What I really want to discuss today, is beer quality versus value, which is at the heart of āhow to make a good commercial beerā?
Iām going to be straight with you hereā¦I believe Budweiser, is a high-quality beer!
You might crazy think Iām crazy. Iāve had this argument with several of my craft-brewing brethren before. Iāll argue the same case to you, as I did to them.
Iāve spent a short time working for, what some of you may call the ādark sideā.
I worked for one of macro-beer companies. Believe me when I say; the knowledge and skill-level of the people making the likes of Budweiser, is incredible.
These brewing behemoths have very defined parameters for the beer they make. If the beer is out of spec, it doesnāt go to market, irrespective of batch size.

How To Make a Good Commercial Beerā¦Budweiser is Good Quality Beer!
Let me ask youā¦have you ever had a Bud, which has gushed, tasted like cardboard (oxidized) or infected?
Iām going to say no? Thatās high-quality beerā¦in my opinion
The equipment used to make Budweiser along with the testing in the lab, throughout the whole brewing process, is some of the best and thorough in the brewing industry.
I mean they even test the bottles they purchase, for a number of parameters. Being happy to rejects a whole truck of bottles, if they are out of spec.
Have you ever had a can of craft beer which gushed, tasted off, or been infected? Iām sure you haveā¦thatās low-quality beer.
Often smaller craft breweries donāt have the best equipment and minimal lab facilities. This can lead to beer, which is not shelf stable going to market.
I mean, weāve all heard stories of exploding beer cansā¦!!!
Often these beers, like the one in the video, referment in the can/bottle. From the sugars added, when brewersā dose non-fermented fruit addition, to a batch.
This is bad brewing and dangerousā¦beer should never be refermenting in a can/bottleā¦ever!
What Does Beer Quality Mean? How To Make a Good Commercial Beer
So, to sum up, what do we mean by high quality beer?
- Beer quality refers to how well the beer is made.
- The beer is consistent from batch-to-batch.
- The brewing team has made every effort to ensure the beer is brewed to standard SOPās and itās the best it can be.
- The beer is tested as much as possible, through the process to ensure it is in with specified parameters.
- The beer being packed is in the best shape possible, for shelf stability and longer shelf-life.
- The whole ethos being, when the beer is drunk by the customer, itās in best condition possible. Plus, the sensory, is as the beer, was originally conceived
I understand, the average craft brewery doesnāt have the resources of AB InBev (parent company of Budweiser).
However, with proper SOPās and parameters set, beer produced by smaller breweries can be consistent, taste great and be shelf-stable. This is high quality beer.

How To Make a Good Commercial Beerā¦Beer Value
What do we mean by beer value? Well, a lot depends on the perceptions and opinions of the drinker. Craft beer drinkers, usually make beer buying decisions based on:
- The beer itself
- The brewery who produced the beer
- References from friends
- The style of the beer ā for example, IPA, imperial stout or Vienna lager
Do you like pastry stouts? Then this beer style has a high value to you. What about Czech style pilsnersā¦do you like them? If not, then this beer is low value to you.
Look, Iāll happily drink Pilsner Urquell on draft, if I see it anywhere in the world. I know what Iām going to get.
Itās consistent (if the lines have been properly cleaned), clean, easy drinking and the price point is decent.
For example, I can get a 500ml glass for 25 RMB (just under USD$ 4) in Shanghai.
If you ever get the chance to try the ātankerā version of Pilsner Urquellā¦please do, itās next level. Anyway, Iām digressing.
The Flipside to Beer Value/Quality – How to Make a Good Commercial Beer
Now before, I said Budweiser makes āqualityā beer. However, in some places in Shanghai, Budweiser is 25 RMB per 500ml glass. Does this represent good value to me?
No!
Of course, I know what the beer will taste like (consistency), but Budweiser isnāt a beer which will excite me.
This is a low value beer to me, especially if thereās Pilsner Urquell on tap too. In summary beer value is itāsā¦ā hype factorā.
Whatās A High Value but Low-Quality Beer?
These certainly exist. Weāre back to exploding cans!
We have all heard the stories of beer, where the cans explode. As it says in the article linked:
“This becomes a problem with beers that are prone to refermentation, a process in which yeast and microbes continue to process sugars, expelling additional carbon dioxide.
Itās most common with increasingly popular fruited or flavored beers because they have both active yeast and fermentable sugars.ā
Taken from popularmechanics.com
Now often these heavily fruited beers, which can go POP, are expensive to buy. Click here for our guide to adding fruit puree to beer, safely.

When these beers first came on the craft scene. People would queue round the block to ensure they got their 4-pack of a limited release.
It was the āhype factorā; and people paid big bucks for them.
However, buying beer which could potentially harm the drinker, represent poor value!
Itās the same with inconstant beer, where one bottle might be properly carbonated, but the next gushes when openedā¦itās poor quality.
Craft Beer Drinkers Are Becoming More Educated
Craft breweries are popping up all around the world now. The knowledge of the average craft beer drinker is on the rise.
Brewers need to be aware of this; accepting for many drinkers, youāre only as good as the last beer they drank. It can take just one bad beer to lose a customer.
Itās why when people of ask on forums, like in the image below, should they dump a beer. Pretty much everyone universally says āwhen in doubt, dump it outā.
Granted the instance pictured is quite extreme, but in most cases if youāre asking the questions āshould I dump itā. The answer is generallyā¦yes.

How to Make a Good Commercial Beer ā Conclusions
A good commercial beer is of high quality, but offers value too. I know this isnāt rocket science. However, I want to stress quality means consistency, good repeatable processes and ensuring beer is in spec.
A brewery needs to have proper SOP (standard operation procedures) in place and make sure all staff are trained, to follow them correctly.
This ensures beer hits all the specification thought out the brewing process like:
- Mash temp, liquor to grist ratio and pH
- Hop additions, timings and IBUās
- Whirlpool times and kettle wort pH
- Standardized wort aeration, pitch temps and yeast pitching rates
- Fermentation profile
- Final wort gravity and pH
- The CO2 levels in the beer
- Clarification process and over beer appearance
- Sensory analysis
These are just some of the metrics, a brewery can check, make notes on and revert back to at a later date.
As I said before, smaller craft breweries might not have the equipment of big breweries, but they can still put measures in place. To make consistent and high value beer.
Need Help with A Brewing Project or Beer Processing?
If need help with brewing processes or putting a brewhouse project together, then feel free to reach out. You can email me at:
Or if you want to message me on your preferred network, please scan the relevant QR below, add me and then message me directly.
For now, thanks for reading, if you have any feedback or follow-up questions. Please, leave or comment below or send me a message.
