Jessie Smith
Quality Control: Measuring What We First Drink with Our EyesBy Jessie SmithQuality isn’t only about flavor and freshness—testing for color is important for making sure your beer is consistently meeting the drinker’s expectations. Here’s what to know.
Quality Control: Starting Up (and Sizing Up) Your Brewery’s Own LabBy Jessie SmithAdding a quality lab can seem daunting to a small brewery, but it’s not so bad when you know what equipment you need and which tests are appropriate for your scale. Here, we outline exactly what you should need.
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Quality Control: No Cell Counter? No pHroblem.By Jessie SmithMany smaller breweries lack the resources to perform regular cell counts on their yeast pitches or slurries. Luckily, yeast share some of their secrets with us via pH values, and that can be an easy way to check on their health. Here’s what to know.
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Quality Control, Beyond Beer: Reducing Stress (and Sulfur) in Your BeveragesBy Jessie SmithIn hard seltzers and other FMBs, sulfur as an off-flavor can be an even smellier obstacle than it is in beer. Here’s how to avoid it.
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Success on the Singles Scene: Best Practices for Benchtop SeamersBy Jessie SmithOne of the most convenient packaging options for small, draft-focused breweries also happens to be fraught with shelf-life issues. Yet benchtop can seamers have their fans, and they have advantages, too. Here’s how to do it right.
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Quality Control: Embracing SOPs in the LabBy Jessie SmithFor anyone serious about quality, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a well-thought-out binder packed with standard operating procedures. Here’s how to get started on SOPs for your brewery’s quality program.
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Bacillus: Mostly Harmless, Until It’s NotBy Jessie SmithBrewers don’t typically lose sleep over Bacillus, despite it being ubiquitous throughout the brewery. Being aware of it and knowing when it can cause problems can help ensure better, more consistent beer.
Quality Control: Dealing with DiacetylBy Jessie SmithUnderstanding this off-flavor, how to test for it, and how to reduce it is key to producing commercially viable beer.
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Canning Line Nightmares: What to Know About Megasphaera and PectinatusBy Jessie SmithAs brewers, we love our low DO levels and our cans of light, crisp lager in the summertime. Unfortunately, so do a couple of the stealthiest spoilage organisms known to the beer industry.
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Using Spreadsheets to Track and Improve FermentationsBy Jessie SmithWidely available programs such as Excel or Google Sheets can be simple yet powerful tools for your brewing business, helping you achieve more consistent fermentations and a more predictable brewing schedule.
Brewing Quality: How to Start Up Your Sensory PanelBy Jessie SmithNo brewery is too small or too short-handed to get a sensory panel going, and the education and expertise gained can be invaluable to the business. Here’s how to get your panel off the ground.