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A reply you've made makes it sound like they don't yet have a lab. So you are setting up a lab? Fun times!

First, micro is a fraction (large time consuming fraction) of what you'll need to know. Chemical/analytical testing will make up another, say, 1/4. Someone has linked the ASBC methods. This is a great place to start. Brush up on GLP if it's been a while since you've practiced other science streams.


Specifically regarding lab start up, ASBC also has a guide for what you should be testing at different production volumes: http://www.asbcnet.org/membership/getstarted/Pages/growyourown.aspx

Take this as a minimum. More is better, but depending if they are kegging/bottling/whatever not all of it will be relevant.

Expect paperwork review and filing. Shouldn't be too much of a shock coming from a lab. It's not glamorous but it is what it is.

Are they also looking at QA? This will include things like verification, validation, calibration, preventative maintenance, FDA/other food authorities, food safety, cleaning review, auditing, SOP generation and update, training, labelling, acrobatics etc.

Sensory! Can you taste beer? Can you detect faults? Check you ego; you probably don't. But that's okay. Get a sensory training program up and running. This should include training and review of their beers as well as basic defect training using flavour standards. If you haven't accepted you know nothing; these at 1x threshold will get you there. There's also great resources on setting up blind/triangular/etc training on their site: http://www.aroxa.com/beer


Speaking of egos; you mentioned home brewing. We have all met home Brewers that like to tell us about how they know more than us about our jobs. Don't be that guy/gal. Yes it is helpful that you understand the basics and we know you like beer, but that's about as useful as it gets. It's unlikely you'll be writing recipes or making beer.


Some good reading;

https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Management-Essential-Planning-Breweries/dp/1938469151

https://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-Fermentation-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381969

This is my full list of books from /r/homebrewing but it includes pro level books:

New Brewers:

• How to Brew - John Palmer
  
• Brewing classic styles- Jamil Zainasheff
  
• Designing Great Beers - Ray Daniels
  
• The Complete Joy of Homebrewing - Charlie Papazian
  
  Continued Learning:
  
  
• Water - Palmer and Kaminsky
  
• Yeast - Zainicheff and White
  
• Malt - Mallet
  
• Hops - Hieronymous
  
• Experimental Brewing - Drew Beechum and Denny Conn
  
• Radical Brewing - Randy Mosher
  
• Brewing Better Beer - Gordon Strong
  
  Specialty/Advanced/Other:
  
  
• American Sour Beers - Michael Tonsmeire (/u/oldsock)
  
• Brewing with Wheat - Stan Hieronymus
  
• IPA: Brewing Techniques - Mitch Steele
  
• Farmhouse Ales - Phil Markowski
  
• Brew Like a Monk - Stan Hieronymus
  
• New Brewing Lager Beers - Gregory J. Noonan
  
• Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers- Stephen Harrod Buhner
  
• Drink: a cultural history of alcohol - Iain gately
  
• Principals of Brewing Science - George Fix
  
  Business Books:
  
  
• Brewing Up a Business - Sam Calagione
  
• Brewers association Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery - Cantwell, among others
  
• SO you want to start a brewery - Tony magee
  
• Beyond the Pale: The Story of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co - Ken Grossman
  
• Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery Paperback –Steve Hindy & Tom Potter
  
  Technical Readings (Textbooks might be expensive):
  
  
• Brewery Operations Manual - Tom Hennessy
  
• Beer Packaging - Master Brewers Association
  
• Technology Brewing and Malting - W. Kunze, 5th Edition
  
• Malting and Brewing Science, Volume 1 - Many Authors
  
• Malting and Brewing Science, Volume 2 - Many Authors
  
• Brewing yeast and fermentation - Boulton and Quain

1. I recommend reading this list of things pros wish they'd do differently
   
   
2. Starting a brewery is not as simple as starting a restaurant. I recommend Beer School by the founders of Brooklyn Brewery. It outlines every step of the process and their personal experience. After reading that you should have a pretty good idea - what's needed, what are the major steps etc. Pro tip: this is an older book so your local libraries could have it to borrow for free.
   
   
3. Just to save you some time, here are some things to consider
   
   > like a food truck but for beer
   
   This is not legal in any US state AFAIK. Maybe it's possible with a permit at festivals, but definitely not freely on the street.
   
   > Is a 1 bbl system worth it in your opinion
   
   1bbl = 2x 15.5 gal kegs. That's not a lot of beer for your time from a business stand point. Pros can chime in and tell you that to brew 50bbl or 1bbl takes the same steps and not much more time for 50bbl. Probably not even 2x the time. You can do the math how brewing 1bbl is not a good financial decision.
   
   > the difference in competition
   
   Keep in mind the more competition there is, the more you need to stand out. You can assume that in highly competitive markets such as Portland, breweries with bad products/management/marketing will not survive. Thus you need a really really great plan for your products/management/marketing (or all) to get people in the door. Having good beers is a given and not a competitive advantage.

Really depends what end of brewing you're trying to make your way into. Brewing theory is nice and all, but unless you're going into the Engineering end at a much larger brewery it might be more than you ever need. I've read the gamut at this point but these two have remained helpful:

I'd suggest reading through Beer by Dr. Bamforth, he runs the Brewing (Food Science) program at UC Davis and theres a wealth of knowledge you can gain out of it

Slightly more advanced is Brewing by Michael J Lewis, gets a bit more into the Food Chemistry end of brewing, but still plenty to gain.

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Inkbird

Have you grabbed the Quality Management book yet?

I'm just getting into the industry but from what I'm seeing it sounds like you are definitely doing awesome work!

Most breweries would want to know at least:

• Calcium (Ca+2),
  
• Magnesium (Mg+2)
  
• Sulfates (SO4-2)
  
• Sodium (Na+)
  
• Chloride (Cl-)
  
• Bicarbonate / Alkalinity
  
  Brewers sometimes add minerals to our water to control things like perceived bitterness, mash pH, etc. Certain beer styles "require" water with certain mineral profiles. For example, Pilseners are often brewed with very soft water, similar to the water in Pilsen, Cech Republic. Certain British styles might use hard water with a lot of sulfates. I'm being somewhat ambiguous, because lots of people will say they brew pilseners with hard water, and ESB with soft water.
  
  There is a great book on it written by John Palmer, a legend in the brewing world. If you're interested in water as it relates to brewing, I'd highly recommend it.
  

Yes, he lives in DC. He consulted (or consults?) with Modern Times in CA. He wrote American Sour Beers which I highly recommend. He's also pretty active in /r/homebrewing answering questions from people like me who are just getting into making sour beers.

There's a famous line "If You Have to Ask the Price, You Can't Afford It" but when it comes to breweries that extends to blood, sweat and tears. The factors vary so much that you're going to hear a range of answers based on: market, legal bullshit, owners & experience. In Minneapolis most breweries open four to six months behind schedule and I'm guessing it's a 500k-1m investment.

If I were in your shoes I would do two things. First, read every book out there on the brewing industry (start here and here). Then I would talk to your local brewers guild and breweries to answer these questions. If you were doing this in MN everyone would be fairly honest and supportive plus you'd get better answers than reddit (no offense). Cheers!

Grass is always greener... where there's shit all over the ground...

If beer making is a cathartic hobby to your well-paying day job, think long and hard as your hobby you enjoyed is now mandatory work that you must upkeep on a schedule, and you might need to have a significant bankroll when time get tough. Also, take a reasonable estimate of cost and double them, same with time to complete.

I also suggest reading the "E-Myth Revisited" which talks about how having the technical knowledge is not the same as having the business acumen to run a business. With "technical passion" being a notable driver for you, read this book as it makes distinctions between working on your business and working in your business. If you are leading the company, you wont shouldnt be making the beer...


Your location, your knowledge base, financial backing, prior experience in dealing with the management of resources (people, product inventory, logistics) will all play a huge part in your ability to pull it off. A SOLID marketing plan is critical as there are lots of new breweries popping up EVERYWHERE, and distinguishing yourself during your infancy is getting harder and harder to do. Not all will succeed.... cash flow is PARAMOUNT.

Anyway, good luck in your endeavors. I still wonder if this was the right choice for me.. hours are long and compensation low (but I have substantial equity!) but people like the product so I have that going for me.

Can I add - Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery .. reading it right now and enjoying the story of the business start up and its growth.

This is the correct answer.

I'm currently reading Wood & Beer: A Brewer's Guide in anticipation for futre grown in the area. It's been a dry read but believe it or not, far more informative than I figured. Highly recommend to anyone who cares about the process.

Take notes on your phone as he is telling you things, if it’s something really involved take a video of him explaining it to you. It helps to have notes and people like when they don’t have to repeat their instructions a bunch of times.

Also, start to pick up some books to familiarize yourself with the process. There are 4 books in this series and it’s pretty informative.

Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation (Brewing Elements) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0937381969/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G8WdBbCZZY0JE

I have this other post saved - since I tried this same technique on my 7BBL system, and it works fantastic. If I have any issues, I just adjust on the keg itself after it's cooled out in the cold room after a day or so:

How do you use your Carb Stone? What are your techniques? by njjcbs in TheBrewery
DigitalOxcart 7 points 1 month ago
There is zero reason to vent a tank. This comes up every once in a while in this subreddit.
Check out Isobaric Carbonation.
Use a carb chart to find the pressure for your temp and desired volumes. Call this "X" psi.
Set tank head pressure to X.
Stick carb stone in a bucket to find cracking pressure that works well, good mist with small bubbles, etc. Call this "Y" psi.
Set up hose from CO2 regulator to a flow meter, then to your carb stone. 0-10LPM works well for a gauge.
http://www.amazon.com/CNBTR-Flowmeter-Acrylic-Fitting-Rotameter/dp/B017YVS2WU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
works well.
Set regulator to X+Y psi. Obviously then open the valve on your stone.
Adjust flow meter to the middle of the gauge. Mark/Remember where it is roughly at.
Wait until the flow rate drops off significantly / completely. Head pressure on the tank should NOT go up by more than 1-2psi (and then only at the very end of the process).
If it is going up any more, you aren't getting a good mist with your stone, trying lowering the flow rate.

I currently run a Milwaukie 102 PH meter that runs to +/- .002, so I typically round to the nearest .05 and call that close enough. .03 would be nothing, but I am seeing more of a .2-.3 swing from what should be happening in theory. I'm just curious as to why, because in theory I should be seeing the calcium additions in the mash help precipitate out more alkalinity and from Maillard reactions in the boil.

I would recommend Standards of Brewing by Charles Bamforth. This is the book he uses in one of his classes at UC Davis, and puts an emphasis on QA/QC, and before he entered into teaching, he was a QA manager in industry. From page 12:
>Quality Control (QC) is a reactive approach. The serious shortcoming of this system is that it can be associated with waste: it is simply not good enough after the event to pick and choose what is and what is not able to go to trade.

>Much more effective is to establish a Quality Assurance (QA) approach in which systems are introduced that ensure that every stage in its production, the product is within specification. The emphasis is one of prevention rather than detection.

If you do pick up the book, here are some corrections that I got when I took the class.

Principles Of Brewing Science

Yeast and also Water, Malt and Hops, a very informative series.

Also Oxford Companion to Beer is a great reference to look up general questions or terms.

I'll 2nd Yeast. Best purchase you can make on this issue.

This is the best book I have read on brewing yeast and fermentation.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brewing-Yeast-Fermentation-Chris-Boulton/dp/1405152680

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/Homebrewers-Almanac-Seasonal-Making-Scratch/dp/1581573499

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We bought one of these off amazon for zesting fresh citrus (usually added in whirlpool in muslin bags): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X9EPT0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It works well, is fast, and leaves all pith behind.

This book is a great resource for brewing lager: https://www.amazon.com/New-Brewing-Lager-Beer-Comprehensive/dp/0937381829

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993

This is a great book on everything water.

This is fairly general but a good start I think
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0937381799/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1396044499&sr=8-2&pi=SL500_QL40

Here's another good book worth reading:

Brewery Operations Manual by Tom Hennessey

Always do a streak plate first to get isolated colonies. Then aseptically transfer 8-10 of the most uniform colonies to 5 mL sterile media, then 50 mL, then 500 mL allowing for 24 hrs of growth in each volume. The exact volume isn't super critical, but increasing each by a factor of 10 is typical.

Highly recommend the Yeast book from Brewing Elements series:
https://www.amazon.com/Yeast-Practical-Fermentation-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381969

Brewing by Lewis and Young.

It's a good book on all the scientific aspects of beer. From malting to fermentation. This was the book I was assigned in my Brewing Science course.

Rocking these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VXTF5Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01

work pretty well, little bulky, but I can plunge into a boil if i need to.

Chincy at best, but this made it through 80 # of oranges without breaking for me: https://www.amazon.com/Starfrit-93209-Rotato-Express-Electric/dp/B000X9EPT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527103476&sr=8-1&keywords=zip+zester

This book should get you started. Some of those questions are questions that are dependent on your situation.

I've never read it, but there is this book.

A quick google search turned up this: https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Management-Essential-Planning-Breweries/dp/1938469151#customerReviews

Is that the book you are referring to?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0937381969/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

New Brewing Lager Beer by Noonan (It's about more than just lagers)

USA!

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Temperature-Controller-Controlling-Fermentation/dp/B07PVBG8K1/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=inkbird+wifi&qid=1558332739&s=gateway&sr=8-3

If you haven't read it already, this is a fantastic book. It will answer just about every yeast question you'll ever have about yeast. I make all my new employees read the whole Brewing Elements series as part of their training here.

This should set you on the right track:

https://www.amazon.com/Wood-Beer-Brewers-Dick-Cantwell/dp/1938469216/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517603568&sr=8-1&keywords=wood+and+beer

Buy this : https://www.amazon.com/Starfrit-93209-Rotato-Express-Electric/dp/B000X9EPT0

​

Buy a few cases of lemons, and never look back. For how cheap this thing is, buy a few extra as a backup.

​

Edit: Also figure out what to do with all the rindless lemons you now have. Lemonade? Shandy? You'll figure it out.

There is zero reason to vent a tank. This comes up every once in a while in this subreddit.

Check out Isobaric Carbonation.

1. Use a carb chart to find the pressure for your temp and desired volumes. Call this "X" psi.
   
   
2. Set tank head pressure to X.
   
   
3. Stick carb stone in a bucket to find cracking pressure that works well, good mist with small bubbles, etc. Call this "Y" psi.
   
   
4. Set up hose from CO2 regulator to a flow meter, then to your carb stone. 0-10LPM works well for a gauge.
   
   http://www.amazon.com/CNBTR-Flowmeter-Acrylic-Fitting-Rotameter/dp/B017YVS2WU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
   
   
   works well.
   
   
5. Set regulator to X+Y psi. Obviously then open the valve on your stone.
   
   
6. Adjust flow meter to the middle of the gauge. Mark/Remember where it is roughly at.
   
   
7. Wait until the flow rate drops off significantly / completely. Head pressure on the tank should NOT go up by more than 1-2psi (and then only at the very end of the process).
   
   If it is going up any more, you aren't getting a good mist with your stone, trying lowering the flow rate.
   
   
8. Your beer is carbed to the volume you wanted in your carb chart in step 1.

This

https://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-MW102-PH-Temperature-Meter/dp/B001DTNDME/ref=sxts_k2p_hero1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2668834182&pd_rd_wg=9CtKr&pf_rd_r=NCR05BC9Z88V201TP5R5&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B001DTNDME&pd_rd_w=7nCR6&pf_rd_i=milwaukee+ph+meter&pd_rd_r=AXE04PGSEQN7Q65JE2K1&ie=UTF8&qid=1478860555&sr=1

The temperature probe means you can measure mash ph without cooling it down, as it will adjust the measurement according to the temperature.

We have a hanna version of this ph meter And it has lived a hard life, and still goes.

I think water (specifically YOUR water) and recipes will play the biggest part. Read this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Water-Comprehensive-Brewers-Brewing-Elements/dp/0937381993

A stout may call for a 5.6 or 5.7 pH where as an IPA will typically be around 5.1 to 5.3 depending on the style. There are general recommendations on how much your pH should fluctuate post mash but there are many many considerations. The pH of a stout will fluctuate differently post boil and after fermentation differently than an IPA would. So many factors. Base, adjuncts, sugars, yeast selection, etc.

It's a question that doesn't have a quick answer.

For an IPA we (WE) shoot for a mash pH range of 5.1 to 5.3.
On avg, post boil we expect it to be .3 lower. This is dependent on gear and boil off rate.
Final beer between 4.0 and 4.3.

Depending on dry hop and hop variety that number may go up or down .2

Those are my numbers.