Ontario Craft Brewers Association (OCB)

Ontario Craft Brewers Association

Craft Beer Shelf-Life Extension Resource

Project Type

Research & Documentation

Challenge

Ontario Craft Brewers is an association representing 40 craft breweries across Ontario. All OCB members incorporate various manufacturing techniques to extend quality and shelf-life, but due to limited capital, equipment and expertise, the actual shelf-life of product varies from brewery to brewery. While some brewers will collaborate with others to share best practices, there is a need to expand the level of expertise and make it more accessible to all members and new OCB members. This is becoming more important now that beer is available for sale in Ontario grocery stores. There is also a growing opportunity to export and make a name for Ontario craft beer.

Solution

The CFWI Innovation Centre, in collaboration with OCB, provided a guide with identified best brewing practices to enhance shelf life. Decision trees and trouble-shooting guides were created to assist in making informed choices and testing was done to validate the effectiveness of these techniques. We also identified emerging technologies for increasing shelf-life; compiled a list of equipment suppliers and costs; and provided cost-benefit analyses for adopting the new technologies. The end result was a ‘Craft Beer Shelf-Life Extension Resource’ that the OCB is able to utilize to assist craft brewers in cost-effectively increasing shelf-life and contributing to a successful Ontario craft beer market.

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