Your brewery equipment is at the heart of your operation. After all, without your equipment, you wouldn’t be able to bottle or label your product—or to brew it in the first place!

It’s not news that equipment maintenance is far from the most enjoyable task you have on your to-do list. But it’s also not news that maintenance is the key to preventing expensive repairs—and delays in production. So why not make a New Year’s resolution to focus on doing everything possible to keep that equipment running smoothly?

Establish a Schedule

Set yourself up with everything you need to establish a brewery equipment maintenance schedule. Walk through the brewery and make a list of every piece of equipment. Gather all the manuals. Then start putting the schedule together.

List each piece of equipment, along with its purchase date. If you can include the date of the last known maintenance, great. Otherwise, make your best guess, and then start scheduling from there. Use the manuals as a reference to make sure you include every type of maintenance on the right timeline.

Then decide how to make this schedule user-friendly for your team. Will a hard copy be sufficient? Where will you keep it so it’s easy to refer to—and update?

Or will you re-create your notes in a digital format? Where will you save it so your team can access it and update it together?

If possible develop a reminder system to ensure that your team knows scheduled maintenance is coming up.

Check Your Back-Up Plan

Do you know if you have enough insurance protection for your brewery equipment? Do you have sources lined up, in case vital equipment is so damaged that it needs to be replaced? What if you need to brew somewhere else temporarily—do you have contacts or locations lined up?

A robust maintenance schedule can help you prevent equipment damage. But an equally vital part of planning is preparing for the worst case scenario. And the time to do that is now—before it happens.

For more than 25 years, Beall Financial and Insurance Services, Inc., has been helping corporations and individuals protect their most important assets. The agency’s client base covers a spectrum of niche businesses, such as craft breweries, that require specialized insurance packages and knowledge. With California offices in Redlands and Newport Beach, Beall Financial and Insurance Services serves clients nationwide.