Whether you run a local microbrewery or produce craft beer for special events, it’s not uncommon to want to expand your reach while perfecting your product. In this regard, one of the first areas we want to improve is the brewing process.
Streamlining the brewing process will improve production efficiency and help you meet the growing demand for your products. As a small brewer, modern solutions give you control over many aspects of your business, from product quality to production costs to customer relationships.
If growing your small brewing business fast is close to your top priority, keep scrolling. Here are some smart tips you can borrow to ensure a streamlined brewing process.
5 smart ways to streamline your brewing process
1. Comprehensive understanding of brewing processes and methods
In entrepreneurship, having a thorough understanding of your business is arguably one of the best ways to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Brewing beer is an art form that requires different techniques, tools, and processes to achieve the best results. One of the best things you can do to optimize your brewing process is to develop a better understanding of the various components involved.
Beyond the flowchart process, explore more about hop types, yeast types, water profiles, different beer chemistry levels, etc. Learn about different fermentation temperatures and timelines, as well as wort collection strategies .
With this knowledge in mind, it’s easier to spot problems and areas that need improvement later before they become big problems in production.
2. Schedule a systematic extraction cycle to maximize efficiency
A disciplined and timed brewing cycle helps maximize brewing efficiency. Proper planning of process steps can save effort and time while ensuring consistency in each batch.
Establishing an orderly structure also helps identify areas that need fine-tuning, especially water quality, grain selection, and mashing temperatures.
By measuring each step in relation to the overall recipe as a small brewer, you can recreate great beers time and time again without wasting resources. try new recipes for any production cycle.
3. Improve cleaning and hygiene strategies for better results
Having a solid cleaning and hygiene strategy is essential to effective brewing. Poorly cleaned surfaces can contaminate the beer and compromise its quality, flavor and taste profile. This requires thorough cleaning of tanks, lines, bottling machines, sinks and other equipment used during the process.
Along this line, it is beneficial to ensure that proper cleaning and sanitation solutions such as PBW (powdered brewery cleaning agents) and sanitizers are utilized. Using steam cleaning technology prevents debris from accumulating and reducing productivity and spoiling the flavor of your beer.
4. Consider automation to streamline time-consuming tasks
Automation has taken the world by storm in the last few years, and the brewing industry is no exception. At the very least, it helps reduce manual work, reduce costs, save time, and minimize errors. Fortunately, there are many ways to incorporate automation into the brewing industry.
For example, with Ollie’s industry-leading software, Streamline your brewing process You can use a lot of functions in one platform. These modern tools let you track everything from production control to raw materials, inventory, order fulfillment and more.
You can also benefit from preset timer controls to initiate tasks at specific times, automatic temperature control systems to monitor tanks during fermentation, or robotic sensory analysis systems to measure batch consistency.
Depending on your needs and budget, incorporating such elements into the beer making process will make the process simpler and more efficient, increasing yields and ROI over time at a fraction of the overall cost. improve.
5. Quality monitoring through data analysis
Needless to say, data analytics can be a great tool for microbrewers. This gives us more insight into how beer quality is performing in the market, while also giving us the opportunity to quickly detect and address issues before they become complex.
With this in mind, consider tracking key information from individual batches such as mash temperature and wort gravity target, or the accuracy of carbonation levels and filling quantities at the packaging stage. Over time, it helps identify areas that need adjustment or improvement to ensure superior product quality.
Additionally, there is value in collecting feedback from consumers while using data analytics to track and monitor KPIs. This will give you insight into how to tailor your beer to specific demographics, generate personalized beer flavors, and make other smart decisions that benefit the brewery as a whole. can.
As unique and exciting as the (craft) brewing industry is, it doesn’t come with its fair share of challenges. For most craft brewers just starting out, one of these challenges is meeting consumer demand while ensuring great quality without breaking the bank.
However, with a few sage tips above in mind, you can make your brewery’s chances of success in an increasingly competitive industry a little easier.
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author: Claire Ward
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