brewers, which will give them shelf space, and also for promotion, where three or four breweries can put their beers,” he explains. Taylor adds that the same will apply for for groceries stores, dedicating around 20% space for craft beer. There are thousands of these, so the growth potential there is massive. “While the LCBO will still manage the sale of the beer, and the flow of the beer, the POs will go through the LCBO but we, or third party can bring them, and offer them to consumers.”
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But while Taylor has optimism about these changes, they are not without solid grounding, either. And he knows it. “Larger breweries didn’t want it to happen. They have been able to sell it wholesale, and for also for retail, which is very rare. Controlling what people are drinking. They are controlling it and now, they are not happy. They tried to influence the situation, with the union of LCBO staying that these changes will allow young kids to buy beer and that only their employees could properly control the sale of beer, implying that there is a lack of responsibility,” he explains. Taylor says that there has been an “incredible resistance” from beer lobbyists, lobbying in government, from liberals in power and conservatives, as well as other parties. “This has been an incredible force and it’s been unfortunate, lobbying at federal level is controlled but at a provincial level it happens.
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The only reason that it’s taken 60 years is that these people know their stuff,” he states. But Taylor, and his company, know that people love craft beer, and he has figures to back it up. “In the LCBO, growth in craft beer was around 32% up, while in The Beer Store, owned by the big multinationals, this figure was only 1% which is a telling factor. That is very, very significant, as they sell 75% of the beer in the province. So these changes will be a big positive for us. But we still need to fight the fight together and take the market share. For us, it’s essential,” says Taylor. “If you look at a small craft brewery, is that you want to be in your neighbourhood, you can now be at LCBO, Beer Stores, and the groceries. It’s important for breweries, for the economy, and for the country. Profits are going back into the country, the community, creating jobs in the process. For John Hay, president of Ontario Craft Brewers, the changes being made to the craft beer ecosystem across the province have been understandably welcomed. Among these changes is the right to co-ship and to build joint distribution systems, which is considered essential to efficiently serving the new channels, and to make existing LCBO channel more efficient for the sector. The organisation explains: “We have said over the years that some limited cross-selling would really help our smallest members and startups by creating secondary and tertiary markets that could very likely be needed as the larger systems run out of shelf space.
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In light of all of the changes, the cross-selling option did not make it through at this time. Our recommendation is simply to review it in a year or two, once we can fully assess the impact of this first round of changes.” For Hay, the changes go a long way in unlocking their ability to achieve our goal of having a craft brewery in every city and town in the province. “This new environment, is only a good thing for craft beer. These measures are all helpful. We have at least 130 independent craft breweries, and this will hit around 200 before long. We want a brewery in every town and city, so we are well on our way to getting there,” he enthuses. Craft beer has come a long way in Ontario during the last decade. In around 2003, according to Hay, the province had around 20 breweries, with even fewer “making much money”. “But tax incentives allowed people to change their fortunes, expand, and with provincial government input for promotion, combined with the local food movement and a desire for change, helped it get going. It took from about 2003-2010 for it to really germinate. But during the last couple of years it has really exploded. The consumer was really ready for it,” he says. Hay is firm in his drive, and belief, to double or triple job creation through the opening and expansion of more breweries in Ontario. “We are about 5% of the sales but about 35-40% of the jobs, so this can only improve. “One of our main objectives is to have a brewery
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Craft beer is a key contributor to the economy in Ontario.
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in each town or city. A few years ago it was in 40 communities, now 70. But we want that to change. Once you put a small brewery in there is a huge economic boost from that. “Our challenge is to keep a broad enough footprint, keep enough new entrants coming in, keep it local, keep it approachable. And we always want to improve quality each and every day, staying close to the community and maintaining that closeness.” One such new entrant to the brewery market is Mike Laba, the co-founder of established drinks importers and agents The Craft Brand Company. Alongside his co-founder, Chris Goddard, they have founded Brunswick Bierworks. Pitched as a a partner brewing facility, located in the East York neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, the company is open concept brewery that will produce beers from local and global brewery partners. “It provides our brewery partners an ability to access to National and International markets with fresh product brewed to their exact specifications under the supervision of their own Brewmaster. Our facility provides a variety of packaging options as well as the ability to distribute directly from our brewery. Our model allows brewers to expand their distribution without the capital costs of building a new brewery and without the incremental costs of import freight,” explains Laba. Goddard adds: “Our open concept brewery consists of a 50 HL brewhouse for larger production and a 20 HL pilot system for recipe development, one-off brews and smaller batch seasonal beers. The brew house and all production equipment has been manufactured NSI, one of the finest manufacturers of beer equipment in the world. The company has already enlisted Christian Riemerschmid von der Heide as its brewmaster. Having worked in the brewery and beverage industry for more then 30 years, he is a master brewer by profession having brewed brands like Augustiner in Munich and
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Guinness in Dublin. With full construction mode set for Spring this year, the changes in beer distribution have ensured that it’s an exciting time for the team behind the new brewery. “The LCBO has interest in beer and supporting Ontario crafts so any organisation producing products here is something they want to succeed, the LCBO has put things in place to give breweries a leg up, to improve network, distribution, says Laba, echoing Steam Whistle’s Taylor. “But they are restricted of selling 6-packs or smaller, but that said, they don’t get discounts unlike the beer store. Which is a massive disadvantage, so while the LCBO has grown, they haven’t been able to do everything.” He adds: “The biggest change we have has been with the approval of grocery stores having their licences granted, so that gives us another channel but that’s growing. The majority of beer sales profits flow out of our country, and that’s not right.” Focusing on the Brunswick proposition, Laba and Goddard expect the business to prove popular with breweries wanting to expand their offering, and as a route into the Ontario market. He explains: “From speaking with our partners, it was clear this was something that interested them. To take it another step, we told our partners about the opportunities to collaborate with the other brewers in our network as well. The idea of a number of craft brewing characters all under one roof? The excitement snowballed. This is when we knew that we could play within the restrictions of Ontario while offering innovation too. It is a all under one roof experience and it gets them a better access to market. For our European partners, it also allows us to brew their product for the US market if needed. "As an partner of us? It’s an interesting process. For us personally, we will look at their branding, sit down and see if we are on the same page with everything. We require a strong relationship. We sit with the LCBO, and work out the best way to move forward with a brand. It’s about fitting and filling the gaps where the LCBO want to fill, so like seasonal etc. "They would sample it after we fill in the forms, they give the feedback, pack size, then look at when in the calendar, then we look at compliance, with lab testing, design so the whole process takes 8 months to a year. As an import brewer you cannot sell in Ontario without an agent, so our job is to take brands to the LCBO and we do that work." Laba and Goddard plan to offer a proposition that is as strong a collaboration process as possible, and from speaking with partners, this has been the way people want it to go, says the company. “Quality is paramount for everyone, the recipes are. This involved the yeast, yeast propagations the barley, the hops. And for others, it’s about access to market, and doing things in a timely manner. brewing draught on market and getting to retail quickly is exciting, as well is the ability to minimise environmental impact, too. It’s less of a logistical challenge,” says Laba.
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Belgium goes back to the beginning Belgian beer is reimagining its traditions, says Thirst C raft Beer Brand and Marketing Consultancy. They speak to breweries such as Tilquin Gueuzerie, Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille and Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal about the need for balance, dealing with popularity and mixing the old with the new.
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ike Belgium’s four other gueuze blenders and a dozen or so lambic brewers, Pierre Tilquin cannot keep up with demand for his beers. There is an unquenchable thirst for the strange, funky and complex beers he makes by blending beers from five different breweries. Lambic and gueuze beers are in the ascendancy. Hugely sought-after in North America and increasingly in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other established beer-loving markets, these beers are closer in character to Champagne than an English bitter. They have a sour aftertaste, are tart and dry, challenging and complex and, to the seasoned beer lover, immensely rewarding. But these are not new styles like a black IPA or mocha porter. More than any other type of beer, lambics and gueuzes can trace their origins to the birth of brewing, when warm wort was left outside to cool and the miracle of fermentation kickstarted thanks to wild yeast lurking in the air. There’s no single reason for the growing popularity
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of these beers, for years under the shadow of Belgium’s Abbeys, tripels, saisons and blondes. A greater understanding of complex beers is one reason, as is the hunger for something new, especially among beer connoisseurs. Fashion and fads play their part too of course, as does the growing appreciation of food pairing: these tart beers with their big acidic kick and cleansing finish are a joy with pretty much any food. Established in 2009, Pierre Tilquin’s Gueuzerie Tilquin is Belgium’s newest gueuze blender. In the years since launching his first gueuze in 2011 he’s seen sales rocket, with demand outstripping supply, even if he does have about 400 wooden casks in a shed filled with maturing lambics from Boon, Lindemans, Timmermans, Cantillon and Girardin breweries. Once ready, these lambics are blended into geueze, then refermented in bottles. Pierre explains the surge in popularity for his beers: “People look for more special products, something new. With the traditional gueuze more people are discovering this type of beer and becoming more familiar with it. A lot more drinkers of speciality beers like to drink something new, so we take advantage of
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this.” He also sees the rise in popularity as more restaurants start selling beers. “Gueuze is perfect for foods,” he says; a sentiment echoed by Alex Dumont Chassart from Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille. “Sours, lambics, gueuzes go so well with food,” Alex declares. “Food pairing is the future of beer. Wheat beer, for example, with fish is wonderful; you have all these wonderful flavours in your mouth!” Alex also reckons there’s a pragmatic side to having beer with your meal. “With wine there are sulphates that don’t always agree with you body. “And besides, sharing a bottle of wine between two will put you over the drink-drive limit! “Beer is safer, natural if made in the craft way, but it’s also wonderfully refreshing; it’s a social ingredient that gets people – strangers – talking. You don’t get that so much with wine.” For the craft beer market to keep on growing, Alex suggests, it needs to tackle wine’s stranglehold on restaurants. “That is where growth is and where the future of craft beer lies. Otherwise there will be blood. Breweries will close down,” he warns. His foreboding seems at odds with the international love affair with Belgian brewing. With so much of Belgian beer being exported (some 60%, though this includes Ab InBev’s Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe), particularly to the US, it seems unlikely Belgian breweries are going to start cutting their cloth any time soon. But a shift in US import policy or duty, however, could quickly jeopardise the reliance many breweries – not just Belgian – have on trade to the American markets. And it’s not just Belgian beers that are being exported; it’s also the styles. Breweries such as Allagash in Maine, US, and Elgood’s in Cambridgeshire, UK are making their own lambic-style beers with some great results, though their characters are different because they have their own “terroir” – a term associated with wine grape regions but which can equally apply when talking about spontaneous fermentation due to that area’s airborne wild yeasts and bacteria. Belgian lambics hail from Pajottenland, an area south of Brussels that was once rich in cherry orchards. These long-gone fruits still lend character to the wild yeast brettanomyces (different from the traditional brewers’ Saccharomyces yeast strains) and help define the area’s terroir. But regardless of whether it’s Somerset, Pajottenland or California, these wild beers start life in pretty much the same way: wort is left out overnight to cool in large flat trays. Wild yeast in the air inoculates the wort and kick-starts the process of spontaneous fermentation, beginning the miraculous process of turning wort into beer. And as these innovative “wild” breweries look to Belgium for inspiration, so the new wave of Belgium brewers have looked to other countries for their own ideas ... or at least for their hops. Alex’s Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille was one
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of the first of Belgium’s breweries to start regularly using US hops in his beers, and when he brewed a saison using a heap of imported American hops, he had no idea that a few years later his IV Saison would be – without irony – described as a modern classic and inspire umpteen clones. For him, keen to challenge preconceptions about Belgian beer, brewing is not about spices and candi sugars; it comes down to four things: water, hops, malt and yeast. “Everything must be drinkable so medium strength – you don’t have to be drunk on one beer,” he says. “It’s more important to satisfy the thirst, yet it should also be pleasing for a connoisseur. It’s all about balance. Balance is everything for a beer.” He adds: “People don’t drink with their nose and mouth; they drink with their brain; and if they have a good understanding of the product they can understand the taste.” Tilquin Gueuzerie may not find much use for Mosaic or Centennial hops in its blends, but owner Pierre clearly has an eye on the good beer renaissance across the Channel. He’s a massive fan of modern British brewing, so much so that he’s again hosting an English beer festival at his brewery (April 30-May 1), with the likes of Beavertown, Brew by Numbers, Burning Sky, Buxton, Cloudwater, Magic Rock, Moor, Partizan, Siren, The Kernal, Thornbridge, Weird Beard and Wild Beer Co attending. Though Pierre insists on keeping his gueuzes strictly traditional (and is no fan of those who use artificial sweeteners), it’s refreshing to see such a well-respected gueuze blender look beyond Belgium for influence; an outlook that has also worked very well for Julien Gobron, of Brasserie Les 3 Fourquets, whose father Pierre set up and then sold the famous Brasserie d’AChouffe. A proponent of marrying tradition with the modern, Belgian styles with new world hops, Brasserie Les 3 Fourquets’s hop-heavy Lupulus beers have helped grow the brewery way beyond the expectations they had when they launched in 2004. Back then it was simply a desire to “make a top quality beer with a little bit more bitterness then we have normally in Belgium”. Their beer list shows off this ability to take in Belgium’s rich heritage yet look overseas; again, indicative of Belgium’s brewers awareness of the world around them (this sponge-like philosophy perhaps why Belgium has such a rich brewing culture in the first place). As breweries globally look to Belgium for inspiration, so Belgium’s brewers absorb ideas from all over ... though speak to any of them and they’ll tell you the focus – always – has to be on balance. Julien’s series of Lupulus beers, for example, includes a Tripel as well as a pale ale made with US and Australian hops. He says he likes the big hoppy beers but, hammering the point, balance has to be there. A new brewhouse and bottling line (the old one’s off to the hop-farm brewery Plukker) gives Julien
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“lots of possibilities in terms of recipes as well as packaging, but it’s important we keep the recipes artisanal and natural”. He admits that although there’s been a lot of change in recent years (though not to the scale experienced in the UK and US), now “everybody wants to make beer”. This is encouraging, he says, “because the more there are little breweries with special or craft beers, the more people learn what is beer and become a connoisseur and the more they appreciate our product”. For Jef Hanssens of Brouwerij Hof Ten Dormaal, it’s about catering to the beer connoisseurs. “We can’t make enough sour beer, and almost all of it is exported to the US since there’s a massive hype there for the moment.” Jef reveals they’re working on a dry-hopped brown sour apple/cheery beer, and adds: “We pride ourselves in getting new stuff out there, doing it our own way. Tradition doesn't mean anything to us. We are a very young brewery [established 2009] and unlike most Belgian breweries, we don't think Belgium is 'the beer land'.” Hop farmer turned brewer Joris Camie is similarly unapologetic, though in his case it’s about distribution. If you want his beers – and people do –
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you have to come to his Plukker hop farm and brewery and pick them up yourself. Instead, he’s focused attention on his equipment and brewing, and has just bought an improved bottling line from Julien Gobron’s Brasserie Les 3 Fourquets. Joris too has merged modern with the traditional. His organic farm grows Cascade, Challenger, Goldings, WGV and Pilgrim hops, and it’s these that form the bedrock of his five core beers, including his Single Green Hop amber beer. It’s made using Challenger hops picked seconds before being added to the boiling wort. You can’t get fresher, he proclaims. It’s impossible to disagree. His All Inclusive IPA meanwhile uses all five hops and is made at the end of the hop-picking season, its character and taste dependant on that year’s harvest. But despite the focus on hops at Plukker, Joris is also adamant about the importance of balance – his single-hopped IPA might reek of fresh hops but it’s held together by a soft malt backbone. Balance is everything for these Belgian brewers, regardless of whether it’s a blonde, tripel or gueuze. There might be an unrivalled diversity of styles and character in Belgian beer, but look behind the variety and you’ll see that the understanding and appreciation of balance runs throughout.
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T e c hn o l o gy
canning
Streamline Success Canning is big business. Breweries across the globe are increasingly turning to these vessels to ship their beer, and Canada is no different. There are benefits to bottling and there are benefits to canning, but the latter has ridden a growth trajectory that means it is in an ever-increasing numbers of bars, pubs and restaurants across the country. In this piece, canning expert Daniel Searle investigates some of the developing technology driving this sector.
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any of the reasons that craft brewers are increasingly switching to cans are well known. Innovations in technology, changing consumer perceptions, sustainability and increased sales avenues have all helped its popularity. And from packaging arriving at the brewery through to the filled product leaving for the store shelves, there are test and inspection systems for each stage of the process to help ensure a perfect result. From a short-term hold-for-inspection (HFI) delay
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on the filling line through to a full-scale product recall, any scale of problem with a filling operation can have a major financial impact for a brewer. Leaking cans and bottles that affect shelf-life, incorrect labelling and foreign objects in the product are all issues that brewers - and beer lovers - are keen to avoid encountering. While packaging manufacturers employ numerous test and inspection systems to all-but guarantee their products leave the factory ready to be filled, packaging can be damaged or contaminated during the logistical process of travel, warehousing and unpacking. Similar systems are therefore used by fillers at the beginning of the filling line, to detect damage and dirt.
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The light weight of empty cans that makes them a low-cost packaging to ship to the brewery also makes them susceptible to minor dents - which are easy to overlook but can compromise the package's integrity over the duration of the product's shelf-life. It's therefore unsurprising that a range of empty can inspection systems are available. Heuft's CanLine systems operates at up to 144,000 cans a minute - enough to handle a full-speed beverage can manufacturing line and therefore suitable for filling operations as well. It's powered by the company's Reflexx2 image-processing system, and is designed to identify deformations, indentations and other damage - focusing particularly on the quality
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of the flanged edge of the unfilled can, critical to the delicate double-seaming operation at the opposite end of the line. A deformed flange or neck can result in the seal either failing completely or, potentially more problematically, not sealing tightly enough. The CanLine system also highlights dents to the body and base of the can, as well as dirt and foreign objects, using LED illumination to provide a clear view of each can for analysis. The Innocheck ECI - empty can inspection - system from Germany's KHS addresses similar issues. Running at up to 2,000 cans a minute, the system uses one camera - with an option of a second for improved performance - to capture images of the can wall, base
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and top edges. The Innocheck software developed by KHS provides not just image analysis to detect any faults, but also individual can tracking, to ensure that any cans determined to be faulty can be automatically rejected from the line. The system has been designed to be compact, to fit into the filling process as unobtrusively as possible, and importantly emphasises a hygienic approach, particularly on the inspection head. The company also highlights the long life of the LED lighting system, reducing the maintenance required. The Ultra Compact ViS from Ibea, as the name suggests, also focuses on a space-efficient, singlelane process. Key to this is integrating the complete PC system within the ViS, meaning that no external computer is required to process the images - the whole system consists of just the accompanying monitor, keyboard and mouse. The complete in-house hardware and software guarantees reliable round the clock production and is compatible with components of diameters up to 190mm and heights of up to 300mm - so there's plenty of scope for inspecting tallboys, stovepipes, crowlers and all the other capacious can sizes being adopted throughout the craft brewing industry. As well as being able to analyse component dimensions, detect damage and flaws in panel, body and flange3, and a number of other options, the software was developed with reflective surfaces and materials in mind - making it particularly well-suited to metal components such as empty cans and crown corks. The system includes Ibea's Real Time System (RTS), operated by a gear clock and controlling the image scanning and illumination processes and up to three ejectors, synchronising analysis and rejection to ensure bad products don't reach any further down the filling line.
complete package
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n the micro-canning equipment front, Calgary’s Cask Brewing Systems is offering a new canning line that doubles the speed of its fastest machine. The Cask ACS X2 (Automatic Canning System X2) offers ten CO2 pre-purge heads, ten fill heads, and two can seamers. That is twice the pre-purge, filling and seaming features of Cask’s ACS machine, which has been popular with micro-canners since it debuted on the market in 2005. The company’s new machine fills and seams 75+ cans/minute and 190+ cases/hour and requires just one operator. It features a revamped seamer system and an improved operator interface, and can be adapted to various can sizes in just minutes. Other options for the ACS X2 include an improved automatic pallet dispenser and a can pre-rinse feature. “Our customers around the world are experiencing huge demand for their canned craft beer and it’s creating production pressures for them. Many of them
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are faced with outgrowing our machines and having to make a four- or five-fold leap in price -- and a giant leap in size -- to buy the next level of canning gear,” explains Cask founder Peter Love. He added: “We created this faster, more-advanced machine,” Love says, “to help our customers keep up with their growth in a fashion that saves them significant money and space. Our focus has always been smaller breweries, the ACS X2 allows us to greatly expand that focus.” “All of our machines give small brewers an affordable, small-scale way to package their beer in the best package there is for beer. They allow craft brewers to easily adopt the super-portable, infinitely recyclable can and its ultimate protection from light
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Cask's ACS X2 (Automatic Canning System X2) doubles the speed of its fastest machine.
and oxygen. Those benefits are hard for brewers to resist.�
finer detail
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erman company Krones offers high accuracy inspection systems for empty cans, glass bottles and PET bottles. The company's Cantronic system runs at line speed, inspecting cans for contamination and deformation. A high-resolution CCD camera inspects the base, wall and flange, while an optional extra camera is used to detect wrinkles and dirt in the neck area of 202-diameter cans - slim cans commonly used for
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energy drinks. Any cans detected as faulty or 'risky' are automatically rejected and the details recorded, a safeguard protects the product quality and increases overall line efficiency by 5%, says Krones. The company also produces the Linatronic 735 for inspecting empty glass and PET containers. Hygiene is understandably a priority, and the system features conveyor belts that repel dirt and moisture, a closed outer surface in the conveyor belt station, and a structure designed to prevent dirt building up above the bottle flow. Using a camera and a sensor, the system inspects the inner and outer side-wall, sealing surface, base and thread for integrity and contamination and checks for any residual liquid inside the bottles.
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Sessions Craft Canning has canned 1.6m cans for in excess of 20 breweries
As well as providing systems for single-use glass bottles, Krones has also developed a unit in the EBI range for inspecting returnable glass bottles. The system is designed to offer improved sidewall inspection accuracy, combining four fourmegapixel cameras and crack detection capability in the neck finish section. Accuracy is further improved by the double-flash neck finish inspection, and base inspection with pre-centering. The unit is also optimised for transparent bottles with scuffing and engravings.
end game
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nce each empty container has been checked and verified as free from defects, they reach the filling stations. Here, systems such as the Filtec 3 are designed to flag up any of the various issues that can arise during filling and closing the containers.
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Potential problems include overfilling and underfilling each can or bottle, and the can end or bottle lid either being fitted incorrectly or, if the hopper has run out of these components, missing entirely. The Filtec 3 inspection system detects these issues as they arise on the filling line, as well as identifying bulged cans, high or low foam levels, glass bottle breakages, containers falling over on the line, and where applicable, missing foil seals. The system is more than capable of handling filling line speeds - it runs at up to 2,400 cans a minute or 1,400 bottles a minute - and collects data as it goes, keeping count of the total number of containers analysed and the total number of rejected parts. It also offers real-time continuous statistical analysis of the data, and uses sampling to monitor the performance of filler valves and the capping and closing heads, enabling the system to identify if a fault within an individual station is causing rejects. As with the empty container inspection systems, the Filtec 3 recognises the lack of space typically available
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when installing machinery within a filling line, and is built with a deliberately small footprint. For brewers using cans, the closing process involves what could quite reasonably be described as an unheralded wonder of engineering - the double-seam. The intricacies of how such an impermeable barrier is formed - keeping high-pressure gas inside beverage cans for years and food safe to eat for decades - at line speeds is a topic to be looked at in detail another time, but seaming can safely be described as both an art and a science and is understandably the focus of a large number of dedicated inspection machines. These machines have been developed to be compatible with today's generation of ultra-thin beverage cans. The can manufacturing industry has made ongoing efforts to downgauge the thickness of its products, as although each step only reduces the weight of each can by a fraction of a gram, with standard can production operations typically manufacturing over a million cans in a shift on just one line the cost savings and environmental benefits
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soon add up. This approach has also been applied to can ends, resulting in brewers running seaming operations which demand two pieces of metal both thinner than a human hair to be accurately bound together. As a result, it's beneficial for filling operations to analyse as many seams as possible - not only to detect potential flaws, but also to identify trends in seam dimensions which can provide an early warning sign that the process may be going out of specification, allowing the operator to make modifications before faulty seams are produced. This requirement has seen x-ray technology introduced - the non-destructive process making it possible to return products to the line after analysis, unlike the alternative approach in which the seam is cut open for measurement, and therefore allowing the seam monitoring process to take place without eating into productivity. An example of a latest-generation system, Torus Group's SEAMetal HD was developed by Israel-based
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Quality By Vision, who Torus is the UK and Ireland agent for. The company highlights not just the issue of lightweighted cans and ends, but also pressure to increase line speeds as a further cause of potential issues arising in seaming operations. The company first introduced a computer-based, fully-automatic double seam inspection system back in 1993, and has continued to develop the detection algorithm to improve the accuracy and repeatability of the measurements. Its key benefits are fast, high-resolution and highaccuracy x-ray imaging, using an integrated highdefiniton camera and an SPC system that provides automatic measurement and data collection of each of the seam dimensions. From there, the software can present the information in graph form, and has compatibility with Microsoft Excel to produce customised reports. CMC-Kuhnke's Mars-XTS combines two modules, the SeamScan XTS to make internal measurements with an x-ray system, and its CSG-Series Combination Seam Gauge for taking external measurements. The result is a system that can measure a range of dimensions including seam height, body hook, cover hook, overlap, seam thickness, countersink depth, and body hook butting and wrinkle rating. It offers the option of connecting directly to the filling line, with a sample of cans automatically diverted to the machine for seam analysis, or can be
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fed with cans manually. In either case, the cans are then either held for additional inspection or returned to the production line. CMC-Kuhnke also highlights the handling system of the Mars-XTS, developed for transporting filled cans through the measurement stations without damaging or affecting the product. After filling and sealing, Krones offers one further safety-check for glass bottles, with a system devoted to detecting the potentially disastrous problem of glass fragments and other foreign bodies inside the containers. With a suitably investigative name - the Linatronic 774-FBI - the unit operates on up to 72,000 bottles an hour. It uses two camera modules, each of which take three separate images at different angles, to detect particles that are transparent, suspended in the beer, or lying flat to the base of the bottle. Legal Ramifications When each container is filled with the correct amount of beer and securely closed, there are systems for the end of the line to verify the labels and branding of each can or bottle. It's not just a branding issue - what's important for fillers is to make sure that the correct containers have been used for the relevant product. Fill a can designated for a triple-hopped IPA with a smoked porter and you'll startle a beer afficianado - but if a drinks manufacturer producing both soft drinks and
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Value added printing CMC SeamScan
The range of 'VAP' – value-added printing – options on cans are many and varied, and include visual and tactile effects to engage customers. One company charts some of its most popular options: Dynamark Variable printing technology enables mass customization of up to 24 design variations in a single production run, they explain. The initial version – Dynamark Effect 1.0 – enables the printing of simple, single-colour messages on the metallic color or white base coat of the can. The next version, Dynamark Effect 2.0, was launched last year and reproduces slogans, simple images and signatures either in the same or a different colour than the background of the can. The latest version of the technology is Dynamark Effect 3.0, which will see first commercialisation with Coke and Bitburger as part of promotions tied in with the UEFA 2016 European Championships. This, the manufacturer says, gives realism a big boost with the on-can printing of monochrome high-resolution images.
alcoholic drinks at the same facility fills the wrong can, there could be legal ramifications. Sencon explains that cans from previous batches can get stuck on the line and then swept up into a new batch, resulting in a can being filled with contents that does not match its label. The worse-case scenario of alcohol going into a soft drink-labelled can would be a serious retail incident - but more often it results in whole pallets being held up for inspection and sorting, costing time and money. To address the problem, Sencon developed the LVC180 Label Verifier specifically for cans, which unlike glass bottles arrive with their labelling already printed, hence the need for a slightly different approach than glass bottle filling operations. It's suitable for the can manufacturers as well, but at a filling operation can be used to detect rogue cans in a batch prior to filling, or after filling and seaming has been completed. A key advantage of the system is its twin-sided, 85-degree view of each can, much wider than comparable systems, adds Sencon. This in turn can help to reduce HFIs and false reject rates, improving productivity. The system can also be used as an entry-level decoration inspection unit too, says Sencon, and notes that it is designed to be very simple to operate, requiring three button pushes to learn a can label and start work.
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Embossing Requiring an additional process step, embossing options include one generic design being used all around the can – known by the manufacturer as 'Skin Tech' – or certain parts of the design enhanced with the treament in order to emphasize elements like brand names or logos. Coloured tabs and shells Ball Packaging launched a new assortment of coloured ends and tabs in late 2015. The previous range of coloured ends included gold, silver and black, to which pink, orange, blue, green and yellow were added, in diameters 200 and 202 – suitable for standard and slim beverage cans. Tabs are now also available in yellow, green, orange and magenta. Thermo Technically known as 'thermochromic', inks change colour on the can to enable small elements to indicate that the drink is chilled to a specific temperature. Tactile A range of different finishes are available, giving the cans an unusual feel. The issue of decorating accuracy is another area to check, and although packaging manufacturers and label printers have their own quality control systems in place, fillers can double-check packaging for issues such as colour-matching - key for brand identity - as well as printing errors and barcode verification. For cans, Sacmi's Elioscan system uses ultra-highresolution 5-megapixel cameras in combination with bespoke illumination designed to counter the
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potential problems of imaging and analysing reflective surfaces. It comprises four colour cameras to pick out variations in colour shades, minor defects such as ink stains and discoloured areas, and read barcodes. The company also supplies the LVS360 vision system, designed specifically for quality control of labelled bottles. The system looks at the presence and positioning of each label, identifies rogue bottles within a batch, and detect more minor issues such as unglued label corners, labels applied in 'flag' format, bubbles, spots, wrinkles and tears - as well as, again, being able to read the barcode. And for brewers using branded crown corks, KHS developed the Innocheck CLI, designed to verify that the logo on the cap of each bottle correlates to the product inside. Using an LED lighting unit and a highprecision lens system, the machine also checks for soiled or scratched caps. And it's suitable for a wide range of cap and closure types, so any brewers adding an extra element of branding to their can ends - think shaped or coloured tabs - will be able to use the system as well.
can decoration
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ith print technology more advanced than ever, there is an even greater wealth of options available to breweries looking to revamp their smallpack branding across bottles and cans. The consensus that you consume a beer before you actually drink it arguably relates to the appearance, and aroma, of the drink itself. But the same increasingly applies to the packaging of small-pack sales, too. Most of us have been guilty, I’m sure, of buying a beer because of its eye-catching, attractive, or divisive, look of a particular bottle or can. It’s an approach that’s far from exclusive to beer. Good packaging sells a product, so it’s far from surprising that breweries are placing an increasing emphasis on the way their bottles and cans look when they go out into the wild. That there’s no one size fits all approach for the way beer types should, or must, look for consumers, makes packaging proposition all the more exciting. And cans are fashionable and offer brewers the whole package on which to promote their brand. But what are the best options for decorating a can of beer – and what is involved in the process of transferring artwork from pen to metal? It's no revelation that the number of independent breweries has shot up in recent years. The Brewers Association in the US recently counted more than 4,000 active breweries in the country, approaching the all-time peak registered in the 1870s. Of course, that's great news for the brewing industry as a whole – although not necessarily such great news for an individual brewery trying to stand out amongst the growing crowd. Great beer is important, but so is eye-catching branding –
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Filtec's OmniVision 3
particularly for packaged beers, where sampling a prepint snifter of a brew at the bar isn't an option. Cans have emerged as the primary packaging choice for craft brewers, for a number of reasons. They're lightweight and can't shatter, which makes them suitable for accompanying the outdoor pursuits with which many craft brewers associate themselves – and from a branding perspective, they offer a 360-degree, top-to-bottom canvas for promoting the brewery. There are three primary methods of decorating a can: conventional printing; digital printing; and applying a separate printed substrate to the can, such as a shrink-wrap film or pressure-sensitive labels. Each comes with its own advantages and limitations – can manufacturers operating conventional printing lines will usually only set up the printing line for a minimum order in the hundreds of thousands; digital printing could hypothetically produce a different design on every can but is currently much slower than conventional printing; while labels have a different feel and appearance to direct printing. As well as selecting the optimum decoration method, brewers are also tasked with creating physical or digital artwork and then understanding the process
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of converting it into can decoration 'in the round' – and so may choose to call on the expertise of both designers and can manufacturers or printers. The view from the decorating line An arm of can manufacturer Ardagh – until very recently known as Ball Packaging Europe, prior to its divestment as part of Ball's takeover of Rexam – explains the process step-by-step of how a design makes its way from artwork to can, when using conventional can printing. Firstly, the filler contacts the can manufacturer with a request, including their volume requirement and can size. The brewer – or its artwork agency – also provides their can design to Ardagh's graphics team. Colours, and any additional effects – visual or tactile – are agreed, with the can manufacturer's reprographic team creating three-dimensional visualisations of the cans and ends to illustrate how the effects would appear on the can. Once this initial stage of proofing has been approved, printing plates are prepared and physical proof-cans are printed. Following further approval from the brewer, a printing trial will be conducted if the design includes a new VAP (value-added printing) element to make sure the cans print smoothly.
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From there, commercial production starts, and the can manufacturer also provides expertise from its technical service team to evaluate each filling line and, if necessary, offer suggestions for optimised performance of the cans – and further customer service is also available after this point, says Ardagh.
digital revolution
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s with seemingly everything, from books to cigarettes, there's also a digital counterpart to conventional printing. Digital printing systems, such as the one developed by a manufacturer Tonejet, use electro-static dropon-demand digital print technology, and enable brewers, can manufacturers and co-packers to produce short- to medium-size runs of cans – at relatively high speeds and with lower costs, says Tonejet's vice president of sales and marketing Simon Edwards. “Can manufacturers don't want to print a run of fewer than 250,000 cans, typically,” says Edwards. “But many craft brewers want to fill runs of 50,000100,000 cans.” While many craft breweries aren't large enough to
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Tonejet: Leverages electro-static drop-on-demand digital print technology
justify reaching the minimum order of printed cans from can manufacturers, this also means they may not have the means to order a digital can printing machine. Hence why Tonejet is currently fulfilling a long list of orders from the network of mobile canners and printers that serve the US craft beer industry. “We have partnered with Patent Machine in Jacksonville, Florida to produce the machines for co-packers. The machines have a total capacity of 2025m cans a year. The first machine has already been shipped to a customer in Indiana for custom printing operations – they take an order from a brewery, print the cans from their stock of bright cans, and send them to the customer. “In the US, we currently have more orders than you could possibly imagine. A digital printing machine has a minimum cost due to the necessary components in the technology, but it offers big cost savings. Printed shrink labels cost between 18-24 cents a can – digitally-printed cans cost around 0.25-0.5 cents a can. “Shrink-film is based on high-strength material which makes it expensive, plus the heat-shrinking process represents an additional cost. For our customer in Indiana, we expect their return on investment period to be 18 months.” Tonejet's machines currently operate at 50 cans per
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minute (cpm) for 16oz cans, up to 100cpm for 12oz cans – slower than conventional printing, but still fast enough for larger breweries to use the technology for smaller runs of promotional cans, says Edwards. The aim for the future is to increase the speed of the machines to 500cpm, he adds.
it's a wrap
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here are more than 500 craft brewers using cans in the USA, and many are prohibited by the minimum order of cans required to be able to order from can manufacturers and therefore use conventional printing. Resource Label operates across eight manufacturing facilities in the US, providing brewers with printed labels for application on beer cans. “Some of our breweries have their own artwork completed and TTB approved,” says the company. “They may work with a local designer who helped them establish their brand to begin with. We do have in-house designers that will work with brewers to create a custom design based on an idea that they may have. We are used to working at different levels – some need a lot of assistance and others prefer
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that we work with their designers. Regardless, our art department often has to adjust the artwork so that the design prints correctly based on printing process of the label, what substrate is being used or if there is different embellishments that are requested. “We always provide proofs to make sure it represents what the customer was looking for. When selecting the right substrate, printing capability and application of labels, we take the hands-on approach when working with brewers to decide what is the best fit for them. There are many things that can affect how a label is printed – quantity, the environment that the label needs to withstand, application process, substrate being used, number of versions, and so on – so our staff provide recommendations on the best method to print based on the customers’ needs. This allows us to provide them an amazing label for their brew that meets their expectations.” However, printed labels are not just for craft brewers with limited capacity, says Resource Label. “Almost any size brewer can use printed labels rather than using only pre-printed cans. It allows breweries of any size to introduce into the market seasonal brews that have a limited release. For breweries that are just starting out and cannot commit money and storage space to a full truck load of cans with every brew, using labels allows them to can multiple brews with just one truckload of cans. Our Brew Wrap label provides the feel and look of having no label – giving the customer the impression it was pre-printed. “For example, our customer Straight to Ale has been able to fill six different seasonal brews and limited releases with just one truckload of cans. This has allowed them to avoid buying the 1.2 million cans that normally would be required to put these six brews into the market. It also provided them with the flexibility to only order the amount of labels needed for each brew; reducing the inventory space required and capital required. “Buying the labels added a cost to the can but the savings come from being able to introduce small runs of cans into the market cost-efficiently. This helps with rotating seasonal brews and reaching a wider market.” There are a number of technologies available within the process of printing the labels, explains the company. “Digital printing has really allowed for smaller customized runs of labels. While digital technology is not new, a printer who has the more up-to-date digital presses can run a lot more efficiently, quickly and therefore more cost-effectively. Our company invests in upgrading our technology – for instance we just recently updated many of our HP Indigo presses. One of our facilities expanded to three digital presses. Digital offers high-quality print, variable art, short lead times and no upfront plate costs. “Variable printing allows the brewer to individually customize a label – sometimes with a code or even possibly a design. Breweries can print multiple versions
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of the same label on a single roll. “There are a range of additional decorative options, including hot foil, embossing, screen printing, and so forth. Having many options for embellishments gives the customer the flexibility to explore different options and for the label manufacturer to provide the best option based on the design. “Our production teams are also constantly looking at new substrates and how best to run them. We often will modify existing equipment or add a module to a piece of equipment to be able to run different substrates. We keep abreast of the new materials coming out and the most cost-effective way to run them on press. Materials range from the no-label look of the Brew Wrap product, textured papers, real wood and holographic foils to name a few.”
brand assistance
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or mobile canners and co-packers, being familiar with all the available can decoration options is key to providing the most suitable solution for brewers – and that includes offering advice and auxiliary services to assist the design process. Jeff Rogowsky, chief canning officer at Sessions Craft Canning had experience working in the equipment side of the industry for a large manufacturer and during that time, saw a clear need and demand for mobile canning services in the province. "At the time, there was only one when we opened but business is always growing and we are in the process of expanding with the addition of a new line, too. We are seeing growth in Ontario from across our customer base," he explains. "One of the best things about this business is that we are really helping a lot of businesses grow their breweries. We are seeing them at all stages of their journey, from the times we visit once a month, to three or four times a month. And in turn, as these companies grow, so do we." To date, the company has canned 1.6m cans. That’s 34 or 35 brands for around 20 or so breweries. In Rogowsky's opinion, a 16oz single serve can is the perfect way to sample good beer in a can and that’s another reason why he thinks we are seeing such growth in this field. "People try beer in these cans, and realise it’s a great way to sell beer," he adds. "Canning is quickly becoming the standard, the must have. The combination of reduced costs, and improved portability." Sessions Craft Canning is a mobile canning line to the Beer and Cider industry in Ontario. They provide a complete solution for getting your product into 355ml or 473ml cans. Using itsspecialized mobile canning line (up to 35 cans/minute) to your location along with all the necessary materials (cans, ends, trays and handles) to package your product.
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canning
Attention to Detail Edward M McD Scott from Ambro Systems seeks to shed some light on the operations inside the monobloc of a technologically advanced canning machine that is available in nominal speeds as low as 6,000 x 330ml cans per hour.
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lthough cans have several advantages over bottles, the way in which it is difficult to create a captive environment in which to fill the can and the diameter of its head means that the quality and control of the filler is exceptionally important. Unlike with bottles, the lack of structural rigidity of an open can means that it can cannot be vacuumed of oxygen prior to filling and the use of over-foam to void the headspace creates an inconsistent fill and a problem when it comes to cleaning.
advanced valve positioning
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he old style of rotary can fillers use cams and followers to position the can and dictate seaming accuracy. With each cam and follower being manually adjusted by the operator during setup and no self-correction of their positioning during filling, these mechanically positioned machines require frequent manual adjustment by an experienced operator. The modern producers of filling machines have developed electro-pneumatically controlled filling valves where each valve operates autonomously. The increased checks and controls possible have lead to: Greater filling accuracy; Decreased dissolved oxygen pickup;
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Longer lasting freshness and better shelf life; Greater monitoring of the system via PLC; and Greater flexibility as the product and fill parameters can be adjusted remotely. With the newfound popularity of craft beer in cans, the early volume of choice has been the 330ml. However, with the domestic market asking for 500ml and the export market asking for 355ml it is not uncommon for a brewery to want to fill several sizes. Fourpure’s new CFT canning line will have a double rinser box to enable them to change between 330ml and 500ml cans without any change parts and as the machine is electro-pneumatically positioned, it will be a matter of simply switching between the product types on the PLC as all three volumes share the same diameters and lid type.
seamer technology
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he cans are inspected and counted on the way to and from the seamer station. This ensures that the chuck is protected in the case of there being no can (at the start of the shift, for example) and also helps the machine to selfmonitor the rate of seaming. Seamers in CFT machines are made from advanced materials with the rollers being coated in titanium and the chucks being in M340 stainless steel, which is more resistant to wear than the 304 or 316 grades
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t e c hn o l o gy
Carbon dioxide Product Can air
Figure 1: The infeed starwheel transfers the can to its individual filling valve. The cam follower raises the centering bell, allowing the empty can to enter underneath the correct point of the filling valve.
Figure 2: The can is raised to just under the filling valve; CO2 is fluxed into the can to evacuate CO2; The flushed gasses exit the can from its open top.
of steel used in less advanced machines. The hardness and corrosion resistant qualities of titanium and M340 for these critical elements of the machine increase both the reliability of the machine and the operator’s confidence in the quality of the seam and their ability to effectively clean the whole mobobloc.
The CIP solution enters through the product-fill pipe, fills the CIP cup and returns through the air-return manifold, fully flooding the system before fluxing. This ensures that all pathways are sterile. As the machine counterpressure fills and uses under-lid CO2 jeting to bubble break, there is very little beer spilt compared to those machines that use over foaming to void head space. However, CFT recognises that everything inside the mobobloc must be sterilised, so each machine is equipped with jets that spray foam inside the monobloc during the cleaning cycle.
changeover and cleaning
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ith an electro-pneumatically positioned machine, so long as the seamer height is adjustable changeover parts are only necessary for different diameters of can or different seam types. In the case of a CFT machine, the change parts for a different diameter of can include the infeed screw and starwheels, only taking minutes to change. The machine has a CIP cycle programmed, so the operator simply needs to place the special cleaning cups onto each can lifter and commence the cycle.
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beavertown's choice
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eavertown brewery have installed a 24 filling head, 4 seaming head CFT Master Can Tronic capable of an output of 12,000 cans per hour at their brewery in Tottenham Hale.
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Carbon dioxide Product Can air
Figure 3: The lifter brings the can up to form a seal on the filling head; The second CO2 purge takes place and the flushed gasses leave to atmosphere through a separate air return.
Figure 4: The air-return valve is closed; The can is brought to the same pressure as the filling bowl for isobaric filling.
"When shopping for a new canning line our main considerations were quality, reputation, proximity of engineering support and lead times. CFT were able to tick all the boxes and came highly recommended by our colleagues around the world. When you purchase equipment it is good to have the advice and support of another brewer who is already a customer and many of our friends were running CFT lines. They invited us come have a nosy and ask questions that went a long way towards helping us make our decision," says Jenn Merrick.
an advanced machine such as a CFT filler, a dedicated low speed line would be prohibitively expensive. CFT found that many of their customers were returning for their second lines, but the financial considerations, as well as those from sequencing the production and removal of the previous lines, could become a problem for these breweries. The expandable range of fillers is available in several speeds, from a monobloc that initially fills 100 cans per minute (6,000 cans per hour) but that can be fitted with extra filling valves and seaming heads to double capacity to 200 cans per minute (12,000 cans per hour). This expandable machine enables the smaller brewers to justify the initial purchase of a high technology machine without having to worry that the pace of their growth will necessitate its replacement in the medium-to-long term. CFT Group was born out of the tomato processing industry, and was founded as Rossi and Catelli in 1945. Through the acquisition of complimentary companies with whom the Rossi & Catelli was
the expandable solution
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FT work with many craft scale brewers across the world and so are used to the demands of fast growing companies. From this experience CFT realized that an expandable machine would solve 2 main problems: that of Due to the cost of the embodied technology in
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Figure 5: When the can is brought to pressure, the filling valve opens; Filling is very gentle as the beer enters via a spreader which causes the flow of beer to be down the inner wall of the can – this avoids turbulence and foam formation. The filling is complete when the beer reaches the lower tip of the gas return port; At the point, the can is without head space.
Figure 6: As the filling completes, the product valve closes; The lifter brings down the can for a pre-set stroke, creating a measured head space; The down stroke brings allows a pre-snift prior to pressure being completely released ready for lid placement and seaming. The can is then transferred via the starwheel to the seaming head; The seaming starwheel has a series of CO2 nozzles positioned to inject a continuous high flow of low pressure CO2 into the top of the can. This serves to void the head space and break any bubbles forming, guaranteeing a more accurate fill and lowering the infection risk.
cooperating, including SIMA and Manzini, the company was able to offer full turnkey lines for vegetables and fruits from intake of raw-ingredients through to packaged goods in the warehouse. The beverage filling expertise of CFT was born of the carbonated wine industry and a company called SBC, which along with Comaco, was purchased by Catelli Holding Spa. Since its purchase, SIMA’s cooperation with SBC has led to CFT being one of the only companies able to offer advanced canning machines where the entire process is manufactured inhouse. This expertise has also meant that several large packaging companies use CFT seamers in their canning monoblocs, including those that serve the beer industry. CFT has been operating in the US beverage filling market since selling its first bottling machine to Saxer
Brewing in 1980. In the intervening 36 years CFT has installed machines speeds ranging up to 51,000 bottles per hour for Matt Brewing. The company’s US beer filling references now include such companies as Ska Brewing, Troegs, Pizza Port, Port Brewing and Lost Abbey; and Cigar City. In the UK the company are, at the time of writing, commissioning the new filler at Beavertown and will soon be delivering a machine capable of filling 12,000 cans per hour to Fourpure Brewing Co. In recent years, CFT has further expanded its offering in beer by hiring the former head of Velo’s brewery engineering team, Elio Poloniato. Elio is training several qualified process engineers to become brewery specialists and the team are currently commissioning Jack’s Abby’s brewery in Framlington. This is the first of several new CFT brewhouses that will come into operation in the coming year.
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s c ien c e
y east
The Dry Yeast Advantage Brewing is a process with few constants and a seemingly endless string of variables that conspire to form what we lovingly know as beer. From raw materials in the brewhouse to changes in brewing practice and conditions, we fight to keep production standards tight towards creating consistent products from batch to batch. Nowhere is this battle more challenging than in areas of yeast management and fermentation, explains Keith Lemcke, vice president at the Siebel Institute of Technology.
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t is said that brewers are wortmakers and yeast wranglers. We don’t actually make beer but rather we create a nutrient-rich media that provides a rich banquet for the miraculous eukaryotes we employ to engorge themselves and expel alcohol, CO2 and a flavour matrix that add up to form the ales and lagers we present to our customers. Trouble is should conditions not be just right, yeast makes its displeasure felt in a variety of ways. Slow/ stalled fermentations and production of off-flavours are indicative that something is wrong either in fermentation conditions or with the yeast itself. Traditionally, commercial breweries have worked to minimise the variety of yeast strains used in their brewery and this does offer some benefit. By working with a single strain in a variety of different recipes and conditions, brewers can get to know the likes and dislikes of that strain under moderately differing conditions. However breweries are now required to
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participate in a highly competitive market by offering new recipes that challenge their skills in fermentation and yeast management. Building a portfolio of interesting beer styles requires that breweries now manage multiple strains, but brewers also need to know the specific conditions under which each strain will perform towards creating products that both meet the stylistic touch points and offer an exceptional drinking experience.
multiple strain management
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nlike any other industry, we as brewers reuse our yeast from batch to batch. This is a great advantage from a materialscost standpoint but it does have its downsides. The first is timing, in that ideally brewers should be able to practice “cone-to-cone� pitching. This means transferring just the right amount of live, active yeast from one fermenter just after it has
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completed fermentation into another fermenter filled with freshly-prepared wort. In many breweries, that is a greater challenge than it sounds as wort production planning must be built around a schedule where yeast is at its peak of health in pitchable amounts from a fermenter. This is less of an issue for breweries using a single strain of yeast in beers that are of similar moderate strengths and characteristics. Yeast completing fermentation of beers at around 5% and lower is generally not too stressed by such a moderate ethanol environment, so it should perform well in another batch. That said, at some point of repitching many strains will begin to have shifts in their fermentation performance and characteristics. Especially, beers that venture into the higher alcohol ranges can leave yeast taxed by exposure to such high alcohol ranges, and their performance in the next batch of wort may exhibit signs of poor health affecting fermentation speed, attenuation performance and flavour development.
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With this in mind, breweries should conduct checks for viability (% of cells alive/dead) and, if possible, vitality (overall fermentative performance) every time yeast is reused to assess whether the yeast slurry is up to the task of fermenting another batch. By the time breweries take on multiple strains in the brewery towards widening their portfolio of beer styles, an extra level of complication arises in management of these pure cultures. If the beer recipe in question is truly a “one-off” product such as a seasonal beer, the brewery must either order a “pitchable” amount of a liquid culture or go through the process of propagation of a pure culture within the brewery. If ordering pitchable amounts from a supplier, typical lead times can be lengthy. In-house propagation of a culture from a yeast slant can shorten that time to within 3 to 5 days from start of propagation in the lab. In both situations, brewery operations need to synchronise to the availability of the yeast.
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Live liquid yeast cultures require food and nutrition. While keeping a propagated or “cropped” slurry under cold conditions for a day or two will most likely still yield good performance in fermentation, the truth of the matter is that when yeast is deprived of what it needs to live, its metabolic activity changes towards adjusting to such an environment. By the time a liquid culture that has been stored for days is added to wort to begin fermentation, it can be expected that the fermentation performance will be compromised to varying extents depending on the storage conditions and on the nature of the individual strain.
testing... 1, 2, 3
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egardless of whether the liquid yeast slurry is fresh from the brewery propagator, straight out of a bottle from a yeast supplier or directly transferred from the bottom of a vessel at the end of fermentation, testing for percentage of viable cells and calculating yeast pitch is critical for consistent results in finished beer. Brewers want to get through fermentation and beer finishing in the most timely fashion possible and yeast health is critical to achieve that end. However, yeast health also plays a key role in many aspects of the characteristics of finished beer, especially in flavour and aroma. Fermentation products like diacetyl, sulfur and a range of esters are dependent on consistent yeast performance, so pitching an accurate quantity of cells with a known level of viability is critical with
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every batch. Yeast counts are not that difficult to conduct, but still many breweries lack the lab equipment or trained manpower to perform the tests on a regular basis. Many brewers rely on established practice of pitching a consistent amount of litres of slurry into each batch, which could be compromised to the detriment of product quality. The cost of lost production of beer in raw materials, energy and time is too high to be allowed.
the dry yeast advantage
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ith the worldwide growth of interest in craft beer and brewing comes both opportunity and challenge. To stay relevant in the eyes of beer consumers, brewers need to embrace creativity and innovation by expanding the diversity of their products or risk losing customers to their competition. The creation of exciting beer styles depends in many respects on using the right yeast and fermentation techniques to meet the criteria of the style of beer being brewed. While managing multiple strains of liquid yeast in a brewery presents challenges, there is an option that simplifies the process of expanding a brewery’s beer style range. That option is the use of dry brewing yeast. As little as 10 years ago, there were limited strains of dry brewing yeast available. Today, brewers can choose from a wide selection of pure brewing strains in dry form that allows them to create a huge range of beer styles, both traditional and “New World”. During
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production, dry yeast starts its life as a liquid culture, and the moisture from the yeast is carefully removed in a way that results in a remarkably stable product that offers excellent performance in brewing. Vacuum-packed dry yeast can be stored in refrigerated conditions for as much as 2 years with little change it its fermentation performance. This means that brewers not longer need to schedule wort production to synchronise with availability of a liquid yeast culture, but rather active dry yeast can be kept on hand at the brewery and used whenever it is required. Each batch of dry yeast has been tested in every aspect of performance and purity, assessing viability, vitality and even its genetic profile. This ensures that brewers have a consistent standard of performance with each yeast batch. Importantly, brewers don’t need to calculate viability and measure liquid volumes of yeast slurry.
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Instead, dry yeast is simply measured by weight, making calculation of the pitched amount of active cells both accurate and easy. Dry yeast is rehydrated in a couple of simple steps just before it is to be used for pitching, and the liquid slurry is then added to wort in the fermenter to initiate fermentation.
fearless brewing
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anaging multiple yeast strains towards creating an amazing range of beer styles doesn’t need to be complicated given the selection and ease-of-use of dry brewing yeast. Brewers can fearlessly experiment with creation of exciting new brands, knowing that they can count on the reliable performance and consistency provided by dry yeast in whatever recipes they choose.
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qualit y
control
Brewing with Adjectives Qualifying quality in beer is a complex issue. Dr Keith Thomas, managing director at training and analysis services provider Brewlab takes up the baton.
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raditional dry hopping regimes most probably had the simple aim to add additional shelf life to the beer being made in 17th and 18th century England, where the technique seems to have evolved. A plug of cone hops was added direct to cask and the bung resealed. Brewers noted that the beers stored well, and (perhaps as an initial aside) had additional pleasant, hop aroma. In turn the hoppier aromas differentiated the beers, and added great flavour, so the technique became adopted by many regional brewers, particularly for pale ales and IPA beer styles. Quality is an unusual term. Ostensibly an adjective we use it regularly to indicate an enhanced value to products. “Quality foods” “Quality holidays” when in fact we should be saying “Good quality food” “Superior quality dining” to avoid possible confusion with lower quality products which, of course we would not proclaim. This clearly applies to beers. A simple survey of 50 beers advertised online indicates 38% qualified their “Quality” acclaim while 62% left you to assume the best. This is a little better than the same survey of restaurants which indicated that 70% would serve you with some sort of quality but not necessarily the one you might expect. Using the term quality has a clear marketing benefit. A quality ale attracts more attention and greater sales than an ordinary description. Qualifying quality with evidence is another matter. However, to do this we should surely have some grounds for judgement. Is our high quality due to quality ingredients, quality production or some other measure – balance of flavour perhaps or a historic recipe? What makes it distinct or outstanding? What makes it purchasable?
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acute judgement
A
s brewers it befalls our position to provide marketing departments, label designers and particularly our customers with this evidence. In turn we use analyses to provide the evidence and figures. Much of these analyses are based on our own acute judgment through tastings – ourselves and ideally impartial others - whilst also relying on laboratory assessments. All can collate together to provide an impression which has additional use than a simple beer descriptor. For the brewer they also provide the history of the brew and a reference for future comparisons. Two relevant and commonly used but distinct terms are Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Both are involved in amassing the data about our production and are typically involved in any serious system to maintain and support sales. A further term relevant to quality is consistency, although there is debate as to whether this is as critical as we might imagine. Quality wines for example not only depend on consistency to demonstrate their generic character but also create vintage differences to elevate prices from year to year. Its quality with a tang of superiority.
ingredients and processes
T
alk to brewers producing mainstream brands and consistency is in danger of being the only element of quality. Vary the product by 2% and quality is out of the window. Vary by more than 10% and your job flies out the door. Ingredients and processes are fine tuned to achieve a target specification, often defined
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qualit y
chemically and involving blending and amending to ensure that variations are not detectable. In part this may be because mainstream beers tend to be drunk by dedicated regulars who become very sensitive to minute differences. They drink in the same bar and become highly attuned to a beer’s character. This is, of course, very different from the vintage wine ethos where difference is reservedly applauded. And also at an extreme from the artisan brewer also producing vintage products, intentionally different by the batch. Today’s brew is unique, in numbered bottles and sold with the artisan’s signature on every bottle – and, inevitably, sold at extravagant price. In truth the latter is a fine ambition but rarely achieved to support a viable business model. Nevertheless, it could be argued that drinkers dedicated to craft ales will experience much greater variety in their pursuit of microbrewery beers and, perhaps, be more forgiving to subtle changes. Quite a few years ago we first produced Evolution ale from the Darwin Brewery at the University of
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control
s c ien c e
Sunderland. Ostensibly a training exercise for Brewlab it would evolve with every course, differ by the month and excite attention by its changes. Of course this never happened. After three brews the recipe settled to a character preferred by customers. Once a beer is accepted it takes courage to make speculative changes – just witness the outrage when a national beer alters its abv or, for example, when a well-known brand of chocolate removed their commitment to pour pints of pure milk into every bar.
quality and consistency
T
his tension between quality and consistency is by no means a conflict but a dynamic whereby a brewery can develop a reputation for reliability but also originality. Originality is needed to develop a product, consistency to ensure continual acclaim. In some cases mainstream brands are supplemented with seasonal
Summer 2016 | Brewers Journal Canada | 67
Consumptio
Per capita mea
30 20
s 10 0
c ien c e 1980
1985
qualit y 1990
1995
control
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
Year
trend analysis
40 20 0
Beef
Pork
Chicken
Turkey
10 2012 2011 2010 2005
6
2000 1995
4
1990
n Ja
p
g
t No v De c
Oc
Se
l
Au
Ju
n Ju
r M ay
Ap
b M ar
Fe
n
2
Ja
Value
8
Month Final gravity
pH
ABV
Example trend analysis showing monthly variations with the effects of poor temperature control in May and June.
selections and celebratory ales. Crossovers occur and a successful seasonal is included in the mainstream. In other cases blends allow common characters to be recognised in different beers. So considering the importance of achieving quality beers what are the factors for a diligent brewer to address? It would be easy to make a list starting with liquor and ending with labels and perhaps we can address these at future dates. In general terms let’s consider quality as the two elements of assurance and control so there is a framework into which data can be placed and assessed. Assurance has two time points – assuring ourselves as brewers that the beer about to be produced will achieve the quality and character we intend. In addition though we need to assure customers that a fault which has occurred won’t happen again. While the first of these assurances is a matter of planning the second is one which requires action based on records and data, not just hopeful promises. Quality assurance is the structure we need to achieve these and provides the evidence to demonstrate consistency – and, where necessary, to inform improvements where inconsistency crept in. In many industries legions of quality professionals engage in accredited systems to measure all manner of specifications, input volumes of data and collect swathes of signatures. Even toilets are now awash with such assurances. In brewing we typically keep a brew log with the details of each gyle brewed. Started on the day of brew it is an easy document to leave half-finished omitting an assessment of the final result. Easy because each day typically sees the start of a new gyle and a fresh sheet to complete.
68 | Brewers Journal Canada | Summer 2016
1985 Given a problem it is often this second half which contains the information to limit1980 a repeat of the same 1975 – finishing gravity, yeast count at rack, contamination assessment, taste profile – or just a taste impression. 0 50 100 In some cases more detailed results from the laboratory are appended but not always integrated into a track record or trend analysis. Quality assessment is needed to advise your quality assurance and to instigate how quality can be controlled in the future. Integration is key here so that key indicators are tracked and variations noted. A common example is to plot the final gravity of each brew and note whether there is a progressive difference against the expected for each brand. If your yeast changes progressively with each re-pitching or if wort conditions such as oxygenation alter then you can make changes – a new culture of yeast or an increase in oxygenation – before your beer becomes hard to handle. It isn’t difficult to monitor key indices which can anticipate when your specifications may be breached but does require a longer term structure than clipping each brew sheet into a file. A trend analysis programme with an alert warning is ideal but a graph to show if changes are progressing to be out of true will do. Anticipating problems is one major step to managing consistency. It also provides a basis for creating novel products. Once the variables are in control selected conditions may be altered without disturbing the whole character of a beer. As an example it would be interesting to develop a speciality beer with well-balanced levels of malt and bitterness and then use a different hop every month to impart novel characters. Promoted on a small scale this would allow customers to apply natural selection through their feedback and direct a true Evolution Ale as well as contributing to a long term PR story. In summary though the quality we seek in our beers has to be defined to ourselves, has to be demonstrable to our drinkers and be used to direct our development. How this quality depends on the various ingredients and processes of our brewing is part of the increasing body of brewing knowledge. Developing and applying this knowledge is a further part of maintaining and evolving our quality and our beers.
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150
Year
s c ien c e
flavour
modification
Innovation in ingredients Tim Faith is the innovation brewer for Chicago’s Goose Island. In this piece, which forms part of Goose Island’s brewer education program, he offers an in-depth summary of the findings to questions posed to the team, and how they may be applicable to the US brewery, and the overall production of beer.
T
im Faith is innovation brewer for Chicago’s Goose Island, he is also part of the brewery’s education program. Faith looks at number of questions posed to the team. These may cover areas we may or may not be familiar with, or have daily interactions with, so more often than not they kindle growth. The first question asks specifically about yeast mutation on a more subtle level than massive genetic chromosomal drift – this is an area of interest as we begin to map the origins of our current yeast. The second question ask about malt modification
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(or malting/kilning) process’ and how it effects our beer. This is important to us as we explore new malts both from macro-malting companies, but also the growing number of small maltsters, and how quality is a crucial aspect to the resultant beer.
question 1 Discuss modification in malting, include the difference between degrees of modification, chemically and practically in the brewing process and how the resulting malt(s) can affect beer and fermentation.
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flavour
M
alt modification has been a crucial topic of discussion among brewers over the last 20 years. More specifically, over the last half century large breweries have had their malt fashioned to their systems and process' in order to maximize efficiency. Malts were highly modified, representative chemically of having high diastatic power, high protein content/ modification, higher FAN content, increased mineral content and physically higher Friability. All these factors culminated to boost efficiency and maximized extract when brewed with adjuncts. By having higher diastatic power, this provided the necessary enzymes for conversion that were otherwise lacking in Corn or Rice adjuncts. Similarly, the Amino Acids and Peptides, often grouped together into the term “Free Amino Nitrogen” or FAN, is crucial to yeast health and performance, and is likewise not often found in Adjuncts. But what does this all mean to craft brewers? As the tendency shifted from adjunct brewing to all malt brewing there was a paralleled change in malt type and thus a required understanding of its parameters, performance and effects to finished beer. Because many of the large breweries relied on their own in-house malts, smaller malt companies and changes in climate created some degree of variance in malt modification[i]. Knowing these parameters and acknowledging the methods that have been used to show modification, can help us produce the utmost quality beer. Thus, in its most general definition, malt modification can be defined by the process in which the composition of the barley endosperm is degraded through enzymatic action during malting.[ii] Apart from the key characteristics noted above, a few more factors have been measured to convey degrees of malt modification. Rheology, the study of the internal friction of a fluid or its tendency to resist flow, or Viscosity; this can give us incite into grain quality and its performance through the brewhouse and through fermentation. Malt modification and mash performance are highly dependent. If malt comes into the brewery undermodified, one could expect to find more steely malt, which would be composed of smaller starch granules, a higher degree of Beta-glucans (carbohydrate modification) and un-hydrolized proteins – all to which have influence on higher viscosity, increase time and temp required for gelatenization.3[iii] This can ultimately reduce filterability of wort and hurt expected brewhouse yields. Corrective measures can be implemented by imparting a step mash program beginning with protein rests. At a temperature of 122, under modified malt is hydrated which activate glucanolytic, proteolytic and pentosan enzymes, thus aiding in both protein and Beta-glucan solubilization and starch conversion. This rest specifically takes what malt that was under modified and finishes the necessary step of modification of both carbohydrate and protein
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modification
Modification
Under Modification
s c ien c e
Over Modification
Soluble Carbohydrate (Extract)
Low
High
Soluble Protein (S/T Ratio)
Low
High
Wort Viscosity (Beta Glucans)
High
Low
Turbidity
High
Low
FAN
Low
High
Color/Flavor
Low
High
Diastaic Power
Low
High
Friability
Low (Steely)
High (Mealy)
Mineral content
Low
High
Acrospire Length (During Malting)
Short
Long
modification, in house, a tool that can in the end allow better wort filtration and extract. If protein rests were used for already fully modified malts, this could affect body, leaving the resulting beer thin and watery. Mineral content of malt and its concentration in wort are often overlooked because they don't affect yield or mash/lauter performance. However they do have profound effects on yeast performance and fermentation. Many brewers may not have the necessary tools to convey this information. Today, most malt is fully modified and delivers an adequate concentration for cellular metabolism. “[Specific] minerals activate or inhibit enzymes and influence the transport of carbohydrate and amino acids into cell[s]” 4[iv] Some metals in malt effect finished beer, leading to gushing, or oxidation catalysts in the case of Copper and Iron. It was discovered that many of these minerals and metals have a direct relationship with FAN levels. Protein precipitation also leads to metal and minerals to fall out of suspension leaving little for the yeast in fermentation. Thus, FAN carry-over and mineral content of wort is highly dependent on malt protein modification. Craft brewers need to continue to be conscious of these factors when constructing new recipes or trouble shooting current beers. It isn't always the case that internal factors have changes, such as human error or pitching inconsistency, but could also be seasonal or yearly fluctuation in malt composition and modification. Record keeping of both brewhouse and
Summer 2016 | Brewers Journal Canada | 71
s c ien c e
flavour
modification
fermentation process indicators and interlocks can show the first signs that malts may have changed. Best recognized in frequently brewed flagships, if one sees RDF abruptly change from one week to another, this could be a sign that the enzymatic content or diastatic power of the malt too, changed. Being aware that all these factors are a result of modification can help brewers improve all aspects of the beers. From mash times to lauter filtration and protein precipitation, on through fermentation, yeast health and performance and finishing beer, malt is the foundation of all beers, and should never be a subject be taken for granted. Control of malt composition along with communication from malt suppliers will better prepare brewers and their beer as new varietals are released, new brands are used and incremental climate affects crops. [i] Brewers Association. “Malting Barley Characteristics for Craft Brewers. [ii] MJ Wentz, RD Horsley, PB Schwarz “Relationships Among Common Malt Quality and Modification Parameters.” Department of Plant Sciences. Fargo University, 2004. [iii] Declan L. Goose, Lisa Rapp et al. “Development of a New Rheological Laboratory Method for Mash Systems – Its Application in the Characterization of Grain Modification Levels.” Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Cork, Ireland and The American Society of Brewing Chemists. 2005. [iv] Holzmann, A. Piendl, A. “Malt modification and Mashing Conditions as Factors Influencing the Minerals of Wort.” Institut Fuer Brauereitechnologie. Universitaet Muenchen, Germany. 1976
question 2 Define/discuss petite mutants and their effect on yeast performance and beer flavor.
D
omestic selection has been practiced with numerous organisms. It has lead to human control of live-stock, the selective breeding of dogs based on purpose or aesthetic, and most importantly it has brought about a wide variety of culturally distinguishable malt based beverages, beer. Until Pasteur, beer was typically given “boil” or fermentation by continued use of the same vessel, equipment, or by mixing in already finished beer – this went unknown to the brewers of the time. The beverage was dictated primarily by local taste, which favored sweetness in environments where sugar was scarce. These yeast cultures were sporadic, contaminated and uncontrolled. With the advent of microbiology, we were able to hone in on yeast culture purity, viability, vitality, metabolism, growth and genetic and phenotypic qualities. Like all living things, yeast is susceptible to mutation and at a great rate unless kept in check. This is why it has been so important to the study
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of genetics, as it was the first Eukaryote to have its genome fully sequenced. These mutations lead to the selection of certain qualities desired by the brewer. Over time, the population of the selected traits in yeast would drift favorably in a preferred direction. However, much of this selection was done on a chromosomal level, which was portrayed phenotypically in beer character. Together with cone cropping, cleaning, sanitation and microbiology, we no longer have to rely on continuous propagation and risking unchecked genetic mutational drift. However, genetic mutation can also occur within Mitochondria, which was first identified by Ephrussi in 1949. This came to be known as 'petite' mutations, which are representative of DNA mutations within Mitochondria. These Mutations lead to the impaired ability of the Mitochondria to synthesize certain proteins, inhibited ATP transport in and out the Mitochondria, and the cells had deficient respiration on media lacking a carbon source. Morphologically, these colonies would generally be smaller in size, too. On a macro level, this has several implications to the brewer. Fermentation trends exhibiting the petite mutation were more susceptible to stress, had a tendency to produce a flavor profile inconsistent with the brand (diacetyl production, acetaldehyde, and skewed flavor) and perform metabolically insufficient. On top of this, flocculation impairment was another common characteristic Methods to control these petite mutations are similar to chromosomal. Banking yeast provides a sustainable source of a snap-shot culture. Regenerating culture every several generations can help prevent any mutation development, as well as limiting storage time. What implications does this have for us? Indeed, one could argue that over the years our house stain could have certainly well developed to some degree these mutations. Specifically, our yeast is highly flocculative in nature. The fact that it falls from suspension so quickly, may account for stalled fermentation and residual diacetyl production. However, petite mutation could also account for these factors individually. Ideally we would be able to type this yeast against a culture that was prebanked. Discovering the original source of this yeast could further the potential in reviving, and, perhaps correcting any mutations that may have arisen over the years.
further reading MBAA Conference: Achieving Beer Characteristics Through Yeast. Parker, N. Ryder, D.S. Smart, KA: 06/06/2014 Boulton, C. Quain, D. “Brewing Yeast and Fermentation.” Blackwell Science. 2001. Stewart, G.G. Russel, I. “An Introduction to Brewing Science and Technology: Series III, Brewer's Yeast. Institute of Brewing (IBD). 1998.
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dat e s
&
e v en t s
e v ent s
The Great Canadian Beer Festival takes place at the Royal Athletic Park, Victoria, this September
2016 13 - 17 August World Brewing Congress Denver, Colorado www.worldbrewingcongress.org
9 - 10 September The Great Canadian Beer Festival Royal Athletic Park - Victoria, BC www.gcbf.com
19 - 20 August Vancouver Craft Brew Cruise The Magic Spirit, 750 Pacific Blvd, False Creek Vancouver, BC craftbrewcruise.com/vancouver
15 September The Beer Experience Berkeley Church, 315 Queen St. E. - Toronto, ON www.drinkinc.ca
26 - 27 August Collingwood Craft Beer & Cider Festival Eddie Bush Memorial Arena Collingwood, ON
74 | Brewers Journal Canada | Summer 2016
1 October - 31 October British Columbia Craft Beer Month Various locations throughout BC www.drinkinc.ca
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