Invisible Sentinel launches assays to detect beer spoilage organisms
brewMAP is for detection of Megasphaera and Pectinatus species and brewLAP is for pan detection of lactic acid producing species.
They work on the Veriflow platform which combines real-time PCR tests with vertical-flow-based diagnostics.
The tests can provide brewers with answers in less than three hours compared to traditional plating methods which can take from three to 11 days.
This means results on finished product are received before packaging or shipping, helping to prevent wasted packaging materials/labor or recalls.
Validation significance
Jermaine Lindsey, director of Brewery Sales at Invisible Sentinel, said it validated the technology across a broad spectrum of beer styles to ensure it is compatible with any style of beer.
“Craft and macro producers alike are producing a wide variety of different styles and experimenting with all sorts of different ingredients, so it was important during development for us to validate the technology to account for this trend and ensure we provide tools compatible with any style of beer," he told us.
“We offer our brewery partners the flexibility to choose from our standard three hour protocol which will catch contamination as low as 1-2 cells/mL; for more susceptible brands brewers can also utilize our "zero tolerance protocol" which employs a short overnight enrichment step and has already proven to catch low-level contaminants that traditional plating have missed.”
Since launching the brewing product portfolio in April 2015, more than 100 breweries in 15 countries are using Veriflow technology.
Lindsey said the assays are compatible with finished product, in-process beer, raw materials, growth on traditional media and environmental samples.
“The goal is to give brewers the information they need for not only the sample of interest, but also to minimize potential for a small/isolated problem to cascade and create additional issues in other products or brewing equipment,” he said.
“Many customers have used our system for environmental monitoring to help pinpoint sources of contamination, routine monitoring of critical control points, and even validate the effectiveness of their Cleaning in Place (CIP) processes.”
It requires about 30 minutes of hands-on time, allowing brewers and quality managers to attend to the many other "moving parts" of the production process, said Lindsey.
“We start with a spin down step in a bench-top centrifuge followed by simple liquid transfers using micropipettes, equipment that most quality labs already have,” he said.
“The samples then spend about 2.5 hours in our Thermal Cycler, which acts like a molecular copy machine to amplify the DNA of any spoilers in the sample. Once the amplification is complete, users transfer the sample to our test cassettes to visualize their results.”
Evolving needs
Test cassettes work similarly to a pregnancy test; one line is negative and two lines indicate a positive result. The intensity of the positive result lines also correlates to quantification of the target contaminant.
Breweries come in all shapes and sizes, and quality needs evolve as they grow production capacity and product offerings, said Lindsey.
“One candidate for our next development project is an assay targeting Acetobacter, a microbe that that can present challenges for brewers specifically for their carefully crafted barrel-aged specialty brands,” he said.
“Specificity is one of the most important aspects to a quality manager at a brewery. In some cases, brewers intentionally dose these organisms into unique styles like sour or wild ales.”
Rick Blankemeier, quality assurance manager at Stone Brewing in Escondido, California, said brewLAP has helped determine the presence of lactic beer spoilers with its low bitterness and low alcohol brands.
“We utilize some of those brands for spirit barrel aging, and the ability to rapidly diagnose issues gives us peace of mind. Using brewLAP with brewPAL has really helped us troubleshoot any micro issues we may come across in our brewing and barrel-aging processes.”
Invisible Sentinel has also introduced vinoPAL for preserving wine quality by identifying spoilage organisms Pediococcus and Lactobacillus.
The firm said hundreds of winemakers across twelve countries are using Veriflow technology.
Eric Baugher, VP of winemaking at Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino, California, said identifying the presence of Lactobacillus as soon as possible is a critical concern.
"This organism can multiply rapidly, and before you know it the fermentation can become sluggish, with possibility of high volatile acidity being formed. Early detection with vinoPAL will allow us to intervene quickly and prevent the loss of wine quality."
