CDR BeerLab® in the Daily Routine at Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard

Since 2018, Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard has been using the CDR BeerLab^® every day for routine analyses of wort, beer, and water. In the laboratory of this Aosta Valley brewery, the instrument is also used to check the viability of reused yeast and, when necessary, the presence of residual sugars.

The customer testimonial describes an analytical routine consisting of daily, periodic, and occasional checks, spread across the various stages of production.

Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard was founded in 2010 in Étroubles by Rémy Charbonnier and Stefano Collé.

In 2017, the brewery moved its headquarters to Gignod, expanding its production space to approximately 4,000 square meters and installing a new system with a capacity of 35 hectoliters per batch, with an estimated production capacity of about 6,000 hectoliters per year.

The facility also features semi-automated lines for bottling, canning, and kegging, using both steel and Polykeg containers. Since 2024, the brewery has operated as a simple agricultural partnership.

Over the years, Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard has developed a range comprising various styles, from lagers to IPAs, including brews such as GNP, a tripel made with Genepy.

CDR BeerLab^® was introduced to the brewery’s laboratory in 2018. Since then, it has been used daily to obtain useful information during the various stages of the production process.

“The BeerLab purchased in 2018 is used every day for the brewery’s routine analyses, primarily of wort, beer, and water.”

The team particularly appreciates the ability to perform multiple tests simultaneously, following clearly described and illustrated operating procedures.

“The BeerLab is an indispensable tool in the lab for obtaining consistent results in the brewery in a simple and cost-effective way. It’s very practical because it allows us to perform multiple tests simultaneously and in a very short amount of time.”

“The steps for each test are well described and illustrated, minimizing the margin of error.”

The use of this tool involves different matrices, parameters, and frequencies.

At the Aosta Valley brewery, the bitterness test is performed to obtain results consistent with expected values in just a few steps, while limiting direct contact with potentially toxic reagents.

“Analyzing bitterness with BeerLab is simple, fast, and safe compared to other methods for IBU analysis, because it minimizes direct contact with potentially toxic reagents and, in just a few steps, yields results consistent with expected values.”

This aspect is particularly important when testing is performed frequently right on the brewery floor.

Colour measurements are taken daily on the wort. This test allows the brewery to compare batches and ensure the consistency of its beers.

“The colour test is a simple but extremely useful test, performed daily to monitor the wort and ensure consistent results in our beers.”

Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard also uses the colour test as an indicator of the quality of the water in the steam generator.

This is a specific application within the brewery’s internal routine, distinct from the standard wort monitoring.

Another parameter that is analyzed periodically is sulfur dioxide.

This test is performed both during fermentation and on the final product.

“Sulfur dioxide is a very important test for verifying the quality of the beer. It is performed periodically to monitor fermentation and the final product.”

The ability to perform the test directly on-site allows the analysis to be integrated into the brewery laboratory’s routine operations.

During the brewing process, the water’s characteristics wort be monitored periodically to determine the parameters needed for any necessary adjustments.

At Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard, the analyses focus primarily on:

• calcium;
• bicarbonate;
• alkalinity;
• sulfates.

“These tests are very useful for monitoring salt levels in the municipal water supply and in stored water, and for obtaining periodic data essential for adjusting the production water.”

CDR BeerLab^® is also used to determine the viability of yeast that has been recovered and reused for inoculating new wort.

“We perform a viability analysis on the yeast, which is very important for understanding the level and quality of the yeast we reuse in wort reinoculated from the same culture.”

The test therefore provides an indication of the yeast’s condition before it is reused in the production process.

Less frequently, the laboratory also performs sugar analysis.

“Sugar analysis is performed occasionally as a check to assess the amount of sugar still present in the beer.”

This data is used as supplementary information to verify the presence of sugars that may still be available in the beer.

At the Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard laboratory, CDR BeerLab^® is used daily for routine analyses of wort, beer, and water.

The tests described by the brewery include wort colour, bitterness, and sulfur dioxide in beer; certain water parameters; the viability of reused yeast; and, occasionally, sugars.

“BeerLab ensures constant monitoring of essential parameters in the brewery—quickly and easily—facilitating analysis and quality control activities within the company.”

The experience of Les Bières du Grand St. Bernard demonstrates how the same analytical system can be integrated into daily, periodic, or occasional checks, depending on the matrix and the parameter to be tested.