Top

Detect the microbes that spoil your brew

Find out more

How it works

BREW PLATE, a division of Bioplast Manufacturing, has engineered a collection of prefilled, easy-to-use beer testing kits and bulk plates that detect microbes that spoil beer during the brewing process, saving the brewer valuable time and money. The kit consists of various prefilled plated agar based media, tubes, loops and other supplemental items that allows the brewer to detect a broad collection of wild yeast strains, aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria that contaminate the beer. Each kit is designed to provide the ability to test each batch at up to 5 different testing points such as the Mash/Laurter Tun, Brewkettle, Fermentation vessel, Pasteurization & Bottle/Canning. If contamination is found, the customer can send in the provided ID return sample transport pack to Brew Plate Laboratories for complementary microbe identification.

  • Step 1:

    Buy a kit

  • Step 2:

    Test your brew

  • Step 3:

    Register and then ship your sample to us

  • Step 4:

    View results online
Video Tutorial

Our Products

X

Platinum

  • 15Plates
  • 5Test Points

The Platinum Microbe Testing Kit offers a comprehensive array of media types that allows the brewer to detect a wide scope of microbes known to cause contamination during the brewing process. The kit detects wild yeasts, aerobic bacteria (lives with oxygen) and anaerobic bacteria (lives without oxygen).

The Platinum Microbe Testing kit provides five (5) sets of three (3) plates each (15 plates). Each set contains a plate for yeast (quad-plate), aerobic bacteria (bi-plate), and anaerobic bacteria (bi-plate) to allow the brewer to test up to 5 points of possible contamination. If contamination is detected, samples or plates can be sent to the Brew Plate Laboratory for microbial identification.

Gold

  • 5Plates
  • 5Tubes
  • 5Test Points

The Gold Microbe Testing Kit offers an array of media types that allows the brewer to detect the most common variety microbes known to cause contamination during the brewing process. The kit detects common wild yeasts, aerobic bacteria (lives with oxygen) and anaerobic bacteria (lives without oxygen).

The Gold kit provides 5 plates (each with 4 quadrants) and 5 tubes of semi-solid media to allow the brewer to test 5 points of possible contamination. If contamination is detected, samples or plates can be sent to the Brew Plate Laboratory for microbial identification.

Silver

  • 5Plates
  • 5Test Points

The Silver Microbe Testing Kit offers a broad-spectrum media (LMDA) that allows the brewer to detect the major wild yeasts and bacteria strains known to cause contamination during the brewing process.

The Silver kit provides 5 plates (each with a yeast and bacterial half) to allow the brewer to test 5 points of possible contamination. If contamination is detected, samples or plates can be sent to the Brew Plate Laboratory for microbial identification.

Bulk Sleeve

  • 25Plates

The Brew Plate Bulk Sleeves offer sleeves of 25 plates that allow the brewer to detect a wide scope of microbes known to cause contamination during the brewing process. Each plate provides sections with various media to detect common wild yeast, aerobic (lives with oxygen) and anaerobic bacteria (lives without oxygen). All of the plates that make up the kits offered are available for purchase in bulk sleeves. If contamination is detected, samples or plates can be sent to the Brew Plate Laboratory for microbial identification. Each bulk sleeve purchase comes with one free sequence identification.

Incubator

  • 115V
  • 15lbs

The Brew Plate Digital Incubator is 115V, weighs 15lbs and is compact at 13.2 x 14.5 x 18.7 inches. The incubator provides a clean, temperature controlled environment for the growth of organisms including yeast and bacteria. Set the temperature to 30⁰C and incubate brew plates for the most efficient growth results.

Our Plates

This media is used for the detection of wild yeast including Candida, Pichia, and Saccharomyces strains. The media can detect wild yeast that may not grow on Lin’s media. Colonies of Saccharomyces and Candida strains are very small, round and cream-colored.

This media is used for the detection of wild yeast strains including different Saccharomyces strains) while inhibiting the growth of brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) Wild yeast colonies on this media are large, distinct colonies and dark red in color.

This media is used for the detection of yeast, molds and bacterial contamination encountered during the brewing process. It is non-selective and contains nutrients that permit the growth of Brewer’s Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as well. This media may be used to differentiate possible mixed strains of Brewer’s Yeast in the pitching culture or final brew. Saccharomyces and Candida strains both form large, distinct, yellow colonies when grown on this media. Bacteria may also grow on this media, and species like E. coli form smaller, round, green colonies.

This media is used for the detection of wild yeast strains (non-Saccharomyces) while inhibiting the growth of Brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Wild yeast colonies on this media are small, round with serrated edges and tan to cream colored.

This media is used for the detection of all bacterial and yeast contamination encountered during the brewing process. An anti-bacterial agent or an anti-fungal agent can be added to the media to differentiate between bacterial and yeast contamination. LMDA contains bromocresol green, which turns yellow in the presence of acid. Lactic and acetic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Acetobacter, produce acids that result in yellow zones around their colonies. Lactobacillus and Pediococcus form large, round, blue-green colonies. Acetobacter forms small yellow colonies and Zymomonas forms small, round, transparent, green colonies.

This media is used for the detection and differentiation of enteric bacteria (coliforms), including E. coli and Klebsiella. Colonies of E. coli and Klebsiella are red with a hazy edge.

This media is used for the detection of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria, the major bacterial contaminants encountered during the brewing process. Both of these contaminants grow as light/white, small, round colonies on HLP agar. The media also has antifungal activity which restricts/prevents the growth of yeast.

Chloramphenicol is an anti-bacterial agent that prevents the growth of bacteria and selects for the growth of yeast.

Cyclohexamide is an anti-fungal that prevents the growth of yeast species and selects for the growth of bacteria.

This media is WLN with the addition of the antifungal cycloheximide. This media is used for the detection of common bacterial contamination encountered during the brewing process.

This media is non-selective and detects all wild yeast, pitching yeast and some bacterial strains that are common brew.

This media detects lactic acid producing bacteria including Lactobacillus and Acetobacter species. Acid producers are easily detected by a change in the media color from green to yellow.

This media detects Lactobacillus and Pediococcus bacteria. For optimal growth, an anaerobic gas generator sachet should be used during incubation.

This media detects non-Saccharomyces wild yeast and inhibits the growth of brewer’s yeast.

Select a plate for more info

Our Services

  1. First Register and fill out an analysis request

    laptop

  2. Then Send us your brew

    Beer Sample

  3. We’ll handle the rest!

Our services include:

Your beer sample is run through a vacuum filtration system that involves 0.45 micron filter membranes designed to catch small bacteria cells, yeast cells and mold spores.

The filter membranes will be overlaid onto five plates containing differential agars:

  • LCSM: Detects non-Saccharomyces wild yeast and mold
  • LWYM: Detects non-Saccharomyces wild yeast and mold
  • LMDA with Cycloheximide: Detects aerobic bacterial species. This medium contains an antifungal to select for only bacterial species while selecting against the growth of yeast
  • LMDA with Cycloheximide for Anaerobic Bacteria: Detects anaerobic bacteria. This plate is incubated at anaerobic conditions to select for bacterial species that grow in the absence of oxygen
  • WLN: Detects all yeast species including your pitching yeast

If we find that there is growth on these plates aside from your pitching yeast(s), we will perform DNA sequencing to identify the contaminant at no additional cost.

We will send you our Certificate of Analysis that states the results of our testing, along with suggestions in order to eliminate your contaminant from any possible sources.

Contact Us

Brew Plate

Christopher Conway

President

128 Wharton Road, Bristol, PA 19007

Toll Free: (877) 877-9680 | Fax: (844) 705-3285

Brew Plate Laboratories

Scott E. Gygax, Ph.D.

Senior Advisor

Chalas Menniti, M.S.

Microbiologist

Jessica Zimmerman, B.S.

Microbiologist

William L. Smith, B.S.

Microbiologist

2439 Kuser Road, Hamilton, NJ 08690

Send us a message
X

Send a message