Brewers Association Defines "Quality Beer"

You are stating what is already widely known, brother. It sounds like you are essentially giving FB and the others a free pass. I'm not trying to say we shouldn't give them some leeway due to all the points you brought up, however, I have no problem with certain bodies trying to police the industry. If we tolerate inconsistency, it will only continue. People should be outraged that they spent $30 on an infected bomber, while others attempt to justify it by saying, "Oh well, that's just how barrel aging goes sometimes." I call BS! That type of thinking simply isn't good for the future of the industry.

 

I'm just pointing out that doing all of the things required to be on the consistency level of Budweiser is not that easy. Brewing beer at the craft level is just that, a craft. This is a bit of hyperbole, but no one expects perfect consistency from their local farmer's market.

I'm not saying that infected $30 bombers are ok, but I'm only going to give a brewery so many of those before I won't buy their products again. The simple truth is that that is how barrel aging goes, it's not a predictable process and there are lots of variables that can affect it. How many 'passses' a brewer gets greatly depends on their track record, one infected bomber out of 50 definitely does get a pass, 5 out of 6 most certainly does not. The line is somewhere in between those extremes, and is not a hard and fast rule, no more than the level of success or consistency is hard and fast.

 

I hope this is just the beginning of a longer strategy, because there are a number of concerns:
- like others have mentioned...pretty darn vague definition
- mentions nothing about the business aspects of a brewery (similar to B-Corp stuff, but not as ridiculous)
- does not take into account post-brewery aspects of the industry (distribution, storage, serving, etc)
- does not address "live" beers, as it were, and how they change in various directions
- and infections, either from leaking caps or poor tap lines---does this affect the "quality" standard?

 

Talking to a brewer in a place full of barrels, he quoted a reject rate from tasting barrels that was high, but that is what it takes.

 

"...one infected bomber out of 50 definitely does get a pass." Please tell that to the individual who wasted $30 hard earned dollars on a drain pour. If you are OK with that type failure rate, then I have a very nice 1977 Ford Pinto I would like you to consider purchasing.

If a brewery is releasing infected BA beer, then that's telling me there are clearly no QC checks in place at all, and it seems as though their only concern is turning a profit. I find it hard to believe that any brewery is not taste testing every barrel they send to the production line, especially considering the profit they will make off of that barrel and the potential for being slandered within the 'oh so quick' to judge craft beer community.

All I'm saying is that instead of shitting on AB, maybe we can actually learn something from them. Just my $0.02...

 

Jeff, would you know as a percentage how many of the barrel aged beers are rejects? What do they do with the rejected beer?

Cheers!

 

I disagree with this, and will cite as evidence Floyd d'Rue. Known infected batch, released to the public anyway with stickers suggesting a "drink by date". Even prior to that date, if stored warm, the beer was infected. However, if stored cold, even 6 months after that date (which I can attest to personally) the infection was unnoticeable and the beer was fantastic.

The care required to drink quality, rather undrinkable, beer notwithstanding, the bottles did not show any sign of infection until after their release to the public; keep in mind that beer is a living thing, and what you drink when you open a bottle, and what the brewery had to perform QC on, are not always the same thing.

Lastly, I see nothing wrong with both learning from AND shitting on AB, as they deserve both.

 

Fair enough. Good debate.

 

Once standards are set, a brewery can become BA 9001 certified!

 

And, those of us who have to deal with ISO 9001 certification and audits know how incredibly useful this is!