BLOG HOME
Guide to Hop Sensory: Evaluating Fresh Hops and Spotting Defects

It’s hop harvest time! The season when hops are at their peak and brewers head to the Northwest to handpick the best lots for their beers. Whether or not you make it out to harvest, knowing how to properly evaluate fresh hops... Read More

Better Brand Recognition Training

A common trick we use on panel to see how tasters will react is to give samples we know will fail. An easy way to do this is to... Read More

Does Preference Skew Quality Control?

Ever wondered if disliking a product makes someone more likely to flag a sample on taste panel? It seems like a logical assumption, but is it really the case... Read More

Using Blind Codes on Taste Panel

As we’ve discussed in the past, understanding and limiting bias is one of the tougher jobs for a sensory admin. Bias can influence taster feedback... Read More

Flavor Definitions: Retronasal

We often get asked why there are so many descriptors for aroma but only five for taste. After all, it’s common for a person to say... Read More

Worst Halloween Candy? We Did an Experiment to Find Out

Sensory scientists love Halloween because we get to eat and debate the merits of various Halloween treats in the name of science... Read More

Paired Preference Test and the Sandwich Bracket

This month we concluded our 2023 Sandwich Bracket voting on Instagram... Read More

Flavor Definitions: Astringency and Mouthwatering

When it comes to discussing flavor, using common language and terminology is extremely important... Read More

About Sensory Thresholds

Our senses are very much like measuring devices. We are constantly taking “readings” of the outside world... Read More

Consumer Research, A Case Study

One of my personal mottos is to never waste a good opportunity to learn something new. We love getting research questions from the community... Read More

Study: Green Beer vs. Regular Beer

With St. Patrick's Day upon us, many bars and breweries are offering green beer as a festive option for patrons... Read More

Tasting Rooms: An Overlooked Production Resource

It’s hard to find a process, ingredient, or piece of equipment in a production facility that hasn’t been thought of or scrutinized 1,000 times over... Read More

How to Manage Sensory Adaptation

We experience nonstop sensory stimulation throughout the day: birds chirping, construction noise... Read More

The Halo Effect and How it Impacts Your Data

The halo effect is a kind of bias where a person’s status or perceived skill... Read More

How Many Tasters Do I Need?

We hear this question all the time, and chances are you have too if you are reading this... Read More

First Sample Bias and How to Stop It

There’s a reason why that first sip of coffee hits different in the morning... Read More

New Feature: 2-AFC

There are several ways to determine if a significant difference exists between two samples... Read More

New Feature: Mobile Notifications

Starting this week, you will have the option to send mobile notifications to tasters when a panel starts... Read More

New Feature: DOD and Quality Rating Templates

We have released two new test templates - Degree of Difference (or Difference from Control) and Quality Rating (or Quality Score)... Read More

Using Sensory to Measure Smoke Impact on Hops

The 2020 hop harvest season was one, if not the, smokiest year on record in the Yakima and Willamette valleys... Read More

Line Score Feature Release

As part of our ongoing effort to provide more value back to you and business, we are excited to discuss the new features... Read More

Tips For Getting Back to Panel

Anyone familiar with the art of making sourdough bread knows about sourdough starters and the care required to bring one back to life after periods of dormancy... Read More

PRESS RELEASE
DraughtLab Giving Away Free Software During COVID-19 Crisis

DraughtLab is offering free access to their new app Sample Ox during the COVID-19 crisis. This new platform helps craft breweries build community and enhance engagement with their customers remotely... Read More

Tips For At-Home Sensory Testing

With widespread “stay at home” orders announced last week, many organizations are wondering how to run their sensory panels with fewer resources... Read More

3 Tips to Reduce Time & Cost in Your Sensory QC Program

It’s a situation we often see... a Sensory QC Program is in the organizational spotlight because of either shifting priorities, a recent uncaught issue, or the perception that they are slowing down production... Read More

Sensory Myths: Flexibility & Functionality

Just the other day, I was speaking with a friend in the industry and sharing in our woes regarding how much time and effort it can take to manage and maintain a strong sensory program... Read More

Limitations of the Mighty Triangle Test

We’ve all seen the headlines and felt the squeeze: “Craft brewers battling a hop shortage”, “What’s the haps with the hop shortage?”, “Millennials love craft beer, but will a hops shortage leave them thirsty?”. It isn’t difficult to imagine a scenario where we’re forced to find an adequate substitute for a key aroma hop in one of our growing brands. In the event that all 2017 Mosaics are imperiled by a natural disaster (let’s hope not!) how will you determine which hop (or combination of hops) can fill in without producing a major flavor difference... Read More

Batch-to-Batch Variation in Brewing: Let P-Charts Do the Work

“How do I know when the flavor of my beer is out of spec?”

I get this question a lot, and it truly is a fundamental question if your goal is to consistently brew great beer. Because of this, breweries need an easy AND objective way to tell if a given batch hits the flavor profile expected. This type of test has many names (e.g. go/no go, true to brand, TTB, etc.) and there are many approaches, all detailed below, but none so easy and powerful as using percent defect charts (p-charts for short).

Here’s what you’ll learn from this post:

  1. The different approaches of how to measure batch-to-batch variation
  2. Why we recommend p-charts
  3. An easy to understand guide with expert tips for using p-charts in your brewery
Read More