The most overlooked department in the brewery, but arguably the most important, is Quality Control. In the entire process from brewing to packaging, the closest quality control should be devoted to the product.

Quality cannot be "tested" into any product, as it is the plant workers themselves who have any real "control" over quality. This being the case, the department should actually be called "Quality Assurance".

Quality assurance itself depends on how the brewery is run. For the brewery workers to produce a product with the highest possible quality, the following requirements are essential:

1. A loyal and conscientious work force.

2. Adequate, but not overbearing, supervision by competent and well motivated chargehands.

3. Qualified and experienced technical management.

4. Top management backing of a "quality first" policy.

5. A well maintained plant.

6. Adequate capacity for peak demand.

7. Good plant sanitation and housekeeping.

8. Adequate time allowed for clean-up and maintenance.

9. Minimum inventories.

10. Minimum time between packaging and consumption.

11. Adequate laboratory services.

12. Good feedback from the market.

13. A good relationship with reputable suppliers.

The brewmaster and his assistants are constantly testing the raw materials. Constant tasting of fermenter, primary and secondary beers for minute flavour discrepancies, plus constant and painstakingly attentive final product sampling, presents a formidable guard against product variation.

Behind the brewer, the laboratory is constantly working. Raw material analysis, coupled with product analysis, with complete bacteriological control of both the product and the equipment, further aid in maintaining a consistently uniform high quality product. Still further, workers are constantly testing new materials and procedures, developing new methods and perfecting those in use.

To summarise then, Quality Assurance's role is to:

Sample / Inspect / Analyse / Taste / Assess / Report / Advise / Record

_______________All of these______________

Incoming materials / In-process product / Finished product / Finished package

The benefits of a well run Quality Assurance Department, as well as a well-informed and dedicated work force include, but are not limited to:

1. A uniform, consistent product to the trade.

2. A minimum of down time due to defective packaging materials.

3. Fewer product complaints from the trade.

4. An actual reduction in sampling and testing when the overall level of quality is improved.

5. Significant cost savings in many phases of the brewing operation.

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