How a small science lab gets big results for Ontario craft brewers
Let’s play a game. I say: “Beer.” You say: ”Cold.” “Delicious.” “Friday.” Or, maybe, “Hangover.” Totally acceptable answers. When I play the game with Louis Savard of River Labs, he has different answers. “Quality assurance.” “Test tube.” “Wastewater management.” And “Spectrophotometer.”
Louis is the Program Leader at Cornwall’s River Labs, a division of our beloved not-for-profit River Institute (RI). While most people in town are familiar with the work of the RI, they may not be aware of their commercial offshoot that offers technical services, environmental monitoring, applied research and…wait for it… Brewery Services.
A diehard beer lover and homebrewer, Louis came up with the idea for the brewery services divisions four years ago.
Louis Savard, Program Leader of Cornwall’s River Labs
All photos: Ang Waterton/Moment.us Photography
“It all started when I wanted to test my own beer,” says Louis. “Then I got to wondering: Could I offer this service to other small breweries in Ontario?”
The answer was decisive: yes. River Labs has since been certified by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation and the American Society of Beer Chemists. By collaborating with the Ontario Craft Brewers organization and building a team of four technicians, Louis has developed the Brewery Services division into a full-fledged operation.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
The space where all the magic happens is full of cool paraphernalia like test tubes and machines that would, as I imagine it, fit right in at a Ghostbusters lab. “That Funke Gerber Fermento Flash machine is worth about ten thousand dollars,” Louis says of the apparatus that “measures alcohol, extract and density, and also determines wort, apparent extract, and osmotic pressure” according to the manufacturer’s website. (Full disclosure: I’m not 100% sure what that means, but I’m guessing it’s essential for making tasty beer.)
And yet, there’s a less sterile feel to it thanks to the two old, white beer fridges that look like they belong in a basement or like the fridge that your grandma gave you when you went to college. I wasn’t allowed to take a picture of the inside of the fridge—the contents are, apparently, top secret.
The famous Funke Gerber Fermento Flash machine.
CRAFTING BEER FOR THE MARKET
Brewers need River Labs’ services because the outfit ensures the beer is up to permissible standards. This is a critical step in getting their product to market.
“Brewers have a pretty good idea of what goes into their beers,” says Louis. “But the LCBO has a strict process before beers can make it into the store. The margin of error is less than one percent for certain things. We can make sure the product is within those margins.”
Because the LCBO represents one of the fastest-growing retail segments when it comes to beer—with a rate of 20 to 30 percent per year—it’s essential that breweries position themselves for success right off the hop.
“There’s been huge growth in craft beer!” says Dr. Dirk Bendiak, the technical advisor to Ontario Craft Brewers.
Craft beer in Ontario now represents approximately 8 to 10% of beer in provincial liquor and beer stores, and up to a whopping 20% in some of the grocery chains.
RiverLabs is equipped to test almost anything beer related, including most things you see on cans of beer. Things like alcohol by volume, or ABV? They can test for that. International bitter units, or IBU? Check. Shelf Life Analysis? You betcha. Chill haze? No problem. Beyond the basics, River Labs take beer on a journey to the edges of scientific and microbiological testing. They are equipped to help breweries fight the good fight against Lactobacillus(!) Pediococcus(!) and Wild Yeast(!), all spoiling organisms that make beer bad.
THE WATER SOLUTION
As if all the testing and support to breweries weren’t enough, River Labs also works to improve water quality— for H20 going into the beer and H20 coming out of the beer-making process.
“Good water makes good beer” is a favourite tagline of River Labs and if you attended the River Institutes’ most recent Science and Nature on Tap speaker series event, you would have heard Louis talk all about it. The lab offers water analysis for the many things that can impact final flavour, including nitrates and sulfates; metals such as magnesium and manganese; and water hardness.
Louis places equal importance on the wastewater produced from the beer-making process. Making barley pop is a water-intensive process.
Breweries can produce as much as 12 litres of wastewater per litre of beer. “It’s not sexy and it’s not fun, but 70% of a brewer’s job is cleaning,” explains Dr. Dirk. This means that most water leaving a brewery isn’t in a bottle or a can but most likely exiting through a sewer. RiverLabs works with breweries to ensure that water entering the sewer system is the best possible product by identifying and reducing wastewater pollutants like phosphorus, nitrogen and suspended solids.
MAKING HOUSE CALLS
For the more intrepid brew houses in the province, River Labs can help brewers set up on-site labs, offer training to employees, and establish a proper quality assurance and control program.
“A lot of people don’t understand the risks associated with getting into bigger operations,” Dr. Dirk says. “People like Louis are instrumental in ensuring brewers have the skillset to test products effectively or, to take testing off their hand.”
“What we hear from the brewers is ‘We want to do this but we can’t.’ So we provide critical consulting experience,” Louis explains.
Today, this hometown lab works with more than 40 Ontario craft breweries (which represents about 15% of the craft brewers in Ontario) including local faves Beau’s, Cassel Brewery, Tuque de Broue and the new kid on the block, Ingleside’s Humble Beginnings Brewing Co. Next time you pour yourself a Lugtread (Beau’s) or a Fourth and Oak Oatmeal Stout (Humble Beginnings), raise your glass to RiverLabs who made it all possible.
“River Labs has been a great partner from day one, and are very responsive to the needs of craft breweries. It’s a relationship that helps us reach our goal of providing great craft beer to SDG and beyond.”
—Pierre Doucette, Co-Owner, Humble Beginnings Brewing Co., Ingleside
“On-site training, practical assistance and ongoing mentoring helped us build an internal lab at Split Rail and we are deeply appreciative of guidance and support from River Labs.”
—ANDREA SMITH, CO-FOUNDER SPLIT RAIL BREWING COMPANY, GORE BAY
“After working with Louis and his team at River Labs we’ve been able to establish our quality control lab and keep our quality on point.”
—Mario Bourgeois, Founder, Cassel Brewery, Casselman
“Having a lab check for beer spoilage organisms is important for small breweries like ours.”
—Mark Campbell, QA & QC Officer, Lake of Bays Brewing Co., Baysville
