BREWING OF BEER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 85, 11 April 1945, Page 6

BREWING OF BEER

THOROUGH CHECKING CUSTOMS OFFICERS' WORK P.A. WELLINGTON, this day. Details of checks undertaken in breweries by' the Customs Department were supplied to the licensing commission to-day by Mr. J. H. Forrester, official of the department. In addition to personal supervision, especially by trained officers, the quantity of worts obtained from each brew was compared in the collector's office with the standard output for the class of beer in the brewery concerned, he said. If any brew showed a variation of three per cent or more, the reason was immediately investigated. Where the variation was much in excess of three per cent, a report was sent to head office. It was considered that the checks on the materials used, and visits by departmental officers, removed practically all risk of loss of revenue from the use ot materials not recorded in brewers books. Witness desired to remove any misconception following a previous remark by him that "surreptitious brews may have been slipped in. "A surreptitious brew without detection, while humanly possible, is extremenly improbable, having regard to the thorough system of checking now employed." he said. In reply to Mr. P. B. Cooke, K.C., for the licensed trade, witness promised to obtain the quantity of beer sent overseas to New Zealand forces, other forces and troopships during the past three years.