The Brewers Journal April 2020, iss 3 vol 6

The magazine for the professional brewing industry

Brewers J o u r n a l

April 2020 | Volume 6, issue 3 ISSN 2059-6650

Hogs back brewery surrey’s stalwarts continue to shine

18 | tate modern: putting great beer at the fore

27 | workflow: elevate your business

39 | Hops: give british varieties their due

le ad e r

The New Normal?

T

here’s a viral post circulating on social media. It’s a video clip from the 1975 classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. A medieval knight is running across a field towards the camera. The knight has the name 'Coronavirus' above them and the word 'January' below him. Two guards watch on, chatting in a concerned manner.

The month changes to February yet the knight still seems as far away as before. The guards hold their gaze. Then the month changes to March. The knight is suddenly at the gates and he vanquishes the guards.

They had been watching with interest from a distance but, what felt like out of nowhere, they had been struck down.

It’s probably safe to say we can all relate to the guards in this situation.

Judicious and diligent consumption of news, reports and science papers on how the global Covid-19 picture was unfolding, unfortunately, did little to combat the Government’s decision to close pubs, bars and restaurants, and the immediate impact that has had on businesses in the world of beer.

As we’ve all seen and experienced, the situation is fluid; an adjective we’re hearing an awful lot more than we probably expected to in 2020. Breweries and every other business along the supply chain from those in manufacture and supply, to the outfits selling the finished liquid product, are having to act as nimble, reactive and proactive as possible.

Each day presents new challenges but, as businesses are showing, new opportunities, too.

Draught beer is clearly suffering, and the promise of a cold pint of Lager or a pristine cask pour right now would prompt queues big enough to grace the cover of The Daily Mail.

But while the on-trade is enduring an enforced sabbatical, it’s both heartening and brilliant to see how UK beer is coming together to try and keep things ticking.

Beer is Here is new online directory designed to support the beer industry in Europe from Simply Hops, in partnership with Brewers Select, Lallemand, SIBA, Simpsons Malt and Them That Can.

brewersjournal.info

editor's choice Andrew Downs, operations director at Tate Modern, on putting beer at the fore - page 18

Then you have also have initiatives such as Craft Beer Hour and Brewer’s Eye (@BrewersEye on Twitter) also showcasing where you can buy beer remotely.

The popularity of breweries offering home deliveries of small pack has grown massively and if you want to order from your usual online beer sites, be prepared to wait a little longer because you’re definitely not alone on that front.

These models are helping a lot, but won’t sustain breweries and associated businesses in the long term.

At the time of writing, there’s talk of extending the lockdown period until June and by the time this edition is published next week the game will have probably have changed once more.

So it’s essential to embrace the qualities of community, camaraderie and knowledge sharing that makes modern beer so special. And for consumers, to support as many businesses as you reasonably can and let’s do all we can to push through this and come out of it the other side. u Tim Sheahan Editor

April 2020

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co ntac t s

contacts Tim Sheahan Editor tim@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 592 Velo Mitrovich Deputy Editor velo@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 591 Josh Henderson Head of sales josh@rebymedia.com +44 (0)1442 780 594

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April 2020

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co nte nt s

contents 18

39 14

30

27

Cover story 30 - At Hogs Back Brewery we speak to head brewer Miles Chesterman and hop garden manager Matthew King at the UK’s largest combined brewery/hop farm

covid-19 news 9 - How the beer industry is reacting to, and combatting, the Covid-19 pandemic

focus | workflow 27 - How workflow and brewery software can help you produce, and sell, beer more effectively and via more avenues than before

trending | kombucha 14 - Should you take the 'Booch' plunge?

in interview | tate modern 18 - Andrew Downs, operations director at London's Tate Modern, on putting great beer on the rightful pedestal it deserves

comment 22 - Why beer labels need to convey key information but appeal visually, too 24 - How heat exchangers can be more energy efficient than other heating methods

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April 2020

sector | hops 39 - How the UK hop industry is growing, seeing more investment into new farms, efficient processes and storage solutions 42 - 2020 and beyond: We speak to two of the UK's leading hop merchants for their take on the hop landscape

science | flavour 57 - The aroma of beer is a key indicator of its quality, now new technology can ‘sniff’ a beer to help brewers create top notch tasty brews

Brewers Journal

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KEEP WELL HOPPED This was going to be an advert for all things malt – We wanted to send a message to you instead. We’re all experiencing massive pressure in this crisis. There are heart-warming stories out there amongst the tragic ones. Grit, determination, co-operation and innovation. We need all of these to see us through.

Whether you are still operating or temporarily closed, you remain in our thoughts and we wish you good health. We look forward to standing with all of you, across the industry, when this is done and we’ve won.

If we can be of help, even if it’s just for a chat, then please get in touch with the team via Facebook, Twitter, phone or email.

@CharlesFaram

www.wellhopped.com

Hop Factors & Merchants Since 1865

The Hop Store, Monksfield Lane, Newland, Malvern. WR13 5BB Tel: + 44 (0) 1905 830734 Email: enquiries@charlesfaram.co.uk

H O P S • M A LT S • Y E A S T S • F L AV O U R I N G S • B R E W I N G A I D S • T E C H N I C A L A DV I C E

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Breweries bring pub experience home

B

reweries across the UK have launched a raft of initiatives to give consumers the chance to

experience the communal enjoyment a drink in the pub or bar offers. East London-based Signature Brew is giving drinkers the pub experience from their own homes in the form of Pub in a Box. It’s hand delivered by musicians who’ve had their tours cancelled, and paid the London Living Wage to do so. It comprises an even split of core and seasonal beers (Either 8, 16 or 24), snacks, glassware in the form 2x stem glasses, beer mats, Spotify playlist and a music quiz Co-Founder Sam McGregor, said: “Our Blackhorse Beer Mile brewery bar, our burger bar, The Collab, in Walthamstow and our Taproom in Haggerston have seen lots of support from locals over the past few weeks. “We want beer lovers to continue to support their local venues and shops as best they can during an unusual time, in line with government guidance; we’re chatting to our pub

masterclasses, pub quizzes, question and answer

and venue stockists to support them in whatever ways we

sessions, live music and comedy, and give-aways.

can. “We will be launching Click & Collect options from

Elsewhere Wadworth, the independent family brewer

all of our venues across Hackney and Waltham Forest for

and pub operator, has also launched its very own virtual

anyone concerned about social distancing.”

pub, The Henry named after its founder Henry Wadworth.

Elsewhere, award-winning Harrogate brewery,

Wadworth wants the beloved pub to still remain

Rooster’s, has launched a take-home taproom for people

accessible for people to keep up connections. It has

currently self-isolating during the coronavirus outbreak.

brought The Henry, the virtual pub into people’s homes

You get a 15-strong selection of its core-range of award-winning vegan-friendly beers, four premium

through Facebook.

The Henry can be found on Facebook, featuring

quality pub snacks, and details of how to access a

regular live music from local musicians streaming online,

specially curated playlist, developed by regarded writer

Wadworth beer tasting, as well as a weekly quiz 10@10

Pete Brown with each of the beers in mind. In addition,

and Q&As with the shire horse team plus weekly store

each case includes a Rooster’s embossed beer glass and

cupboard cooking sessions, bingo, open mic, pub tricks

a pub quiz comprising of 50 questions. It can be ordered

and work-out Wednesday. It will also be a pet friendly

through Rooster’s online shop now for £35.

pub with a Wadworth pets feature.

Elsewhere, Purity Brewing Co has hosted its first

Finally Screach, the streaming service for commercial

virtual Pure Pub Quiz. Streamed live to homes from the

premises, has put focus and resources into creating an

brewery’s Facebook page. It will be split into four round of

online hub packed with resources to help pubs navigate

10 questions each.

the COVID-19 crisis.

Planned to run every Wednesday, the brewery is also

The technology company, which created the first

hoping to confirm guest rounds from many sporting and

platform to allow pubs to stream live sport onto their

festival partners.

existing TVs, is now building a forum that pub operators

Purity has also devised the ultimate Pure Pub

and managers can use to learn more about the

Experience, which can be ordered via the brewery’s

Government support on offer and the practicalities of

online store and delivered to one’s door.

turning a pub kitchen into a financially viable takeaway

BrewDog also went online last week (27th March), turning its 102 premises, around the globe, into virtual bars for drinkers to enjoy.

The brewery’s co-founder, James Watt, said:

operation serving its local community.

The free hub will also be a place for pubs to share tips, ideas and even staff as the industry is forced to adapt to survive. While the hub will be added to and extended in

“Community has always been at the core of what we do,

response to future developments, the key elements will

and the role community and great beer play in our society

include a guide to the practicalities of repurposing a pub

is more important now than ever.”

kitchen into a takeaway that will generate revenue to pay

Over-18s will be able to enjoy home brewing

brewersjournal.info

staff salaries, and how best to run a delivery service.

April 2020

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CAMRA ties with SIBA and Crowd funder to help beer world visiting www.camra.org.uk/pullingtogether/ – an online platform where the public can also visually search for initiatives near them.

CAMRA is also concerned about the impact of social isolation and distancing at a time when people need it most, and has also set up an online Facebook group for the public called Pulling Together for Pubs, Pints & People, where it hopes to host virtual pub quizzes, beer o’clock and other virtual events.

C

AMRA has partnered with the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and Crowdfunder to help pubs, clubs,

CAMRA’s national chairman Nik Antona said: “These are unprecedented times in the brewing, cider and pub

breweries, taprooms and cider producers during the

industry, and it is now that we all have to pull together to

COVID-19 closure.

help keep the UK’s producers and pubs afloat.”

The #PullingTogether campaign aims to publicise

SIBA’s chief executive James Calder added: “This is the

innovative ways that pubs, breweries, cider makers and

single biggest threat to the beer and pubs industry in a

taprooms are staying afloat, such as by launching a new

lifetime and we are doing everything we can to help pubs,

online shop, offering beer or cider takeaways or providing

independent breweries, and supplier companies weather

redeemable gift vouchers for locals. It also hopes to put

the storm and come out the other side.

the public in touch with local initiatives in their community.

CAMRA is inviting pubs, brewers and cider makers to

“We are delighted to be working with CAMRA on this cross-industry campaign and would encourage every

get involved, while the Society of Independent Brewers

brewery in the UK to get involved and engage with

(SIBA) is encouraging independent breweries to sign up.

people in their local area keen to support them."

Crowdfunder is helping these pubs and breweries tap into their community for financial help to weather the crisis.

Pubs, brewers and taprooms can submit initiatives by

New online directory to support the independent beer industry in Europe

To find out more, visit www.camra.org.uk/ pullingtogether or search on social media using the hashtag #pullingtogether

They ask that large businesses and those that are supported by large chains or investors do not use this service and allow the space for those that most need it.

For more information and to list your business, head

A

new online directory designed to support the beer industry in Europe has launched.

Set up by Simply Hops, in partnership with Brewers

Select, Lallemand, SIBA, Simpsons Malt and Them That Can has one goal in mind, and that’s to help thirsty drinkers know how to get brewery's beer.

So, if you are a small independent business that wants to continue providing the best beers to those that love them, you're encouraged to list your delivery or takeout service on the site.

Breweries, bottle-shops and independent bars and pubs are all welcome.

The service is completely free to use as the website is being funded by industry supporters.

This website is intended for the businesses that

here: www.beerishere.org

Want to buy from your brewery or bottle shop remotely?

Here’s all the info you need

W

e all should be supporting our favourite beer industry businesses right now and thanks to

the team at Craft Beer Hour, they’ve put together a comprehensive list of who/what/how.

The list, updated regularly, showcases a raft of excellent companies, by county, supplying beer, beer snacks and much more.

Businesses, their product offering, and how it can be ordered/accessed is handily available.

are most at risk from the current challenge posed by

If you’re not on the list, make sure you submit your

the social distancing and isolation measures taken by

details: https://www.craftbeerhour.com/where-to-buy-

governments around Europe.

beer-remotely

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April 2020

Brewers Journal

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TLT secures emergency sales licences

T

LT has secured licences for three small independent

(Scotland) at TLT LLP said: “This is really welcome news

breweries in Glasgow allowing them to process direct

for small breweries in these troubled times, when many

sales to the public.

Brewery trade sales to pubs and bars are being hit as they close or reduce operations in response to the

are looking for new ways to generate sales and need the relevant licence quickly to support.

“This is entirely down to the unbelievable efforts by

current pandemic. Glasgow Licensing Board has granted

the Glasgow Licensing Board who are doing their best

licences to Hidden Lane Brewery (Finnieston), Simple

to react quickly to this crisis - their decisions will help

Things Fermentation (Muirend), and Ride Brewery Co

to save small businesses like these. “My sincere thanks

(Laurieston).

to the police for fast tracking their own reports. These

Stephen McGowan, partner and head of licensing

applications were granted with 24 hours’ notice”.

take care of your beer lines during closure cellar, you may wish to keep your cellar cooling system switched on as casks should be stored at a temperature between 52-54 deg F. Temperatures above 54 deg F will rapidly accelerate ageing which will in turn cause irreversible flavour damage to beer and cause it to go flat.

It will also encourage extensive mould growth in damp cellars.

If you use a Beer Piper or other beer line cleaning system, use it to flush the water through your lines on a weekly basis (if possible).

T

he UK’s hospitality industry has been hit hard by the

In the event that the closures continue for a long

COVID-19 crisis, with all hospitality outlets ordered to

time, line sanitisers can be added manually to help keep

shut their doors to the public. With this in mind, it’s crucial

lines in good shape during the period of inactivity. Some

to maintain cellar management and implement some

products can be left in the lines for up to six months

immediate actions to ensure that your beer lines remain

(please note, these products cannot be added using Beer

functional, says Jeff Singer, commercial manager for

Piper systems, as using a line sanitiser will cause damage

leading beer line cleaning firm Beer Piper.

and break the system.)

Beer left to stagnate inside lines could prove costly, so licensees need to take precautions.

The company has issued the below advice for publicans, bar managers and hospitality owners, to

Remove all nozzles and sparklers and put them in a pot with sanitising tablets. The nozzles can be left for up to three months, although it’s good practice to use fresh tablets regularly if you can.

ensure that they eliminate any risk and maintain the safety

Jeff Singer, commercial manager for Beer Piper,

and functionality of their business. So here are their steps

commented: “If beer is left to stagnate inside your lines

to success

for an extended period of time, there is a significant risk

Turn off all your remote coolers and beer gas lines

the lines will develop irreversible bacterial contamination,

throughout the period of closure (See point five below

which can lead to gas leak hazards or a costly draught

before turning off your cellar cooling system!)

line replacement.

Run a beer line clean on every draught product in

“Beer Piper units and beer line cleaning systems can

turn, leaving your beer lines in water once the clean has

be used as an important tool to help close down lines

completed.

with final cleans and flushing during closure.

Do not reattach the keg coupler back onto the keg. If

"They can also help to maintain the lines and get them

you have enough sockets on your ring main(s) leave them

ready to be used again at the end of the enforced closure

attached to a socket.

period.

Do not wrap your dispense taps in plastic wrap/cling film as this could trap moisture and lead to mould growth.

If you have a substantial amount of beer in your

12

April 2020

“We are keeping our telephone lines open during the crisis for any customers who wish to speak to us about closing down lines and how best to do it.”

Brewers Journal

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tr e n d i n g

kombucha

The Kombucha conundrum It’s a crazy world out there right now, but instead of bunkering down, you’re going to attack and add another product to your range. But, if you’re thinking of Kombucha, you might want to think again. Still….there is one reason why you might want to try ‘booch’. Velo Mitrovich reports

the average UK Joe and Jill heard about it for the first time around 2010.

In the States most see GT Dave as introducing Kombucha to the West by being the first to put Kombucha on store shelves in 1995, after making it at home for several years. His company, GT’s Living Foods, has around 40 percent of the US market and is worth $900 million, with Dave being the sole owner.

by velo mitrovich

Thanks in part to GT Dave, who believes Kombucha

D

was a key element in his mother’s recovery from breast

disappeared in a panic buying frenzy?

made is that it removes red wine stains from white

uring a recent trip to a major supermarket

cancer, it has been hailed as “the miracle tea” which not

in London, a search was made for

only helps you fight cancer, ward off infections, manage

Kombucha drinks. Although 14 were listed

type 2 diabetes, reduce heart disease, treat arthritis, boost

on the company's website, only two could

your immune system, somehow kill off harmful bacteria

be found in the store. Along with shelves

while adding good bacteria to your gut, it even helps you

emptied of toilet paper, pasta, tinned meat, bottled water and flour, could the store’s Kombucha drinks also have

lose weight.

In reviewing article after article, the only claim not

Doubtful. In fact, very, very doubtful.

carpets. But, like the false claims made by old Wild

This isn’t to say that it tastes bad or that it doesn’t

West snake oil salesmen, none of Kombucha health

deserves a chance, but with so many other choices out

claims have been proved by research that has then

there to quench a thirst, it is hard seeing consumers

been published in a reputable peer-reviewed medical or

grabbing kombucha first.

science journal.

Part of the problem with the fermented green tea

“There’s a lot of hype,” says Maria Marco, professor

drink are the members of the Hollywood crowd that are

of food science and technology at the University of

associated with it; there is no surprise that Madonna, Cher,

California, Davis. “There are some general properties of

and Gwyneth Paltrow are big proponents of it. Indeed,

these foods that could conceivably have an impact on our

when it was reported that Gwyneth Paltrow used it both

body, and perhaps help the immune system, but they’re

as a drink and as a douche – which some now suspect of

not drugs. It’s ridiculous to think that they could treat

being a made-up story – no one batted an eye.

diseases like cancer.”

By buying a Kombucha, does the average craft beer

Sherri Sego, a staff clinician at the VA Hospital in

drinker want to be associated with Paltrow who sells

Kansas City, says that in spite of many favourable

speciality scented candles that she claims smell like her

testimonials regarding Kombucha consumption,

vagina – unfortunately a true story.

insufficient evidence exists to support recommending

Although it’s been for sale for around two decades in

the use of this product. She believes that the reports of

the UK, has been home-brewed in eastern Europe for

its toxicity are significant enough to warn patients against

hundreds of years and in China for over two-thousand,

buying or fermenting their own supply.

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April 2020

Brewers Journal

kombucha

brewersjournal.info

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April 2020

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kombucha

Kombucha market is valued this year at $1.356 billion and is “expected” to reach $8.153 billion by 2026. However, when looking at the figures of many market study report companies, the figures batted around seem more to attract the eye of those interested in buying the report, than based on facts.

At this point TBJ would like to tell you that Kombucha is doomed to always be a fringe player and never on the main stage. If you want to diversify, there are other products worth investigating. Kombucha, sorry, but RIP. However….

Two big players have very recently entered the Kombucha market and if they did not see the potential, they wouldn’t be giving Kombucha a second look.

PepsiCo, whose only major failure was Crystal Pepsi in the 1990s, has just bought Kombucha company KeVita.

Symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY)

Pepsi says that Kombucha sales are slowing and there are too many players clogging supermarket shelves.

TBJ believes then that Pepsi will put a clear line

That said, proven health benefits are not a reason why most of us choose a drink. How is the taste?

Considering how horrible it looks when being made

between KeVita and those Kombucha choices which appeal to customers also interested in apple cider vinegar tonics. While many Kombucha bottles containers

– YouTube is full of Kombucha how-to-make videos – its

resemble a medicine bottle, Pepsi will move away from

taste is actually quite good. TBJ tried No 1 Living’s Organic

this and add graphics and exciting flavours to their drinks.

Raspberry Kombucha (£2.20 for a 275ml bottle) and it has

Pepsi is a soft-drink company and this is what they do

a very similar taste to Brewdog’s 0.5% Raspberry Blitz

best, not creating health drinks.

(around £1.50/ 330ml can) or to other American-style

The other big player is Sierra Nevada which has just

sours. The biggest different is there are no flavours from

released its Strainge Beast, created by the brewery’s

hops or grains, it is definitely sweeter, and has a very

Chico Fermentation Project offshoot. This is the

slight, background vinegar taste.

company’s first ever non-beer release.

Although not mentioned on No 1 Living’s bottle,

Sierra Nevada’s Kombucha line has started with a

most Kombuchas are at least 0.5% ABV, with most

ginger, lemon and hibiscus flavour featuring a 7.0% ABV

homemade versions having around 3% ABV. In the States,

and live cultures. “It combines a blend of organic black

there are numerous ‘hard’ Kombuchas with an ABV that

and green tea with the aforementioned ginger, lemon and

varies between Synergy’s 3% ABV ($5.00 per bottle) to

hibiscus, and is tart and fizzy with a bright pink colour,”

Boochcraft’s 7% ABV ($8.00 per bottle).

says Sierra Nevada.

Although TBJ can find no written record of this, several sources have said that in California, Sacramento State University College was considering having a kombucha

Next will be a blueberry, acai and sweet basil flavour as well as a passion fruit, hops and blood orange drink.

"As long as the product has providence and soul, I’m

drinking fountain, but the slight alcohol content caboshed

good with it," says founder Ken Grossman and long-time

this idea.

Kombucha drinker. "Like beer, Kombucha allows you to

Your basic Kombucha has four ingredients: water, green tea, sugar and ‘scoby’. While many people seem to think that it is made with mushrooms, it is the scoby

become an alchemist, morphing natural, raw ingredients into something amazing to drink.”

You don’t become a big company by throwing good

(symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) that gives this

money after bad. If both Pepsi and Sierra Nevada see

impression. This bacteria/yeast mix creates strands of

something in Kombucha, there is something there and

cellulose that weaves together and resembles a very

this could be the start of a move from it being seen

large mushroom cap.

as an off-the-wall fermented health drink, to being a

Kombucha brewers put green tea into a fermentation vat and add their scoby, which can be reused over and

mainstream refreshing beverage.

To create this distinction, do you require, however, the

over again. This is brewed for seven to 10 days, and then

big, deep pockets of Pepsi and Sierra? Is this something

flavours are added. Carbonation can be either natural or

you could do as well as a craft brewer and hope to ride

added.

their coat tails?

According to Markets Study Reports, the global

16

April 2020

It’s a hard call to make. u

Brewers Journal

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Pete Robson

Total Brewing Supplies

Southern England, Wales and Ireland

Scotland and Northern England

UK & International

Brewing & Distilling

North East, Yorkshire & Humberside, East Midlands, Cambridgeshire

07583 048935

07525 809093

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Muntons plc Cedars Maltings Stowmarket Suffolk IP14 2AG

T 01449 618300

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Express yourself

A

t last count, nearly six million people visited

In an increasingly crowded marketplace, looking at new avenues to promote your beer is one way to broaden your market reach. Festivals, museums, and hotels are just three such examples. So it’s a good thing then that Andrew Downs, the operations director at Tate Modern, the UK’s most popular visitor attraction, knows his beer and loves showcasing it, too.

the Tate Modern per annum. As the UK’s most popular visitor attraction, it’s more of a draw than venues such as The British Museum, The National Gallery and the

Natural History Museum.

And with so many visitors that means a lot of hungry

and thirsty guests, too.

Located on Level 1 of the museum’s Blavatnik Building on London’s Bankside is the Terrace Bar. There’s a fantastic range of food and drink on offer but it’s also

by TIM SHEAHAN

home to a raft of excellent beer, too.

And entering its third year, on the last Thursday of each

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Being able to meet the brewer or someone from the brewery when you’re at the bar? I would say that’s awesome!

month, the Tate Terrace Bar is transformed for it’s everpopular Tap Takeover series.

Previous events have seen breweries like Beavertown, Cloudwater, Five Points and Northern Monk draw in the crowds, just like the diverse evenings that turn over the taps to showcase the best breweries from Bristol to New Zealand and beyond.

So if you’ve ever enjoyed a great beer during your visit, or attended one of those events, you have Andrew Downs, operations director at Tate, to thank.

Downs has helped turn the art gallery into a beer tour

Andrew Downs, Tate

platform modern breweries to bring their beers to a larger audience while, on a day-to-day basis, taps and fridges boast a vast array of brilliant beer.

But it wasn’t always thus.

“The role beer plays in what we do here has changed

massively. But I would say it's grown with the industry,” he muses.

“From when we first started, thinking back to our

offering back in 2010 and before, we had a very small range of craft beer in bottles. Breweries such as BrewDog and London’s Redchurch were mainstays. We had a good

de force, showcasing beer from the best breweries in the

range to pick from,” Downs recalls. “But despite that, it

UK and further afield. Those regular takeovers provide a

was served secondary to wine in our beverage offering.”

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Downs is proud of Tate’s commitment to offering wine to consumers. Dating back to the 1970s, they’d search out smaller, independent wine producers in Europe and the New World to sell at low margins in London.

He adds: “I think it’s a core value that we’ve also

the Lichtenstein exhibition at the Tate modern in 2013.

“From that moment I was truly inspired and it was a real catalyst to build upon to where we’re at today,” he smiles.

The Tate's popular monthly Tap Takeover events are designed to provide a platform for modern breweries to

adopted to how we approach beer. “We've always

bring their beers to a larger audience. Taking over six taps

built out our proposition on championing independent

to showcase a cross-section of their beery offering to

breweries and we've moved with the industry.

consumers.

“As innovations come through, it’s worked well with

Downs and the team are always on the look out for a

our identity as a creative space. Look at the onset of cans.

representation of styles, with an additional consideration

That gave us a great canvas to stock our fridges with and

to the ABV of the beers they showcase. Ideally, these start

offered breweries a fresh focus in terms of their branding

with a session-strength number ranging to the imperial

and identity.”

side of things where and when it permits.

Cans have helped develop Tate’s beer proposition, but

And while current global events will impact the

a real watershed moment came when Downs was given

upcoming programme, like all businesses around

the green light to install draught beer lines across its food

them, the takeovers have been a boon for many outfits

and drinks outlets.

reaching new drinkers. “I find the people that attend

“Being able to sell beer on keg was a real game-

these takeovers are really diverse, and they’re looking for

changer,” he says. “Annual beer sales now eclipse £1m

something a little bit different,” he beams. “That’s what we

and they’re growing steadily year-on-year. Beer is very

want to see.”

much at our core.”

Beer pours from eight taps in the Tate Terrace Bar, in addition to a wealth of other lines around the building.

Portable Lindr units are also employed to complement these throughout its busy events programme.

Draught beer is front and centre of the bar but Downs

Downs is also quick to dismiss the notion that there can be too many events that connect breweries with consumers.

“Being able to meet the brewer, or someone from the brewery, when you’re at the bar? I would say that’s awesome! To hear more about the beer you’re drinking, to

says visitors are equally drawn to the fridges, which he

me, is a great thing,” he says. “But I think it’s also important

describes as a “feast for the eyes”. And he has advice for

to look at the ways you can immerse and involve people

breweries that want their own produce adorning such

in your brand while doing that."

hallowed shelves.

“We're quite careful with the way we select breweries

Downs adds: “That’s where we’ve tried to land our series. Come by, try some new beer but also learn

to work with. To get on board with us, you need to have a

more about the people that are behind the drink in your

really considered design or illustrated element,” he says.

glass. There’s a lot of cool stories regarding the recipe

“That’s where cans offer up that canvas to work on. There’s

or artwork of the beer that you’d never know unless you

more to work with from a merchandising perspective as I

spoke to the team that produce it.

think cans allow the brewery to present more of an insight into the people and story behind the beer.

"Regardless you've obviously got to couple that with great beer, too.”

Andrew Downs joined team Tate as operations

“And that doesn’t mean you have to stand on the bar and talk over a mic. It’s just a case of engaging with people and bringing them into your world.”

And with 6m annual visitors, destinations such as the Tate Modern represent a real opportunity for breweries

manager for Tate Entertaining in 2008 before becoming

to showcase their beer in a different environment. But

operations director for the business in 2012. His love for

Downs is keen to stress that such avenues are not a

beer has grown on both a professional and personal level

closed shop for outfits wanting to promote their output.

in that time, but the seeds were sown long before.

"I've loved beer from a young age, probably too young

“Places like Tate Modern, with the amount of people that visit, are a large draw for growing your brand and

to be fair! Coming from Australia, I suppose I was used to

for selling volume,” he says. “You come to Tate for new

drinking a lot of nondescript lager,” he remembers. “But I

experiences, and appreciate difference.”

came over to the UK in my 20s and was introduced to a wider world of beer."

Cask dispense and diverse styles broadened Downs’ palate and “really got him going”.

This momentum would be built on upon at Tate through experiences such as collaborating with BrewDog for the launch of Torpedo…Los!, a 5.2% Pale Ale brewed for

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April 2020

Downs adds: “But whether it’s here, or a different type of venue than you’d normally sell to, don’t be afraid. For me, I’d suggest you pop in and drop off samples. But working with a good distributor is very helpful, as well.

Either way, don’t be shy.” u For the full interview with Andrew Downs, operations director at Tate, visit: www.brewerspodcast.reby.media

Brewers Journal

READY TO SHINE?

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Co m m e nt

B R AN D I N G

The Art of Decoration Your label communicates multiple messages both overtly and sub-consciously, and can convince buyers to choose one product over another. Brand labels are complex beasts.

While they need to convey key information about origin, styles, and the brand, they also need to appeal visually to consumers – making it important to make this first impression count, explains OPM Group.

by Susan Ellison

A

shine. OPM has a vast range of options available to suit any desired look or application. Gloss paper, beautiful textured and uncoated papers, clear film, metallised options, and natural Kraft paper. We also have a variety of specialty materials that provide a unique look (e.g. leather, wood, holographic and more) For performance and sustainability. Most brands are looking to engage their environmental responsibility, so why not choose a sustainable material. There are plenty of options available, whether it is recycled content, chain of custody certified, biodegradable, or made from unique waste products like sugarcane or limestone.

label will be successful if it works on three levels.

From a distance when you see the label

Embellishments and effects elevate your label design, adding the finishing touch to enhance the presentation of your brand.

across the aisle, you are drawn to the label.

Foiling (adding foil) achieves a premium, luxurious

It easily competes with the other products it

effect that communicates quality and complements the

is placed by in store.

At arm’s length, the label should be clear, simple and

have a hierarchy of info.

At home, the consumer should notice another dimension they did not see at first. For example, a little about their history of the brand. Something that makes

label design. Foiling will give your label instant metallic shine and reflective depth, giving the label a distinct finish.

A wide range of colours and effects are available; gold, silver, bronze, copper, rose gold, holographic, matt silver, black, white, and green to name a few.

Hot foil is a method of foiling that requires a special

readers get out their smartphones or laptops to learn

tool and can achieve finer and higher quality detail

more.

than cold foil. Hot foils have a wider range of colours

So, how do you build a “show stopping” label?

and effects such as holographic compared to cold foil.

Colours influence emotions, increase brand

Hot foiling is suitable for use on uncoated and textured

recognition, create cues for messages and ultimately affect purchasing decisions. Particular colours are more

materials.

Cold foil is an alternate method of foiling that requires

predominantly associated with certain product categories

a plate and is more cost effective than hot foil due to

or sectors. Research your sector colours carefully at

the lower set up costs. A selected range of colours and

design stage. Colour is an essential feature of package

effects such as holographic are available.

design and constitutes a prominent component of the product’s visual identity Use bespoke die cutting to differentiate. Think beyond

Embossing (and debossing) is a great way to create a tactile experience with a textured, prestigious effect by raising (or lowering) a pattern or image from the label

rectangles, squares, and circles; irregularly shaped

surface. This gives a tactile feel and can highlight certain

labels can create a unique identity. Choices include

design elements. Embossing is particularly effective on

extra-rounded corners, sharp geometric angles, two-

uncoated papers.

part labels, torn-look edges, or custom shapes. If you

Silk screen creates Impact with simplicity. The screen

have, an interestingly shaped container consider using an

process has the ability to print a smooth, controllable

unconventional label shape to match.

lay-down of ink with a raised, tactile feel. Producing an excellent density of colour and it is particularly effective

Material selection

when using a white either on its own or to provide a base for vibrant design elements.

Lamination provides durability. The entire label

B

uild an identity, what suits the brand? There are

surface can be finished in a gloss or matt lamination film.

innumerable material options to choose, from

This provides a high impact appearance in addition to

textured uncoated stock to glossy paper, or clear

strong moisture and scuff protection. There are specialty

film for a “no-label look” and metallised for a distinctive

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April 2020

laminations like linen and leather effects to create a

Brewers Journal

B R AN D I N G

co m m e nt

unique tactile finish. Holographic logos or patterns can be

via the shine of the metallic particles found in the ink.

custom made specific to brand.

Chameleon ink has colour-shifting impact. This specialty ink creates a colour shift when viewed from different

Coatings offer a perfect finish

angles. It’s a great way to interactively transform design elements. Best used in large solid areas to maximise the

F

lood coating the entire label surface can be finished in either a gloss or matt coating. Gloss or matt spot coatings can be used over an element of

effect. glow-in-the-dark – excellent brightness in total darkness.

This effect does just what it says, it creates glow-inthe-dark areas on the label. You can highlight specific

the design to highlight it or to create a pattern. There are

design areas or incorporate hidden elements for a fun and

a number of coating options for achieving a textured look

interactive effect. We also offer a special black light ink

and feel to the label, including our super-gritty sandpaper

that under a UV ‘black’ light glows fluorescently. Scented

coating.

ink, engages the senses, when scratched, this ink

Soft touch coating for a smooth touch of luxury. This

releases a fragranced aroma that can be used to promote

luxurious coating can be applied to selected areas or

a flavour, evoke an emotion or create a statement. It’s

to the entire surface of the label to achieve a subtly

available in a wide range of standard and custom scents

soft texture. It encourages touch and engagement and

from vanilla, fruit, flowers, citrus to chocolate; your

provides products with a unique velvety and warm

imagination is the limit!

positioning.

Utilising the silkscreen process we can create a

Scratch-off ink, generates excitement by hiding a message underneath that can be removed by scratching

high build coating that gives a tactile, premium effect

with a fingernail or coin. Ideal for promotions where the

that highlights key design areas. They act as a clear or

consumer is given the excitement of revealing a prize,

coloured raised surface on areas of your label such as

discount, reward or hidden message.

your logo, variety name, or as a textured pattern. They

Reverse printing, makes use of the hidden selling

can also be very effective when used as a super glossy

space. Printing on the back of a label reduces the content

highlight over a matte finish background. It is also a good

on a label’s face side and minimises clutter. It’s a great

way of enhancing the richness and depth in colour of the

way to add extra information or promotional content

chosen design elements.

without compromising the look and feel of the brand. This

Now to consider the Inks available that present colour with purpose.

Metallic inks are used to create a similar effect to foil,

brewersjournal.info

only works for labels applied on clear surfaces where the back of the label is visible. It’s also a fun way to reveal hidden content as the product is consumed. u

April 2020

23

H eat

Co m m e nt

e x change

Helping heat There are numerous uses for heat exchangers in breweries, from cooling, pasteurising and fermenting products, through to efficiently dealing with waste streams such as yeast slurry.

Compared to other methods of heating, heat exchangers can be much more energy efficient, providing both environmental and economic benefits, explains Matt Hale, international sales and marketing director at HRS Heat Exchangers.

by Matt Hale

O

and slurry from breweries as they often have a high concentration of yeast and sugars, making them an ideal

ne of the first uses of heat exchangers

feedstock. Heat exchangers have many uses in AD

in brewing is for rapidly cooling the

including pasteurisation so that the resulting digestate

wort following boiling (often from a

can be sold as a valuable bio-fertiliser, and evaporation

temperature around 95°C to something

to reduce the water content. Evaporation using heat

around 12°C. Both plate and tubular

exchangers is also an energy efficient method for

heat exchangers can be used in this crucial process, with

reducing the water content of spent grains which can

tubular heat exchangers often having a larger capacity

then be used as animal feed or bioenergy feedstock.

and being able to chill the wort more quickly. The warmed water (or other cooling medium) which results

Reusing heat for energy efficiency

can be up to 80°C in temperature and as a result has a number of other uses in the process, such as preheating the steeped wort before boiling, and this is one of the ways that heat exchangers can reduce energy use throughout the process (see below).

Using chilled water or other coolant can also cool

R

ecapturing and reusing heat from other sources (such as surplus heat from cooling operations or spare boiler capacity) can be an effective

way of increasing capacity or adding a new production

fermented beer prior to maturation or bottling, and

process without the need for major new heating or energy

for some products, such as cider, it may be necessary

infrastructure. Depending on the application, HRS Heat

to pasteurise the product before bottling and heat

Exchangers’ equipment has been shown to recover as

exchangers are ideal for this. In particular the use of

much as 50 per cent of previously wasted heat, which can

High-Temperature, Short-Time (HTST) pasteurisation

then be used for water, space or process heating, waste

techniques helps to preserve the refreshing taste which is

treatment or other thermal applications.

so distinctive to cider.

Heat exchanges can also play an important role

The type and model of heat exchanger will depend on many different factors, such as the nature of the process

in treating the waste products of brewing. Anaerobic

to be carried out (pasteurisation, sterilisation, dehydration,

digestion (AD) is a popular way of treating the wastewater

etc.) and the viscosity of the drink being processed. u

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April 2020

Brewers Journal

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VOSS

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LalBrew® voss

workflow

fo cu s

Work wisely Investigating the ways you can streamline your brewery, keep track of inventory and improve efficiencies across the operation, now more than ever, is essential. It’ll help you produce, and sell, your beer more effectively, efficiently and through more avenues than ever before.

to reduce paperwork and staff hours such as stock management, distribution planning and raw material traceability.”

Mobile-first

G

oing forward, the company is developing a

by tim sheahan

P

utting your hard-earned into brewery

new version of its software that is built to be mobile-first and work in any browser so that

customers can use BrewMan on any device. As well

software is an integral way to take help

as user experience improvements and added features

elevate your business. Through compliance,

we will also be incorporating multi-language interfaces

management and quality control software

and extend the different duty rate calculations to more

you can keep track of your production,

international countries. A beta test is due to begin in the

processes and analyse what approach works best for you and your team.

So while it may not always seem it, investing in your brewery need not be focused exclusively on the procurement of heavy capital equipment. And there is

summer with full launch later on in the year.

At sales-i, head of communications Mark McDonagh, says the most common conversation with breweries is the requirement for information on demand.

“Some of our users will visit ten or more of their

a wealth of software out there designed to help boost

customers each day and need up to date sales

productivity, improve efficiency and open-up new

information on hand in those calls to direct those

markets for your beer.

conversations. sales-i does exactly that with sales figures

"One of the key trends we've seen recently is that

as granular as day sales for each customer,” he explains.

brewers are seeking more data and analysis about their

“Alongside this, many of our users are in their growth

business so that they can discover opportunities that will

phase and don’t have sophisticated back office systems

allow them to grow in a crowded marketplace,” explains

and CRMs to aid their customer relationships. sales-i is

Sam Williams, commercial director at Premier Systems.

as close to an out-of-the-box solution as you can get

Last year, Premier launched a product called Advanced Analytics - an add-on module to BrewMan that creates graphs, views and dashboards to allow

to meet this challenge and can be up to speed and delivering results in a couple of weeks.”

The company focuses exclusively on one product

its customers to not just see sales reports but truly

in the form of sales-i. McDonagh describes it as a

investigate their data and the trends within it. The service

powerful tool that enables brewers to sell more barrels

also allows customers to subscribe to their favourite

by identifying the purchase patterns of customers – who

reports and receive immediate alerts if certain thresholds

buys when? Who has stopped buying? Who buys brew

are met.

“a” but not brew “b”. If you have hundreds of potential

BrewMan and BrewMan Production are Premier

customers, all with their own unique buying patterns, then

System's core products that cover the end-to-end

this information is almost impossible to track without a

process of managing a brewery, all the way from raw

product like sales-i.

material purchase ordering to vessel management, stock

Alongside this it works on any device, from laptop to

control, CRM, distribution and duty calculation. They have

smart phone and even offline – so when you are stuck

more than 200 breweries actively using the software.

in a cellar bar, trying to understand a customer’s order

Their services start from just £20 a month and allow

patterns and present to them, sales-i won’t let you down

small start-ups to start using a system early to help their

as all the information is at hand.

business grow.

“Software will save a brewery time and money,” adds Williams. “An obvious example is that BrewMan will calculate your month's duty return for you, saving an

Derek Silby, is the CEO and founder of Vos Voco, a new service designed to improve the profitability, quality and customer service of your business.

"While the food and drink industry features strong

enormous amount of time for your accounts team. But

brands and a thriving independent sector, there are

similarly most brewery software functions are designed

significant challenges. There is constant pressure on

brewersjournal.info

April 2020

27

Fo cu s

workflow

margins, customer expectations of quality and traceability continue to grow, and there are sector specific issues such as the impact of duty,” he says.

Quality system

S

ilby adds: “Technology will continue to allow productivity to grow, enable new services, and help reach customers. However most businesses

when it suits them.

This is ideally suited to smaller breweries who supply freehouses, potentially increasing sales by being easier

will have gaps in the systems they use leading to manual

to trade with. In company owned operations, information

processes directly impacting costs, increasing admin

such as stock-outs can be gathered to improve availability

time required from founders/directors, and missed

and hence sales.

opportunities to increase sales.

“We have developed a new approach that addresses

“Vos Voco was developed by operators,” says Silby.

“We understand that a solution will only be successful

these problems in areas where manual processes are in

and deliver benefits if it is easy to use and can be widely

use, providing an affordable, compatible solution for most

deployed. Our design approach ensures users can

businesses.

complete the required steps in 10-30 seconds depending

“Quality control has always been important, however

on the use, meaning it doesn’t slowdown the operation.

the ability to demonstrate compliance has become a

For the revenue solution, customers can use Vos Voco

business necessity. Whether your quality system has

for their own needs and other suppliers, avoiding “app”

been approved by SIBA or SALSA, the norm is to collect

and “log-on” fatigue which restricts take up of bespoke

data using clipboards, whiteboards and Excel. Data

company solutions.”

retrieval is slow, and it is often difficult to know the quality system is being followed by staff.”

He adds: “This engagement approach allows “trybefore-you-buy”. We visit your site for a diagnostic to

According to Vos Voco, its solution is to replace the

understand your needs and aspirations. Providing we can

paper gathering processes with collection using the app.

help you, we will create a costed proposal to be tried in a

Its approach allows nearly all processes to be replaced

Pilot.

in days not months. The ability to respond quickly keeps

"We will implement the Pilot at our risk allowing

costs low, meaning the solution is affordable by even very

customers to see the solution working before committing.

small businesses. Equally the modular approach allows it

If you proceed, fees are due, otherwise we will dismantle

to be deployed in large businesses.

the solution with no fees due. The Coronavirus may result

The company’s revenue solution is aimed at businesses taking orders over the phone. Its objective is to provide an affordable solution to brewers and industry

in you having more time than expected, and may present an opportunity to make risk-free progress.

“Vos Voco is designed to allow British companies

consumable suppliers to improve ordering productivity

within Food and Drink to take confident steps towards

and to allow customers to request restocking at a time

higher productivity, higher quality and higher profitability."

28

April 2020

Brewers Journal

workflow

Case Study | Bike Dog Brewing and Ekos West Sacramento brewery Bike Dog Brewing was growing fast. As both their production capacity and their popularity grew, it became clear that continuing to manage their inventory, production, sales, and accounting processes with spreadsheets wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Implementing Ekos allowed the on-the-go co-owners to check in on production and sales from anywhere whenever they needed to.

The sales and keg tracking capabilities of Ekos helped them manage their selfdistribution operation seamlessly and keep track of their growing fleet of kegs. As the business grew, Bike Dog’s co-owner, Sage Smith, was able to quit his day job and commit to the brewery full time, fueling further expansion.

Bike Dog Brewing was founded as a small 3 bbl nanobrewery in 2013 by friends who had a passion for bikes, dogs, and beer. The entire business is built on the belief that good people deserve good beer (we couldn’t agree more). In 2016, the Bike Dog team bought a brewhaus with a 15 bbl system, and that’s when everything changed.

The challenge Like many brewery startups, Bike Dog first went the spreadsheets route to manage their inventory, production, sales, and accounting processes. But as their capacity grew, they began to self-distribute their products and opened an additional taproom in downtown Sacramento. It became clear quickly that spreadsheets were no longer adequate for their needs.

When they were first starting out, the co-owners were still working their day jobs — making it difficult to manage the brewery from afar. Sharing spreadsheets among team members was cumbersome, and trying to keep up with their local self-distribution customers was a nightmare. Plus, the team was having problems keeping track of kegs they sold to third-party distributors, and they wanted a way to keep tabs on them so they

brewersjournal.info

fo cu s

could get them back in a timely manner. Lost kegs mean lost dollars, after all.

The results Since Bike Dog’s team started working with Ekos in 2016, they have improved processes in every aspect of their operation. Nearly every team member — from brewers to salespeople and owners — uses Ekos to manage their dayto-day tasks.

Co-owner Sage Smith, co-owner at Bike Dog, summed it up like this: “I couldn’t run my business without Ekos. Like any good tool, everyone [at Bike Dog] is using it, and we’re not looking to use anything else.” Bike Dog’s team has experienced many benefits of using Ekos, including: The cloud-based system, which allows them to access information on the go.

The owners love to look at finished goods, shipments, and customer information in Ekos to check in on daily activity, and the sales and production teams are often in Ekos doing everything from updating inventory to making deliveries. Because Ekos is cloud-based they are able to do it from their laptops, tablets or phones on the go.

The ability to track their 600-700 kegs and identify when they go missing with Ekos’s keg tracking feature, which allows for mobile scanning of kegs and stores information about the product and batch as well as how long it’s been at a customer location.

The QuickBooks integration, which syncs all inventory and sales data to their QuickBooks account without any additional entry. This is a key priority for Bike Dog’s owners as they manage their fast-growing operation.

The need for having all their key business information in one central location will be even more necessary in the future — Bike Dog’s team plans to broaden their reach via an expanded distribution.

And in addition to the two taprooms they already have, the owners plan to add another taproom to offer their products to an even wider audience on-site. The ability to manage inventory and sales from multiple locations in Ekos will help them easily scale their business and continue to be successful year after year.

April 2020

29

B r e w e ry

To u r

H ogs

back

Hops spring eternal

30

April 2020

Brewers Journal

H ogs

Award-winning Hogs Back Brewery has been bringing new meaning to the expression ‘home-grown’ with a throw-back idea. Velo Mitrovich reports

back

B r e w e ry

To u r

referee booking all 22 players.

In looking out the car’s side windows, it’s hard getting a feel for this part of Surrey. Close enough to be in London’s greater commuter belt – it takes well less than an hour to reach Heathrow – there is an odd mixture of farmland,

by velo mitrovich

light manufacturing and housing. “Quaint” would not be

T

a word used to describe any of the dour villages you’ve

wipers can’t keep up.

confines of your SUV and walk out in these ancient fields,

he day is cold and wet with heavy rains.

driven past, though seeing them in the light of a sunny

Locals know the narrow roads around

day might help.

Tongham like the back of their hands; they

The farm fields themselves are muddy, and with their

know just how deep the water is in low-lying

soppy brown colour and the grey, grey, oppressing sky

flooded areas. And, while you’re driving slow

above, it almost seems a reflection as to what the country

and cautious, they zoom past you like speedboat drivers,

– and the beer industry – is going through at the moment.

sending up a spray so torrential that your windscreen You pull over for a moment, say a curse at the

But, if you had the courage to leave the warm, dry you would see hop plants growing, for this is one of

disappearing taillights, and think that it is no surprise that

England’s traditional hop regions. The vines are pushing

Tongham holds the Guinness World Record for having in

up light green leaves through the mud and it makes you

1969 the most undisciplined football match ever, with the

realise that despite the doomsayers, just how tough and

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back

resilient our industry is today and always has been.

The fields that you see belong to Hogs Back Brewery, which prides itself on growing its own, an idea of director Rupert Thompson who believes in not only producing

well. That's a big plus.”

A word that Chesterman is not afraid to use – unlike many brewers – and that’s profit.

“People do think is a dirty word. At the end of the day,

great beers, but also in using local ingredients and being

you have to make money and it is so competitive out

as self-sufficient as possible. It’s not enough to say you

there. So, the main thing with a taproom is that it gets

want to reduce your carbon footprint – do it!

people in here, drinking our beers on site, and enjoying them.”

But. Bags of vacuum-packed hop pellets from around the

While a few breweries sell a small assortment of other

world are just an email or phone call away, hops that you

breweries’ canned and bottled beers and most don’t – as

don’t have to cultivate, worry about, find labour to harvest,

if afraid of the competition – Hogs Back has no fear. They

dry, and a million other things. Grow your own and you’re

have a bottle shop that can stand on its own and whoever

committed to a certain species of hops; buy, and you can

is selecting the beers, should be given a gold medal. TBJ

be as flexible and creative as you want.

has never seen such an impressive, creative and eclectic

However, as you talk to Hogs Back head brewer Miles Chesterman and hop garden manager Matthew King,

combination of both UK and foreign beers at a brewery.

You have to wonder, however, if the bottle shop hurts

it starts making sense as to why Hogs Back is the UK’s

in anyway Hogs Back sales at the brewery? How anyone

largest combined brewery/hop farm.

could go through their selection and not spend at least £50 or more is beyond comprehension.

TEA time

Still, in looking at total beer volume, what people want is what Hogs Back is brewing. When the brewery started

H

in 1992, production was centred on a 10-barrel plant;

ogs Back Brewery opened up in 1992 and has

when Chesterman joined the team twenty-years later,

been creating great beers ever since, with the

production was increased to a 40 barrel brew kit, with the

brewery located in 18th century farm buildings

brewery now moving annually 15,000 barrels. Out of the

that have stored wheat, housed cattle, and, appropriately,

33 people who work at Hogs Back, six are directly with

hogs. Chesterman – who favours the tall side – is the first

brewing.

to admit that the excitement in working in such an old

Most of the sales are centred around cask – about 60

space with a lot of character, lasted for only about two

percent – and the rest a mixture of kegs, bottles and cans.

weeks when he started in 2012. You have to wonder, with

As it stands now, without ripping the entire brewery apart

him previously brewing in big-beer modern plants with

and rebuilding to make more efficient use of space, there

plenty of headroom, what was going through his mind

is absolutely no room for Hogs to bottle/can on site.

around week-three at Hogs Back.

The brewery’s first beer was called ‘TEA’ – Traditional

In many ways Chesterman had been grooming himself for a career in big beer for years – Kingston University

English Ale – and it remains popular. Including seasonal

BSc biology, IBD diploma in brewing, Institute of Brewing

specials, they have around 18 beers and lagers to choose

Master Brewer – and then working at Molson Coors and

from, including a cloudy cider – Hazy Hog – which won a

Anheuser-Busch.

bronze medal last year at an international cider challenge.

Considering the age of the building and the area, you

“As a career there are numerous advantages for working for big beer. There is money for training, proper

might expect all of Hogs Back beers to be conservative in

holidays and time off. A laboratory is always there, as

nature. But, the beers seem to have one eye to the past

is help. If you’re willing to work hard, there is a clear

and the other to the future; even their logo and label has

promotion path,” says Chesterman. “But, I could see that I

a retro-modern feel to it. If you want to experience Hogs

was heading more towards management as opposed to

Back fresh, there is a taproom which Chesterman says is

actual brewing. And while this would not have been bad,

highly important in sales and in giving people a taste of

I would have always been left wondering: what would it

what the beer is supposed to have, as opposed to being

have been like to be a head brewer for a medium or small

ruined by a pub’s caviller attitude towards storage and

brewery? So, I traded it in for longer hours, harder work,

chilling.

and less pay,” he says laughing.

“I think in the current climate brewing, it is absolutely

Matthew King’s path to being the hop manager,

essential that a brewery has a taproom,” says Chesterman.

however, is about as straight as a dog’s hindleg. Until

“There's a lot of brewers out there and the margins are very low in pub groups. So, with a taproom, you can get a sensible margin and plus you get people at the brewery

Left: Head brewer Miles Chesterman Right: Chesterman, Thompson and King

trying the beer in the best condition, and they're on site as

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The brewery's Hop Harvest Party in 2019

extra work to see them grow, and to see the fruits of your labour – or so to speak.”

The only part of farming he was officially trained in

starting at Hogs Back, he didn’t have experience with

was in using herbicides which requires strict controls

hops or even farming. He worked for the Foreign Office

and recordkeeping. Everything else has come through

arranging overseas trips for the Queen.

reading, talking to other hop growers, or trial and error.

“That was a fascinating job and the Queen was

“It's a very friendly industry, there's always somebody

wonderful to work for – she is actually a nice person –

willing to support you and help you out. There are hop

but once it was decided that she wasn’t going to travel

farms that have been in families for years and years,

overseas anymore, I was out of a job.”

and they're more than happy to help you. So it's a good

When he first started working at Hogs Back, growing

industry; an excellent industry,”

hops was not part of his job description, until he was

Hop to it

“pressganged” by director Rupert Thompson. “He just looked at everybody, looked at me, and said ‘you’re the guy’.”

King says that you can’t do something like growing hops as a side-line or just have people involved with it part-time, it needs to have a fulltime manager if you want it to be successful.

“I don't mind being outdoors, even if the rain is pouring.

W

hile most brewers would say that hops play a significant part in their beer, this seems even more so with Hogs Back. This isn’t to say

that they’re producing double IPAs or taking dry hopping to the extreme, but it does mean that Chesterman and

There’s always a sense of wonder in the fields, to look

King look at hops almost as a chef would, as a type

after these plants and bring them up, to put in all the

of spice or flavouring, to be used creatively, not with a

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sledgehammer.

While to be a top-notch brewer does not require

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we’re not right for,” says Chesterman. “We are looking at something like Mosaic that's growing up in the Yakima

growing your own and the vast majority will never see

Valley [Washington State] that's in very semi-arid climate

a hop plant in their career life, there does seem to be a

with a much higher amount of sunlight.”

different hop relationship between those at Hogs Back

One of the reasons for trying something like this is

and those whose experience is opening a bag of T-90

to see what the flavour will be like, ie, how much affect

pellets.

is the local terrior. While working on an MSc at Imperial

“Hops are a massive part of the Hogs Back story, the

on olive culture and cultivation, the author of this article

story of us actually growing our own hops, and it’s been

experimented with olive oil. In tasting oil produced from

a very steep learning curve,” says Chesterman. “Our

a very specific type of olive, from farms in Italy, Australia,

growing of traditional hops and modern hops is a very

Argentina, France, and the United States, around 85 to 90

important part of our story, of what we do at the brewery,

percent of the taste was exactly the same. However, that

and it's important in regards to the range of beers that

remaining 10-15 percent was subtly different and made

we're making.”

one outshine the others.

According to King, the area around Hogs Back

While one type of hop grown in Australia or the Yakima

supported the UK’s first commercial hop production. “Way

Valley might have more oils that the same hop grown in

back a few centuries ago, you could probably walk from

southern England, the flavour from the British hop might

Guilford to Farnham in this area, just walking through hop

be more what you are looking for in a creating a beer.

fields. Our thoughts were: We're a successful brewery,

What Hogs Back is particularly proud of is their

let's try and bring the hops back into the local area and

reintroduction of the heritage hop Farnham White

let's try for sustainability reasons.”

Bine which, from being one of the region’s main hops,

The three main hops that Hogs Back grow include:

completely disappeared. While in theory it made sense to

Farnham White Bine – Hogs are the only scale grower

redevelop a hop which thrived in your local area, however,

in the world of White Bine. It has a fine, subtle, slightly

one of the problems with White Bine was that nobody

peppery character.

was using it for beer. So, besides cultivating a hop nobody

Traditional Fuggles – a classic English ale hop which is used in many of Hogs’ beers. TEA uses 100% Surrey Fuggles, providing a firm bitterness and gentle aroma.

else was using, beer recipes had to be created. This has led to Hogs’ Farnham White Golden Ale. “I think with anything, if you want to understand your

Cascade – Hogs Back are one of very few English

ingredients better, you have to understand the intricacies

growers of this aromatic hop – more commonly grown

of how the ingredients can change your product as well,”

elsewhere – which has strong citrus/grapefruit character.

says Chesterman. “With White Bine, we didn't realise that

Although in this region of England hop fields are referred to as ‘hop gardens’, bringing to mind images of a couple of rows of beans, one of marigolds and then a

nobody's brewed with them for years – there's not a beer out there with it.”

“The White Bine was probably rubbed out and made

few hop plants, King’s ‘garden’ is around 8.5 acres and

obsolete by the more modern hops which tend to be

holds over 6,300 hop plants, which can produce between

an easier plant, to grow, and look after,” interjects King.

a quarter and half of the hops they need – all weather

“whereas the White Bine grows very sporadic and tends

dependent. If you’ve never seen a hop plant, this might

to want to do its own thing. It's like a little child.”

not seem like many, but the plants grow big. The plan

“We did some trials and got to know what kind of beer

is to get the production figure of closer to 100 percent;

you can get with certain kinds of aromas and bitterness.

there is a far-ranging plan of the brewery growing its own

It was kind of the same when we grew Cascade here,

barley.

we really had no idea what we’d get with it. And with this,

During harvest they’re cut back, leaving pretty much

also you understand the best time to harvest to give you

just root stock. This stock can produce hops for hundreds

the best beer. This is an experience that Matt has really

of years, although for production value, 30-years is the

picked up here in the last few years.”

normal lifespan. During parts of production hops can

Other hops such as Goldings, Harlequin, and Minstrel

require quite a bit of labour. King uses local volunteers,

are bought from local Surry and Kent farmers, the

which are paid in beer – after the day is over. Cones are

majority of which are located within five miles of the

taken, kiln-dried, and bagged.

brewery. A small amount of hops are brought in from the

“We're looking at a hop nursery garden and seeing what other varieties we can do. The beauty of having a

Czech Republic, Germany, and the USA. Hogs Back claims that by using fresher hops, you get

brewery as well, is we can experiment a bit more and

better tasting beer. There are as many opinions about

we can try varieties that probably haven't traditionally

this in the brewing community, as there are in the age

been grown in UK or maybe in theory from a climate that

old debate of cones vs pellets. It goes without saying,

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The annual hop harvest at Hogs Back

conversation is about the beer.

Chesterman nods his head at both of these thoughts.

“There is a PR element in what we’re doing, but even if

that both Chesterman and King have their own strong

there wasn’t, we’d still be growing our own hops. It is one

opinions, which can be condensed down to: Fresher is

of things that makes Hogs Back unique.”

better; cones are better.

“I just have to believe that the less you process

To ask him or King if there is too much talk about hops and not about just enjoying the beer, that borders on

something [as in making pellets], the better the product

being an unfair question. Unlike every other medium-size

will be,” says Chesterman.

brewery in the UK, they grow their own hops. Driving into work every day, they pass hop fields. In the evening going

Unique proposition

home, again, they pass hop fields. How those hops grow define Hogs Back.

“There's a lot of people that are experts on hops and

I

t is impossible not to think that a brewery growing

they’ll ask you what hops are you using and you reply: ‘Are

its own hops in today’s highly competitive market

you enjoying the beer? You know, just enjoying the beer?”

is doing it just a public relations stunt. Local grown,

Enjoying the beer is what Hogs Back is all about. It’s

smaller carbon footprint, less packaging, what Hogs Back

about the fields, it’s about the brewery; it’s Chesterman

is doing seems to tick every Green line on the list.

and King’s ultimate goal that those drinking Hogs Back

Brewers and beer geeks spend a huge amount of time discussing hops, but does the average – the majority – of drinkers care?

Paul Jones, managing director of the internationally-

are enjoying the beer.

During this entire visit, King keeps looking at his watch.

Despite the rain and mud, he’s got hops to tend to.

To hear Miles Chesterman and Matt King discuss what

rated Cloudwater Brewery said at the last Brewers

English hops you should be looking for and their hop

Lectures that once upon a time, friends would meet

prediction for the year, be sure to listen to our podcast at

in a pub and talk while having a beer. Now, the whole

https://brewerspodcast.reby.media/

36

April 2020

Brewers Journal

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Craft Hops for Craft Brewers Independent UK hop farm sourcing the ďŹ nest hops from around the world

hops@brookhousehops.com www.brookhousehops.com

hops

s e c to r

Giving UK hops their due Many of the well-known and popular varieties of hops for craft brewing may have started out as American hops, sourced from the Yakima Valley in Washington state, offering brewers a copious variety of high impact, citrus flavours for their beers. But this is changing rapidly as the UK hop industry grows and sees more investment into new farms, efficient processes and effective storage solutions. We get the lowdown from Sebastian Nielsen, business manager at Brook House Hops.

pride themselves on their professional approach to hop management and the industry is evolving faster than ever.

With pelletising, for example, independent hop farms such as Herefordshire-based Brook House Hops are able to control the temperature so that no caramelisation of the hop pellet occurs, which would hinder aroma absorption in the brewing process.

Investing into a state of the art, low-temperature pellet processing facility means that hops do not reach high temperatures, thus maintaining their vitality, flavour and aroma: they literally crumble when rubbed in your hand but are not so soft that they can’t withhold handling and transportation activity. After being nitrogen flushed and

by Sebastian Nielsen

I

n the past, 80 percent of UK hops were sold to

vacuum sealed, they are also then stored between 0-5 deg C to maintain freshness.

Then there’s the flavour – the rather British ‘terroir’

brewers in whole leaf or whole cone format, with

(read: a sense of place, felt by things such as the

breweries taking delivery as pockets or bales,

combination of soil and the climate), is such a way that

before hop merchant Charles Faram introduced the

UK hops are typically low in myrcene content, meaning

'Fresh Pak'. This meant that storage was at ambient

that they have a more moderate aroma intensity, actually

UK temperatures on the hop farms, excluding the few

delivering far more delicate and complex aromas to a

who had some cold storage facilities.

beer.

These previously held poor-storage solutions would

The low alpha acid levels in English hops also provide

lead to the oxidation of hops after long periods of

an earthy and slightly spicy flavour, which is why they get

time, creating a perception of "cheesy British hops" in

used in pale ales/India pale ales as well as stouts and

the worldwide brewing industry. But, recent advances

porters. Versatile and complicated, they give more than

mean that UK hop farms are now investing millions into

some might expect. So it is no surprise at all that brewers

efficient cold storage solutions, modern kilns, pelletising

across the world put UK grown hops into their ‘session’

machinery, cold storage improvement and other

beers – giving not just a smack in the face as you take

innovations to maintain the quality and freshness of their

your first sip, but a tease of your taste buds, encouraging

hops months and years following their harvest, levelling

you to take another sip, and then another, and then

up the overall quality of UK hops.

another….

In fact, if you delve even deeper, you will learn that

The combination of UK Goldings and Fuggles hops is

climate in the US hop growing area of Washington State

renowned globally, as are many UK hop varieties such

means that cold storage is specifically needed and in the

as Bramling Cross, Challenger, Endeavor, Pilgrim and

past some cold stores would stack the hops with too little

the high alpha Admiral. All of this even though the only

air movement around them so they were not kept fresh at

hop plant breeding programme in the UK (other than

all. There were even some very large and tragic hop fires.

Peter Derby of Wye Hops) is the Charles Faram program

The old fashioned perception of US brewers (egged on

organised by Peter Glendinning.

by US hop growers) was that UK hop storage was another

You see, whereas the UK had a very successful

classic British 'amateur' situation. But hop farms in the UK

breeding program at Wye College (again under Peter

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39

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hops

Derby, with varieties like First Gold), the UK is still way

Brook House Hops are passionate about supporting

behind the US, which has a successful state sponsored

the UK industry and their recent investments show that

plant breeding program for hops as well as various

in real terms. They are constantly looking for new, eco

university breeding programmes, producing dozens of

conscious ways to grow their crops and innovate with

fashionable varieties such as Cascade and Willamette,

their varieties in the infamous UK climate; testing growing

and in recent years more of the larger US growers even

techniques, production methods and post-harvest

have their own, sometimes producing good returns.

processing. The UK gene bank is wide and positive

To improve as a whole, the UK industry should

because of 'wild' hop varieties, which are often very

continue on its upwards trajectory: keep investing in

tolerant or resistant to Powdery and Downy mildew or to

new processes and facilities and encourage the turning

pests, and this will help the growth of the UK industry and

over of disused farmland into hop growing earth, as the

support future UK breeding programs.

demand is clearly there. The UK market cares about more

At Brook House Hops, they are trying to improve

than just variety, storage and distribution, it also cares

the quality of their hops with innovative agricultural

about sustainability in growing, variety choice and the

techniques in order to avoid excessive disease and pest

'drinkability' of the beers UK hops make and their lengthy

pressure that are the main threats for a quality yield.

and fascinating brewing history (for example IPA is not an

They are also very ambitious and want to start their own

American invention but a British one – it was first created

breeding program in time, hoping it will increase their

when extra hops were added to beers in barrels traveling

chance of developing some interesting varieties for the

to soldiers in the Indian colony).

future. u

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hops

Where next?

Do you ever wonder why certain colours become ‘the look’ for the fashion industry every year? Believe it or not, at the beginning of the year, a very small select group of designers and fabric manufacturers decide and that’s why in July your t-shirt is Tangerine-Orange and not Red-Orange like last year. With hops, is sure seems similar, with each year a new hop being the one that everyone is scrambling to get. We spoke Jon Stringer of Charles Faram & Company and William Longmate of Simply Hops (part of the worldwide Barth-Haas Group) for their take on 2020.

onto and you need to use it with other hops. A problem that Citra has had is that craft brewers don’t seem to realise that you dose it lower than Cascade. But for that matter, small scale users need to learn how to use their hops better. Too often I see craft brewers trying to relying on hops, rather than skill. Let me tell all of you, the solution for all your brewing problems is not adding more hops!

TBJ: Cashmere, Comet, Lotus and Sabro continue to be mentioned as hops to watch in 2020. Which hops do you think are being underutilised?

Stringer: Some of the “classic” hop varieties; Bramling Cross, East Kent Goldings, Brewers Gold, Celeia etc. The new hop varieties that are appearing can wow the drinker with their flavour and aroma impact but sometimes

by velo mitrovich

that doesn’t translate to session ability in the glass. The rediscovery of traditional lager styles and the rise of craft

TBJ: To stand out in a crowded field, brewers are sourcing

lager seem to back this up; classic hop varieties used to

‘cutting edge’ hops. Do you think the average drinker can

create thirst-quenching beer.

tell?

Longmate: Comet from Germany, as opposed to USA

Stringer: Based upon the number of different styles of

Comet is great. Lotus is fantastic when used as a dry hop.

beer available nowadays on supermarket shelves I think

With Sabro, people need to figure out how to use it, that’s

the answer is yes. Hop breeding programmes around the

the biggest problem I see with it. Kazbek from the Czech

globe are attempting to drive hop flavour and aroma in

Republic is underutilised. It is very, very fruity – like an

new directions and with the huge amount of active flavour

American hop – but half the price.

compounds present in the hop there is reason to be excited about what the future holds.

TBJ: In a closed, sealed bag, is there much degradation

Longmate: I’ve found that people are significantly more –

in hop quality over time? Are there bargains to be found

and better – informed about what hops go into their beer.

in hops from 2016-17 they would be good buys with good

People who really love their beer will go online and see

quality?

what their favourite brewery is using.

Stringer: Hops will degrade slightly, even with the latest packaging technology. Any remaining oxygen in the hops

TBJ: There are some brewers saying that Citra has be

is used up fairly quickly and the product then becomes

used to death, but in looking at so many IPAs, Citra still

stable under the correct package storage conditions.

plays a big role, especially when combined with Mosaic,

Alpha acid levels will diminish as time passes but a good

Galaxy, or others. What is your take on Citra?

crop can be used up to five years after packaging. Some

Stringer: It’s a fantastic hop; one of only a genuine few

packaged Chinook T90 pellets in Yakima were stored for

that make good single hop beers. Citra’s oil balance lends

10 years at 0C and subsequently had their oils and acids

itself to a very wide audience. Demand is unlikely to wane

analysed – they held up well compared with newer crops

for some years, US hop growers have demonstrated their

and were perfectly useable.

confidence, Citra now has the largest acreage of any

Longmate: So much depends on how they’ve been

variety in US.

treated after harvesting and then stored. Most of all

Longmate: Citra continues to be a flagship brand, the

the big hop companies do an excellent job at keeping

company sells a couple hundred tonnes a year, and

hops in a refrigerated warehouse. Usually you can figure

we’re seeing that it’s beginning to supersede Cascade

that pellets will be very good for at least three years

at the bigger breweries. Citra is a wonderful base to add

before they start to degrade. If the hops start with a low

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alpha level, to begin with, you’ll see more degradation.

these if they received them from a dealer. They can be

However, if the hops start with a high alpha level, then

used in the kettle but would probably suit earlier rather

they will still be good to use for some time. Don’t dry hop

than later additions if the brewer wanted decent hop

with old hops, but they can be fine to use on the hot side.

character from the late additions (also factoring-in that the alpha acid content may well be lower that specified).

TBJ: You’re used to using a certain hop but notice that

The garlic and onion aromas from hops are thiols.

there is a variation between lots, even within the same

Summit is a good example of a hop exhibiting these

species. Is there anything you can do as a brewer to get

types of aromas and using them on both hot and cold

more hop consistency?

sides is fine (although some of the sulphur thiols might

Stringer: This can be a difficult feat to achieve for the

be detected on the aroma if using them for a post-

brewer. Batches of hops are traceable and some brewers

fermentation dry-hop). Biotransformation may utilise

specify hop batches from the same farm and the same

some of these thiols if conditions in the fermenting wort

field each year. This doesn’t guarantee you a comparable

are correct when dry-hopping.

product to the previous harvest as growing conditions

Longmate: If when you open a bag of hops and you’re

won’t be identical two years in a row and time of harvest

hit with a cheesy smell or anything that smells wrong,

and kilning parameters need to be taken into account.

return them. The industry is very competitive, no matter

Brewers can blend hops of the same variety from

how good of deal you got with the low-quality hops, can

different crop years to lead to a more consistent product

you afford to lose your customers? With so many beers to

(or at least one that doesn’t change markedly from crop

choose from, they can always go elsewhere.

year to crop year). It has been known that some hop merchants will also blend hops of the same variety, from

TBJ: How popular are UK hops with UK brewers?

different farms, to give a more uniform representation of

Stringer: Generally, UK hops are very popular with

the hop in question.

traditional UK brewers – slightly less so with the UK

Longmate: If you look at something like Cascade, for

brewing contingent favouring the new world flavours.

example, it’s grown in the USA, Germany, Australia, and

That said, most UK breweries are very interested in what

England. Same hop, can be from the same year, but there

the UK hop breeding programmes are up to (as are other

is a different aroma with all of them. US Cascade is very

breweries from around the globe).

lemony, Germany is orange marmalade, Australian is

UK breweries recognise that there is a large CO2

pineapple, the English, it’s like wood. So, if you’re going for

footprint in getting hops shipped from North America and

consistency, make sure you’re aware of country variations.

Australia & New Zealand and are taking a keen interest in

What I like to tell brewers is to keep some hops back so

what is being produced closer to home.

when you start with a new year’s crop, you can stagger in

Longmate: We’ve found that most English hops go to

hops that you have been using.

Spain and Scandinavia, to breweries that are looking for heritage flavours. There are things you can do with UK

TBJ: When you try hops from a new dealer, what

hops, but there are a lot of things you can’t. For example,

evaluations should you perform before using them?

a Californian-style IPA or a beer with a fruity flavour, you

Stringer: Every dealer should also be able to provide

can’t do these with English hops. However, they do make

traceability of the products they sell. They should also

excellent pale ales or sessions.

have quality accreditations in place. A dealer should be able to detail the accreditations of each farm it uses and

TBJ: Do you think 2020 will see a move away from heavy,

their compliance with anti-slavery policies.

hop-flavoured IPAs?

With the increasing focus on the chemicals used in

Stringer: The hazy pale ales and IPAs of recent years

crop-spraying a dealer will be able detail the results of

will be around for a while to come. Some drinkers may

the testing for hop batches.

tire of the style (some may have already) but the lack of

Longmate: You need to sniff the hops. Rub them between

bitterness in these beers suits some peoples palates, so

your fingers to pick up the oil smell.

demand should remain.

TBJ: You can detect a cheesy, garlic/onion smell from

been refreshing in the last couple of years to see West

your hops. Can you get by using them for the hot side and

Coast IPA and English IPA styles revisited.

let biotransformation deal with the problem or do they

Longmate: In 2020 we’re not seeing any movement

need to be returned?

away from IPAs and we’re seeing even more of a return

Stringer: Cheesy hops (isovaleric) are not something that

to classic Californian pine/resin flavour beers. Hazy and

a customer should receive in their hop delivery (unless

fruity beers won’t do as well this year. u

Craft lager demand will continue to rise. It has also

they requested aged hops). Most customers would return

44

April 2020

Brewers Journal

s CIENCE

FL AVO U R

A Robotic nose for a true brew The aroma of beer is a key indicator of its quality, now new technology can ‘sniff’ a beer to help brewers create top notch tasty brews and innovative flavours. Claudia Hooper reports from the University of Melbourne

pasteurisation. The partial sterilisation that comes through pasteurisation isn’t necessary to guarantee the safety of beer as it is a fermented product, and the process can modify aromas. But on the plus side pasteurisation can reduce the risk of aroma and flavours going ‘off’.

With consumers demanding more novelty, brewers

by Claudia hooper

I

are responding by experimenting with different flavour profiles – milky stouts, cherry and honeycomb beers and

s that pine or citrus notes in the beer? Coffee or

even pickle.

chocolate? If the best-trained nose can sometimes

Aroma equates to quality

have difficulties, is little hope for the rest of us?

However, enticing aromas are essential to the

development of a superior beer and getting them

right requires skilled personnel and costly equipment.

This is no problem for big beer, but what about microbreweries that operate out of warehouses in the exindustrial suburbs?

University of Melbourne researches from the Faculty of

I

n an increasingly innovative environment like this, it’s important to develop methods that can assess aroma both during and after boiling (with the addition of

hops) and fermentation.

Gas chromatography instruments that analyse the

Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences and the Melbourne

vapours given off by a compound can be used to do this,

School of Engineering have developed a low cost and

but it’s costly, time-consuming and involves sending

portable ‘electronic-nose’, or ‘e-nose’, that uses machine

samples away for assessment.

learning to quickly assess beer quality based on its aroma.

Their report, “Development of a low-cost e-nose to

In beer, the aroma alone is a fairly reliable indicator of quality.

assess aroma profiles: An artificial intelligence application

This is due to the close link between our senses of

to assess beer quality” has recently been published in the

smell and taste. But in a small brewery, there may only be

research journal Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical.

one or two people – including the master brewer – who

The Australian designed device is portable, allowing brewers to use it for rapid and reliable quality assessment on the production line. It also has the potential to be used to assess other food and beverages at all stages of production and has already been tested to detect smoke taint in wine.

This has been a huge problem during the last two years with major bush fires in both Californian and Southern Australia wine growing regions. While the fires

are adequately trained to do this – conducting aroma testing sessions for each batch.

The process can be imperfect and takes time, but it’s also ultimately highly subjective.

New and emerging technologies are able to get around this. Sensors, robotics and machine learning have been brought together to reduce time spent assessing food quality while providing a less variable test.

“Our study shows that this technology can be used

can destroy vines, smoke from nearby fires can taint the

to assess quality in the field. It’s a first for a genuinely

grapes, making them worthless for wine.

portable device,” according to lead authors Associate

The development of off-aromas or off-flavours in

Professor Sigfredo Fuentes and PhD candidate Claudia

beers can occur particularly in breweries that don’t use

Gonzalez Viejo. Her research started with a University of

46

April 2020

Brewers Journal

FL AVO U R

s CIENCE

was developed alongside the e-nose, which was built

by Bryce Widdicombe and Dr Ranjith R Unnithan at the Melbourne School of Engineering.

The e-nose – a small circuit board with a diameter of 92 millimetres – is placed face-down over a sample of beer in a beaker. The sensors can then measure the gases above the beer.

This data is measured in real-time, with the help of food technologist Amruta Godbole from the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences. The results were measured against a traditional sensory session conducted by twelve trained panellists.

The panel assessed the intensity of different beer aromas – hops, spicy, floral, fruity, burnt sugar, grains, yeast, nut and carbonation mouthfeel. The samples were also measured using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS).

One of the objectives is to also use the data from the e-nose to aid in the creation of flavour profiles.

“With the e-nose, you just do a pour, and then you get

The portable ‘electronic -nose’ uses machine learning to assess beer quality.

all the data through the machine learning – you get the whole aroma profile of the beer with 97 percent accuracy,” says Fuentes.

Melbourne student project that involved using Legos to create a device to measure bubbles in drinks.

The level of bubbling is an important quality of drinks,

The e-nose measures the peak area of different gases that are present in beer vapours before fermentation and afterwards. The sensors on the e-nose are calibrated

with consumers preferring medium-sized bubbles in

to measure the presence of gases like carbon dioxide,

products like sparkling water and in the foam for beer.

ethanol, methane, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon

“You can determine how much people will like a drink by the quality of the bubbles,” says Fuentes. “Bubbles

monoxide, ammonia and benzene.

There are different gases present as a result of different

and foamability and the stability of the bubbles are really

types of fermentation, like lambic beers. These beers

important.”

are produced by spontaneous fermentation using wild

In beer, the froth or foam created by bubbles helps to

yeast. This allows for the development of more gases

protect the drink from oxidisation that alters the flavour

and aromatics than beers from top (like ales) and bottom

profile – this is why dark stouts like Guinness are often

(like lagers) fermentation that use domesticated yeast

pumped with nitrogen to create a fine foam on top to

varieties.

The researchers hope to finesse the design further,

protect it.

“If you have a flat Guinness, it will oxidise, giving you off-flavours in five minutes,” says Fuentes.

Measuring the bubbles and carbon dioxide led nicely into the next phase of Fuente’s research – adding additional sensors to measure other gases and determine how those bring about different aromas.

making it smaller and integrating rechargeable batteries and WiFi to allow brewers greater flexibility, as the current version needs to be connected to power and a computer via USB. But the potential applications of the device go beyond beer and identifying smoke taint to include building flavour profiles for sparkling wines and non-alcoholic

Flavour profiles

beverages like coffee or tea.

“The e-nose helps take a good deal of subjectivity out of things,” says Fuentes.

T

o investigate the effectiveness of the e-nose, the

is in each flavour profile and put that information on the

commercial beer samples, covering a range of

product labelling.”

styles and fermentation types.

The variety in beer styles helped create a computer program that can detect different volatile compounds, reducing bias in the artificial intelligence software that

48

“Manufacturers will be able to definitively say what

researchers conducted a study of 20 different

April 2020

But will the e-nose replace a master brewer’s taste?

Absolutely not, says Fuentes. “I find that brewers are not against technology. They embrace it.”

This article was first published on Pursuit

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