Microbiology

Opportunities for microbiological contaminants to enter the brewing process are available at all stages, and, despite improvements in brewhouse design and implementation of quality control programs, we will never be free from the threat of product spoilage. However, brewers have an increasingly wide range of tools for detection and identification of microbes available to them, and it is possible to implement very effective methods to minimize risk even with limited resources. This chapter details the traditional and rapid methods commonly employed for analysis of raw materials and samples taken throughout the brewing process and dispensing that define the target microbes and the most appropriate detection methods at each stage.