4th Annual Big QC Day

* 2010 results are posted below. The level of bacteria-free beer remained the same as the previous year.
* Click here for regional results on selected tests for 2010. 
* Find a sample beer analysis report here
* Other results: 2009, 2008, 2007

Big QC Day can help you ...

How does your beer compare with others around the nation?
Have you ever had the chance to see how your in-house testing compares to an independent laboratory?
Do you have an effective cleaning program?
How close is your beer to its intended style?

If you’ve ever wanted to know the answer to these questions, now is your chance. By participating in White Lab’s 4th Annual Big QC day you will have a better understanding of the state of your beer. We all love our beer and the best way to show your love is to send your beer in for a check-up! Our Fourth Annual Big QC Day provides you with an enormous savings by offering a bundle of testing services (over $500 value) on two of your beers for only $129! You’ll get test results for such parameters as Diacetyl and IBU’s, as well as alcohol, calories, color, real and apparent attenuation, and microbiological contaminants and you’ll be able to compare your results to the results of craft beers from around the world!

This year we’ve added the Spec Awards! This is a competition to determine how well you know your beer. A medal will be awarded to the brewer whose beer specifications best match the actual outcome from our tests! (Contest Optional).

Don’t be left out! We take care of all the hard work for you. You’ll get a complete kit with all the information you need to collect samples and send them back to us for testing-Shipping Included! (Domestic Customers)

Confidentiality: Brewery names and individual results are confidential. They will not be shared with anyone. White Labs does break down the overall results by test and region for publication on its website and elsewhere.

Additional Background

Big QC Day is entering its fourth year. For the past three years, participating breweries have submitted two beers each (or more, depending on how many tests they ordered) for a variety of tests described below. The tests, which have involved about 10 percent of craft breweries, have provided a picture of the state of craft beer in general. Each year, the percentage of contaminated beer has dropped, among other results.

Big QC Day 2010 involves the following tests, among others: microbiological analysis overall, microbiological analysis by test, aerobic bacteria, alcohol, anaerobic bacteria, calories, color, density, IBUs, real extract, total VDK, wild yeast, pH, apparent attenuation, real attenuation. Some of these tests were also broken down by region. Links to these regional results can be found here, or follow the links under the applicable tests.

Below are the 2010 Results

Below: Microbiological testing overall

Regional micro overall

Microbiological testing overall: The above graphic shows the percentage of beers tested that had any level of bacteria contamination. The tests showed that 89 percent of the beers were bacteria-free, the same percentage as the 3rd annual tests. The totals were 84 percent in the 2nd Annual Big QC Day and 80 percent in the 1st Annual Big QC Day. 

Below: Microbiological testing overall - by test

Regional micro overall by test

Below: Aerobic bacteria

Aerobic bacteria: This test was used with Wallersteins Differential, or WLD, medium. This medium is used to check for bacteria and some non Saccharommyces-type wild yeast. Most aerobic bacteria will grow on these plates, and some anaerobic bacteria also display growth. Bacterial contamination seen on these plates is termed “wort bacteria” because they are most often associated with wort contamination, usually causing most of their damage before the onset of fermentation. As for the numbers, the same applies to aerobic bacteria as in the paragraph above about lactic acid bacteria, or anaerobic bacteria. Sometimes aerobic bacteria are already dead by the time this test is performed, after fermentation and packaging, but they could have contributed to off flavors. Positive aerobic bacteria results can be from sample collection, follow up tests are usually done to confirm contamination of product.

Below: Alcohol  

Regional alcohol results

Alcohol: We use an Anton Paar Density Meter DMA 4500 and Alcolyzer Plus. Results are reported as percent vol/vol. 

Below: Lactic acid bacteria (or anaerobic bacteria) 

Anaerobic bacteria: This test was conducted using Hsu’s Lactobacillus medium, or HLP. This medium is used to look for the presence of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. These bacteria are anaerobic, heat sensitive bacteria. They are called “beer spoilers” because they are most often associated with post wort production contamination. The industry standard is less than 10 colony forming units (CFUs) per ml. If it is over 10, the beer may develop flavor problems. However, any CFU’s found from this test should cause concern and an evaluation of your brewing and packaging process.

Below: Calories

Regional Calorie test results

Calories: Calories are calculated from the data and reported as kcal per 12 oz serving of beer.

Below: Color

Color: A spectrophotometer is used to measure the absorbance of a sample at a certain wavelength. The sample is separated from solids, and the absorbance at a wavelength 430 nm is measured. The number will show how light or dark the beer is. It can vary between 2 Lovibond to 100 Lovibond. A stout obviously would be high because it is dark.

Below: Density

Density: This is the specific gravity of the beer. Values depend on styles. We use an Anton Parr Density Meter DMA 4500 for this test, which gives us a high degree of accuracy.

Below: IBUs

Regional IBU testing results

IBUs: The IBU scale provides a measure of the hop derived bitterness of beer. The higher number, the greater the bitterness. Porters range between 20 to 40, for instance, while India Pale Ales are 40 or higher.

The American Society of Brewing Chemists International Method, bitterness units, is used. Iso-alpha acids are chemically extracted using the organic solvent iso-octane. The ultraviolet light absorbance is measured in a precision spectrophotometer, and the results are reported in bitterness units. 

Below: Real Extract

Real Extract: This test shows you the sugars that are left in beer, usually non-fermentable carbohydrates. Real extract involves accounting for the alcohol, which we were able to do since we measured alcohol in the samples. Alcohol has less density than water, so if you measure straight density it does not account for the subtraction of alcohol. Results are reported in degrees Plato.

Below: Total VDK (including diacetyl)

Total VDK (including diacetyl): Results reported in ppb. VDK is measured on our Perkin Elmer Clarus 500 Gas Chromatograph and Headspace Sampler. VDK (vicinal diketones) consists of diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione. The test includes heating the sample, which drives diacetyl precurses to diacetyl. The lower the number the better, in most cases. If you are under 100 ppb you are doing well. The numbers vary depending on the yeast strain and fermentation procedure. If the number is high, perhaps in the 200 range, the brewery may not be performing an adequate diacetyl rest. Or again, it could be the yeast strain. Examples of strains with higher VDKs are the British strains and some lagers. Very high VDK levels can be an indication of contamination. Additional tests can be performed that can separate diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione levels.

Below: Wild yeast

Wild yeast: This test was conducted using Lin’s Cupric Sulfate, or LCSM. This medium uses cupric sulfate to inhibit the growth of brewers yeast. This medium ensures no contamination of non-Saccharomyces wild yeast. Again, the information concerning numbers is the same for wild yeast as the contaminants listed above under anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. In other words, under 10 meets the industry standard, 10 or more indicates problems. Typical off flavors produced by wild yeast would be phenolic and band-aid flavors.

Below: pH

pH: The pH of beer is an important indicator of quality and consistency. A high pH can result in flavor problems and make the beer more prone to contamination. We use a pH probe to measure the pH of each beer. Typical pH values are 4.2 to 4.6.

Below: Apparent Attenuation

Apparent attenuation: Attenuation is expressed as a percentage of the difference between the original and final gravities of the beer. Apparent attenuation is before accounting for ethanol, which has less density than water.  Attenuation will vary by beer and yeast strain, typical ranges for apparent attenuation are 65-90%. We include apparent attenuation and apparent extract in your results so you can compare in house brewery data.

Below: Real attenuation

Real attenuation: Attenuation is expressed as a percentage of the difference between the original and final gravities of the beer. Real attenuation accounts for ethanol, which has less density than water.  Attenuation will vary by beer and yeast strain, typical ranges for real attenuation are 65-80%.