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Engineering Considerations – Design and Construction of Brewery Quality Labs

Link to author biography
Technical Brewing Projects Director

Chuck joined the Brewers Association staff in 2013 after a long career as a craft brewer. He opened Tennessee’s first brewpub, Boscos, in 1992. As an owner and director of brewery operations for Boscos Brewing Company, he opened additional brewpubs in Memphis, Nashville, and Little Rock, Arkansas. In 2007, Chuck opened and operated Ghost River Brewing in Memphis. He has served as chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Advisors, chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Directors, and was a member of the first Board of Directors for the Brewers Association. In his capacity as technical brewing projects manager, Chuck works with the Technical Committee and the safety, sustainability, quality, draught beer quality, engineering, and supply chain subcommittees to encourage and facilitate best practices in all phases of Brewers Association members' brewery operations.

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The Brewers Association (BA) Engineering Subcommittee recently published their first online resource, Design and Construction of Brewery Quality Labs. The resource provides basic guidelines addressing material, site, lay out and equipment selection to consider when designing and constructing a laboratory for a new or existing brewery.

Design and Construction of Brewery Quality Labs first leads brewers through an exhaustive list of general design considerations necessary for successful project planning.

Materials for construction of common items:

  • Flooring
  • Cabinets
  • counter tops.

Readers will find a discussion of utilities leads them towards the completion of a successful design and construction plans and includes:

  • power
  • plumbing (including drains)
  • HVAC
  • ventilation
  • fire protection
  • compressed gas, leads the reader towards the completion of a successful design and construction plan.

Upcoming Engineering Topics to be Addressed

The BA Engineering Subcommittee was formed in late 2016. Chair Brandon Smith of Sierra Nevada Brewing and co-chair Kent Taylor of Blackstone Brewing led the new group through an exhaustive process of identifying engineering topics that would be both valuable and relevant to BA member breweries. Using input from BA Forum surveys and in person interviews, the Engineering Subcommittee identified ten topics that will be addressed in the coming months.

The new resources will include fittings and piping, floor covering systems, steam boilers (including water treatment), CO2 systems, liquid chilling and cooling systems, wort coolers and aeration systems, Laboratory, beer clarification systems (filters, centrifugal separators, finings & etc.) and yeast handling systems.

Link to author biography
Technical Brewing Projects Director

Chuck joined the Brewers Association staff in 2013 after a long career as a craft brewer. He opened Tennessee’s first brewpub, Boscos, in 1992. As an owner and director of brewery operations for Boscos Brewing Company, he opened additional brewpubs in Memphis, Nashville, and Little Rock, Arkansas. In 2007, Chuck opened and operated Ghost River Brewing in Memphis. He has served as chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Advisors, chair of the Association of Brewers Board of Directors, and was a member of the first Board of Directors for the Brewers Association. In his capacity as technical brewing projects manager, Chuck works with the Technical Committee and the safety, sustainability, quality, draught beer quality, engineering, and supply chain subcommittees to encourage and facilitate best practices in all phases of Brewers Association members' brewery operations.

See Chuck Skypeck's Articles