National Homebrew Club Ireland

General Discussions => Introductions => Topic started by: CraftBrewLabs on March 28, 2018, 11:38:01 AM

Title: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CraftBrewLabs on March 28, 2018, 11:38:01 AM
Hi Folks,
I am part of a small team of scientists establishing a start-up lab for beer testing in Dublin. We're intending to be accessible to both the micro-breweries and home brewers alike. I've constructed short surveys for both markets to help asses their needs. We've had great traction with the breweries so far, but it's been a little more difficult to reach out to home-brewers. We don't want to be spamming private individuals, after all. 

I was hoping some of you might be interested in giving us your opinions on beer and water analysis so that we'll be able to continue to include home-brewers in our future plans. Here's the link to the survey it only takes 4-6 minutes: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6W5FSQZ

If you have any questions after you do the survey, hit me up here and I'll do my best to answer.
If this is the wrong thread for this
just let me know and I'll delete and shift it.

Cheers guys
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: BrewDorg on March 28, 2018, 11:54:17 AM
Done!
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CraftBrewLabs on March 28, 2018, 12:55:04 PM
Thanks for the responses so far guys. It'll be a great help.

I had suspected that water would be of more interest to you folk than to the breweries, many of whom are adjusting their water before brewing. The water tests we will be offering are Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sulphates, Zinc, Bicarbonate, Chloride, Chlorine and probably PH, Conductivity, Total dissolved solids and salinity. We will also add micro but may not initially have space for the apparatus. But we also hope to link in with another larger water lab who we can contract other water needs to for our customers, so that we can be a "one stop shop" for your samples.

Just to give a bit of feedback re: the pricing. We understand that you don't want to pay more than the brew batch price to test quality, and we wouldn't expect that homebrewers would want to test every beer batch, but their are significant costs to testing. Independent of staff wages and overheads there is a fixed per/test reagent cost that is unavoidable.
We'll take all these responses in to account and hopefully find the sweet spot.
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CraftBrewLabs on March 28, 2018, 08:54:59 PM
If you're interested in keeping up to date with our set-up and testing you can follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/craftbrewlabsireland/

or like the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CraftBrewLabsIreland/

Cheers!
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: pob on March 28, 2018, 11:00:03 PM
Done
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: Shanna on April 08, 2018, 11:26:31 PM
Done
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CraftBrewLabs on June 26, 2018, 03:53:05 PM
Thanks for all your suggestions and opinions folks. Our lab will be up and running in Churchtown Dublin in about one month.
We'll be running up to 25 different tests on beer, wort, water and yeast. Our team has over 42 years combined lab experience with 38 years of it in brewery labs.

Keep up to date with the set up and shenanigans on our facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraftBrewLabsIreland/

or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craftbrewlabsireland/
Title: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CH on June 26, 2018, 04:27:30 PM
What sort of ball park money would you be looking at for water analysis for homebrewers, I know Commercial lads are a different animal?
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: DEMPSEY on June 26, 2018, 06:02:01 PM
I would imagine that hop IBU's accurately measured for commercial brewers would allow them to confirm the perceived numbers as the hops are just plain wrong.
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: aweisse on June 26, 2018, 06:48:33 PM
done
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CraftBrewLabs on June 26, 2018, 07:47:29 PM
Quote from: CH on June 26, 2018, 04:27:30 PM
What sort of ball park money would you be looking at for water analysis for homebrewers, I know Commercial lads are a different animal?

Hi CH, We'll be offering 9 parameters for water; Presence of coliforms, chlorine, chloride, bicarbonate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sulphate, and zinc.

Prices are not set in stone yet but individually each water tests will be between 8-14. We'll allow them to be selected individually or batched for a significant saving. Ballpark for full set tests will probably fall between 60-80 depending on how workflow shapes up.
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CH on June 26, 2018, 08:59:34 PM
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: CraftBrewLabs on July 26, 2018, 08:54:02 PM
Hi Folks, Many of you had asked about water testing. We have now got some of our equipment up and running for water testing- not all tests but enough to be getting on with. So lets get on with it!

We are running a very limited offer of 6 water tests for €48 (including VAT). The tests included are Bicarbonate, Sulphate, Calcium, Chloride, Magnesium and Potassium. We will have further test coming online in a few weeks (zinc , chlorine, total hardness) but that is the extent of our water tests for now. This offer is only valid for samples that arrive by Wednesday of next week ( Wednesday 8th of August).

Suitable sample containers can be picked up from any chemist for about €1, filled with approx 20-30mls of water, wrapped in cling film, popped in a plastic bag & bubble wrap envelope and send to us through An Post for €3.60 (provided you don't over fill your container!)

For more information email us at brewlabsireland@gmail.com
Title: Re: Start-up Dublin based Beer analysis lab interested in homebrewers opinions
Post by: frlinux on July 30, 2018, 04:56:39 PM
Quote from: CraftBrewLabs on March 28, 2018, 11:38:01 AM
Hi Folks,
I am part of a small team of scientists establishing a start-up lab for beer testing in Dublin. We're intending to be accessible to both the micro-breweries and home brewers alike. I've constructed short surveys for both markets to help asses their needs. We've had great traction with the breweries so far, but it's been a little more difficult to reach out to home-brewers. We don't want to be spamming private individuals, after all. 

I was hoping some of you might be interested in giving us your opinions on beer and water analysis so that we'll be able to continue to include home-brewers in our future plans. Here's the link to the survey it only takes 4-6 minutes: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6W5FSQZ

If you have any questions after you do the survey, hit me up here and I'll do my best to answer.
If this is the wrong thread for this
just let me know and I'll delete and shift it.

Cheers guys

Responded to the survey, this sounds like fun. A quick note that on the rating on 1 to 5, i assume 1 means least likely and 5 most likely, I would still call this out for clarity.