Starting a new lab to compliment your brewery operation can be a daunting project to say the least. From determining a budget to leasing or purchasing space to hiring personnel, the number of details and decisions to be made can quickly become overwhelming. Fortunately there are only a few basic pieces of equipment you need to get started with a lab and you can always add to these as your lab expands or your needs widen.
(And remember: we’re always willing to offer discounted pricing in exchange for beer!)
So in no particular order, here are the most basic pieces of equipment that every brewery lab needs to have in place:
A simple toploading balance will allow you to measure you dry media ingredients. We sell basic toploading balances like the Sartoris AZ1052 and the Mettler PM series models for around $500. Toploading balances typically have sensitivity to 0.1g or 0.01g and weight capacities from 300g up to several kilograms. If you need something more with more readability (also know as resolution) we have plenty of analytical balances in stock as well.
Autoclaves are used for sterilization, and you’ll probably want a small tabletop model to sterilize media and instruments that will come in contact with your media. Pricing on autoclaves can vary widely – generally speaking, the larger the chamber the higher the cost. Market Forge and Tuttnauer models are durable and easy to operate but expensive. We also typically have smaller VWR units in stock.
Incubators allow you to keep samples stored at a constant temperature and humidity in order to control microorganism growth. Basic incubators like the VWR 1535 usually offer about 5 to 6 cubic feet of storage capacity. CO2 incubators provide extra functionality by allowing for growth of anaerobic bacteria. Ask us about the Forma 3110 – this is an industry standard and we almost always have plenty in stock.
You can perform cell counts for pitching rate calculations and other viability data to help improve the consistency of your fermentation by using a microscope. You can use either a basic binocular compound scope or an inverted scope. You can check out all the scopes we have in stock here, or call or email us for more details.
Pretty basic – a refrigerator is used for sample and chemical storage. Refrigerators designed for labs typically have tighter temperature stability than household models.
Stirrers and hotplate stirrers can be used for degassing, chemical and micro preparation. We have plenty of models in stock and available, usually for under $200 for brewery customers.
A centrifuge can be used in both IBU and SRM testing to spin down samples in 50mL tubes, or in larger volumes to separate high concentrations of hop oil in high-solids beers. We mainly have the smaller units in stock that can be used for testing and quality control. Larger units used as part of production are often custom built to meet each breweries specific needs.
If you’re going with an advanced facility, you’ll want a laminar flow hood (also known as “clean benches”) as part of your micro lab set up for the aseptic processing of yeast cultures and to maintain the consistency of samples for the propagation of yeast cultures. We have many Baker models in stock as well as smaller, less expensive units from other manufacturers.
In addition to the above equipment any brewery lab will need an assortment of safety goggles and other protective equipment, as well as beakers, flasks, test tubes, and consumables, which we may be able to help you select and procure. For more information on lab equipment available from American Instrument Exchange please call or email us today!
American Instrument Exchange has been a reliable source for used laboratory and scientific equipment for over 50 years, buying and selling equipment since 1969. Our surplus lab equipment is reconditioned for many types of laboratories, including biotech, biomedical, medical research, chemical, pharmaceutical, and university and hospital research laboratories. All lab equipment listed on our website is in stock and ships from our 30,000 square foot warehouse in Massachusetts. Our facilities include a fully equipped shop with highly trained technicians who thoroughly test each instrument before it reaches your laboratory. Please visit our website at https://www.americaninstrument.com/.