Mary Pellettieri, author and founder of Top Note Tonic, discusses how innovation challenges quality systems in the beer industry. Topics include protecting against Pectinatus and Megasphira organisms, detecting lactic acid bacteria, and addressing quality issues like infected yeast and phenolic off-flavors.
Innovation in the brewing industry brings challenges to the quality system, requiring increased testing and monitoring to control potential risks.
Knowing about microbial risks is essential for breweries, and regular sanitation, cleaning, and testing help control these risks for product quality and safety.
Deep dives
Challenging the Quality System in New Innovations
Innovation in the brewing industry brings challenges to the quality system. Testing and monitoring should be increased during these phases to ensure potential risks are controlled. Blending out flavors should be done cautiously to avoid making more bad beer. It is important to know the limits of a quality system and adjust testing regimes accordingly. Sanitation and maintenance play a crucial role in controlling the process inputs and reducing the need for extensive micro testing. Sensory evaluation should be mastered, and panel testing with slightly off-flavored beers can help ensure accurate quality assessments.
Understanding and Controlling Microbial Risks
Knowing about microbial risks is essential for breweries. Testing raw materials like yeast and carbon filters for potential contamination is crucial. Lactic acid, Pectinatus, Megasphira, and coliform bacteria are examples of microbial risks that brewers should be aware of. Regular sanitation and cleaning, as well as testing for stability and consistency, help control these risks. Monitoring pH, alcohol, and oxygen levels is also important for microbial control. The foundational understanding of microbiology and well-established testing methods are fundamental in maintaining product quality and safety.
Importance of Sensory Evaluation and Trusting the Data
Sensory evaluation is a vital tool for evaluating beer quality. Breweries should train their sensory panels and establish trust in their sensory data. Quick evaluation methods like duo-trio and triangular panels can help make timely decisions based on sensory data. It is crucial to react to potential flavor or off-flavor issues detected by the sensory panel and make appropriate dispositions. Trusting the sensory evaluation process and implementing quality assurance checks on the sensory panel are key aspects of mastering sensory evaluation.
Mastering Basics for Quality and Innovation
Breweries should focus on mastering two fundamental aspects: sensory evaluation and microbiology. Building a strong sensory program that includes panel training and QA checks is essential. Basic microbiology knowledge, including understanding microbial risks and controlling them through sanitation and testing, is equally important. Trusting the data from sensory and microbiological evaluations enables brewers to make informed decisions, particularly during the innovative stages. By mastering these basics, breweries can ensure product quality, safety, and successful innovations.
Author of Quality Management: Essential Planning for Breweries and founder of Top Note Tonic, Mary Pellettieri, discusses how innovation challenges quality systems.