Breweries doing sensory testing

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by mrmattosgood, Mar 10, 2016.

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  1. mrmattosgood

    mrmattosgood Maven (1,301) Nov 6, 2010 Canada (BC)

    I assume that many of the major breweries do sensory training and education, as well as tasting for quality control purposes. I'm not talking about the head brewer and maybe an assistant sipping something from the fermentation tanks; I'm talking about a team of specialists looking for off-flavors before a batch gets shipped out to the masses.

    Dogfish Head does this and I think I remember hearing the same about Stone on their tour, but that was long ago. Can anyone point me in the direction of breweries that do this?
     
    #1 mrmattosgood, Mar 10, 2016
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  2. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    Sierra Nevada and Bell's, know this from tours. Any mid sized or above brewery would be doing this, in a structured procedure.
     
    #2 hopfenunmaltz, Mar 10, 2016
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  3. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    You've already named the two I'm aware of that specifically utilize a panel of quality control tasters under relatively controlled conditions to help eliminate biases. Most of the rest I've heard of use their own brewers, etc. for such purposes. As for training and education I've only heard of that being done by other organizations for focused puruposes, e.g., training beer judges.
     
    #3 drtth, Mar 10, 2016
  4. HokiesandBeer

    HokiesandBeer Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2013 Pennsylvania

    Victory does as well.
     
    #4 HokiesandBeer, Mar 10, 2016
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  5. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    The larger breweries will screen tasters using spiked ampules to determine the tasters thresholds. Then they make sure that someone with a good sensitivity to certain compounds is on a panel. The best palates may include people in the office, or in packaging, for example.
     
    #5 hopfenunmaltz, Mar 10, 2016
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  6. emount91

    emount91 Initiate (0) Aug 28, 2015 Connecticut

    as for as CT goes: i've seen pictures of New England Brewing's sensory testing as well as 2Roads. not sure how often they do it though.
     
    #6 emount91, Mar 10, 2016
  7. MattOC

    MattOC Pooh-Bah (2,100) Jan 13, 2013 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Allagash does it.
     
    #7 MattOC, Mar 10, 2016
  8. printsandpints

    printsandpints Aspirant (287) Jan 26, 2010 Massachusetts

    Harpoon has a QC lab with a team dedicated to keeping tabs on each batch of beer.
     
    #8 printsandpints, Mar 10, 2016
  9. mrmattosgood

    mrmattosgood Maven (1,301) Nov 6, 2010 Canada (BC)

    Thanks! Responses have been great. I'm fascinated by people's palates. You could blindfold me, hand me a potato, and I'd eat it and guess apple.

    (This is speculative)
     
    #9 mrmattosgood, Mar 10, 2016
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