OFS’s software uses sensors to draw real-time data from the packing line to identify and reduce inefficiencies and waste.

Half of Australia’s craft breweries like Stomping Ground and Tribe Breweries are using the software.

San Diego-based The 5th Ingredient has had similar success in the US with its Beer30 brewery software, which assesses data from the moment raw ingredients are purchased to when the can, bottle or keg is sold.

The 5th Ingredient has already deployed its software in more than 10% of the Australian industry, while OFS, having recently launched in the US, has already signed its first three US breweries including Pelican Brewing Company.

The brewing software specialists now aim to expand their footprint across both countries’ entire industries, at a rate of 100 breweries a year.

The software integration between Beer30 and OFS covers losses from every step of the brewing and packing process in real time.

For example, OFS could capture a series of downtimes on the filler correlating to a CO2 quality issue captured by Beer30, which has affected a portion of the product.

If the overall problem is related to raw ingredients, it could also identify the relevant batch and which products were affected, preventing a larger-than-needed product recall.

OFS and Beer30 are viable solutions for brewers of all sizes. Depending on the size, even 10 minutes of downtime solved could equal thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in gained production.

“We conducted a benchmark industry report last year and found that craft brewers typically spend more than half their time not making beer,” says OFS CEO James Magee.

“That’s a data problem – paper-based processes, not knowing where the issues that halt the line are coming from, or how much downtime or waste they’re causing. The combination of OFS and Beer30 software will bring full integration and automation of all data points into any brewer’s hands.”

“There’s such a sense of passion, pride and community in the craft brewing industry. They just want to make great beer, and more of it. Our entire focus is on enabling that through what we see as the often-missing ingredient from beer production – data,” The 5th Ingredient CEO Pulkit Agrawal adds.

“Many decisions in breweries are made based off anecdotal evidence that emerges on day six or seven of production.”

Tapping into a unique sense of community
Agrawal says that the unique sense of community, comradery, and local business support in the craft brewing industry has helped both companies quickly expand.

Magee points out that the companies’ dual expansion and as more craft breweries leverage the software will lead to enhancements and improvements over time.

“We can anonymously use data from breweries in both countries to continually iterate and upgrade our software. We can add more modules, more sensors that show new data streams and maximise beer production. This data can not only make beer producers’ days easier, but enhance their business more broadly.”

The software combination can also be deployed in non-alcoholic beer production. Data and software deployment in the industry is crucial as public consumption is expected to increase by 31% in both Australia in the US by 2024.