51. Brewing innovation—Why you need it and how you can get it

Alastair Pringle (1); (1) Pringle-Scott LLC, Saint Louis , MO, U.S.A.

Technical Session 15: World Class Manufacturing
Tuesday, August 16  •  9:45–11:30 a.m.
Plaza Building, Concourse Level, Governor’s Square 15

Innovation in the brewing process and its products is essential to the long-term viability of any brewery. Successful innovation starts with creating ideas, evaluating, and then modifying them. This is followed by development, evaluation, and modification of prototypes until new processes or products have been developed. This presentation will discuss factors that are important for innovation to thrive in a brewery, such as recognizing people’s innovative styles, hiring appropriately, and making innovation part of each employee’s job description. In addition, a simple process will be described that gives structure to innovation, while providing the flexibility needed for individual breweries. Simple tools will be presented that enable individuals to improve their ability to create ideas. Examples of past brewery innovations will also be discussed, as well as current paths of innovation in beer styles.

Alastair was educated in England, where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in microbiology. He joined Anheuser-Busch in 1984, where he held a number of technical management positions. As director of brewing research his responsibilities included all areas of brewing science. He is currently the principal consultant at Pringle-Scott LLC—a science-based consulting company that works with craft breweries on process control and quality. In addition, Alastair teaches microbiology at Maryville University, St. Louis, MO, and is a member of the IBD Board of Examiners.