Lab in a Fishbowl
Organized by ASBC
Saturday, August 13th • 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pre-registration is required
Are your cell counts being determined correctly or are you using the correct technique for microbiological plating? Do you have difficultly interpreting the results you receive from these two methodologies? If you've asked yourself these questions before, then this Lab in a Fishbowl workshop is for you! Enhance your testing knowledge through expert-led discussions, and strengthen your skills set with hands-on lab work. You'll be guided through the entire methods and processes that are necessary for your success.
TOPIC 1: Cell Counting
- Controls fermentation
- Indicates yeast health before, during, and after fermentation (harvest yeast)
- ASBC developed and wrote the method on cell counting for brewers
- Viability is key to understanding how much yeast you have that is alive and available for use
- Correct pitching is a cornerstone of healthy fermentation and making beer with the desired flavor profile
Fermentation control is fundamental to brewing at any scale. Yeast health and concentration have a profound impact on fermentation performance and flavor profile. This portion of the workshop is designed to provide an in-depth explanation and “hands on" demonstration of the simple and low-cost American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) method used to determine cell count and viability with a microscope, hemocytometer, and commercially available dyes.
TOPIC 2: Contamination Detection and Microbiological Plating in a Brewery
- Options for plating including types of media and costs
- Explore how a plating program can be tailored to each brewer's needs
- We plan to cover everything from HLP basic media to selective media that is used for spread plating as well as streaking for isolation and of course aseptic technique. We will also offer an overview of newer technologies such as q-PCR, nanopore sequencing, invisible sentinel, etc.
- Participants will be able to do their own plating as well as work with ASBC experts to identify organisms under the microscope as all activities will be hands on
Hygiene in a brewery is everything and validating cleanliness is a crucial step in ensuring beer quality. This portion will be comprised of an overview and hands on training of traditional microbiological plating techniques (e.g., streak plates, spread plates) as well as specific media designed for wild yeast and bacterial contamination detection. We will also provide an overview of newer technology available to brewers for detection and identification of beer spoiling organisms (PCR, Nanopore sequencing, Invisible sentinel, etc.).