Expanding your cidery brings growth opportunities and challenges — especially in maintaining quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) as production scales up. Scaling up QAQC is as vital as increasing batches to ensure consistent quality and prevent costly mistakes.
Scaling up QAQC isn’t just about avoiding disasters — it’s about building a culture of quality that permeates every level of the operation. Paying attention to the details, training staff, and embracing feedback are key to long-term success.
“It’s really easy to have a QAQC program as a smaller operator,” said Yann Fay, head cidermaker and director of beverage development at 1911 Established. “But then you hire a tasting room manager and a few marketing associates, and suddenly you’re a business owner who has to trust those people.”
Brian Dressler, co-founder of Dressler Estate Cider in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, said maintaining equipment and standard operating procedures (SOPs) as part of QAQC is of high importance.
“Key SOPs include a proper cleaning and sanitation program for your equipment,” Dressler said. “If you can stop spoilage microorganisms from getting into your cider in the first place, you’ve already won a big battle.
“Preventative maintenance is also key to keeping equipment functioning properly.”
He recommended routine checks during cleaning and maintenance.
“When scrubbing a tank, pay attention to the area you’re scrubbing,” he said. “Is the stainless steel pitted or scratched? Are the gaskets, o-rings, and rubber fittings aging or breaking down? Building small but consistent checks into your routine can prevent big problems later.”
Dressler also highlighted small changes that can improve quality over time.
“After a long day, you might not feel like cleaning everything fully. At least rinse it down and get the cider off,” he said. “Dried cider can be awful to scrub off later, and rinsing denies microorganisms food.
“Don’t give a feast to your enemy.”
The challenges multiply as a cidery grows. Sloppy QAQC can escalate into significant problems, Fay noted.
“The big problem of being big is that with great growth comes great risk,” Fay said. “You’re making 500 cases a year and you make a bad product — that sucks, but you’ll probably survive. If you’re making 5,000 cases a day and you make a bad product for weeks, that can cause major issues.”
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QA focuses on prevention and ensuring quality at every production stage, while QC verifies the product is up to standard before sale. Fay encourages cidermakers to embrace feedback, even when it’s negative.
“As a large producer, I love customer complaints,” Fay said. “Crowdsource your quality control! If you get a few complaints, you can do a trend analysis. Maybe the can liners are wrong, or we’re using too much sulfur dioxide. These insights can pinpoint issues, whether it’s in the process or the equipment.”
Simple steps can go a long way in maintaining quality. Fay emphasized regular tasting and staff training.
“Always have your staff tasting,” he said. “They should know your products and be able to identify faults like oxidation, high acidity, or imbalance. When you’re packaging, pull the first few bottles or cans and test them to ensure they’re right.”
Cleanliness is also crucial. The mantra, “If you are leaning, you are cleaning,” remains a cornerstone of quality production. Proper equipment maintenance and SOPs are essential to avoid contamination.
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