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Display Title Incubator
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Tools Used in the Sampling Process
Specific tools are needed to analyze the samples taken during the sampling process. Select one of the tools below to learn more about it, including when and where it is used during the Sampling Process.
The Incubator
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| Another important piece of equipment in the microbiology lab, the incubator provides the ideal temperature to grow any contaminant microorganisms that may have been collected from production or package samples. Even at these ideal temperatures, contaminant microorganisms in beer may - depending on the microorganism - take up to a week to form a colony on a plate. Minimizing the time between plating and clearing a batch is therefore a worthwhile investment for any quality lab keeping up with a full production schedule.
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The primary consideration for an incubator (aside from price) is its volume. The incubator must be able to accommodate the maximum number of plates one can expect to be growing at once. This number will vary on the production scale and what one decides to plate throughout the brewing process. In addition to the plates, this total volume must also consider the space needed for anaerobic chambers that need to be stored in the incubator as well. Incubators purchased on a budget can be built (akin to a homebrewing kegerator) or found at a university surplus sale. With smaller volumes, however, new incubators can be found for under a thousand dollars.
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