Ontario District - MBAC Annual
One Day Technical Conference
January 23, 2004
Wyndam Bristol Place, Toronto
PROGRAM

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Technical Session Program Notes

1st Presenter
Chad Wingrave, Stantec Consulting Inc.
Safety Requirements for the Brewery Packaging Operation

This was a topical presentation with focus on assessing and designing safety around operating equipment, which also considered current changes in liability for breweries and recent changes in Legislation. A good review of "perceptions" versus "reality" with respect to what is considered "safe" - and discussion of how to inspect and to audit installations. What is a Pre-Start-Up Review and what can be gained from it; options include In-House and Consultants; How to ensure that there are gains for all involved.
Efforts on safety often receive extra attention due to legislation but should really always be there as a foundation of a good business.

2nd Presenter
Thomas Kraus-Weyermann, Weyermann Specialty Malts
Specialty Malts - Production and Their Efforts on Different Beer Styles

There are a number of options available to produce specialty malts and this presentation went through an overview of different malts from the barley through to the effects on beer brought about by the various types of malt. Appearance, Foam, Flavour and other physical attributes can all be positively affected by good specialty malts. Current changes in the malting and brewing industries have also affected what options are available. New products are steadily coming to market including malts and malt-derived options such as liquid colouring derived from specially treated dark malts. There are more options available to brewers than ever before.

3rd Presenter
Peter Toombs, Diversified Metal Engineering Ltd.
DME/Steinecker Innovation : The Abita Brewing Company

This was an interesting review of a partnership formed to provide high quality engineering and equipment at an effective price and in a quick timeframe. The focus was on the challenges involved in upgrading an existing craft brewery volume - while improving quality, efficiency, productivity and reliability - all at a responsible cost. Challenges in working together successfully and in meeting the needs of all parties involved were discussed; including product matching. With innovative solutions everyone can win.

4th Presenter
Bill Andrews, Molson Breweries
Quality Auditing The Brewery : An Integrated Approach

A good review of the evolution of brewery quality auditing from the days of relatively infrequent audits by national office personnel (with little at the local brewery level); through levels of change often inspired by the transition to certain volumes of "licensed brand" production; a phase when many considered the concepts of ISO (which ended up not always being the preferred option); and the development of a methodical structure to audit the brewing process from the suppliers through the process and on to the retail level. The evolution in auditing goes hand-in-hand with the continuous improvement of the brewing process and a good level of details and practical examples were presented.

5th Presenter
Richard Munro, Fermentis
Practical Applications of Dry Brewing Yeasts

There is a Lot that has changed in the world of dry yeast - it was not too long ago that many professional brewers viewed dry brewers yeast as, well, less than optimal. Gone are the late 1980's, and through into the 21st century and now most professional brewers would be amiss to not be aware of the options available to them. Large international brewers are regularly and reliably working with dry yeasts. What's changed ? Improvements were apparently driven by the baking industries who were looking for better performance consistency and reliability and these gains have overflowed into brewing. Dry yeast is now clean and reliable and the variety of strains available is very intriguing. Dry yeast is not the answer to every need but whether a brewer is a large international, a regional or a craft brewer, there is now likely a dry yeast available for certain applications.

6th Presenter
Nina Goodrich, Amcorp Specialty Packaging
Beer in PET : Where Are We Now ?

Let's face it - as brewers, we were not too impressed with beer in plastic last time we looked. But the past 5 years has quickly shifted PET from theory to reality. It is not that challenges don't remain but quality beers are now readily available in many parts of the world - including European imports on Ontario shelves. Barrier technologies have improved to the stage of successfully maintaining the quality levels over typical turnaround times. Some brewers have proved consumer acceptability by packaging for special sporting events, etc. - and by 2004 PET is a major package from Korea through Russia and across Europe and throughout the British Isles. A good review of past issues, current options and future potentials - very thought provoking.

7th Presenter : KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Robert Buckman.
5 Short Steps to Becoming a More Effective Communicator

A world class expert on interpersonal communication, a medical oncologist and a professor at the University of Toronto - but, on the day, Dr. Buckman also showed the humour that he would have required when he once teamed up with his friend John Cleese to produce a video series for doctors - ? they really use Monthy Python to teach doctors ?
A simple, positive communications system was presented in a powerful way holding conference attendees attention to the end.