Over the past few years, Norit Beverage has developed into a leading supplier of separation technology and purification solutions for the worldwide beverage industry. Once again this year, the customers have got acquainted with new products and innovative solutions during the BRAU Beviale 2003.
Norit Process Technology, Hengelo/The Netherlands succeeded this year in putting two complete beer membrane filtration lines into operation. A third is to follow at the end of this year. Despite long years
of development, the start-up phase of this pioneering technology for kieselguhr-free filtration came with the usual challenges. The customers meanwhile succeeded in filtering more than 500,000 hl beer with the aid of the Norit membrane filter..

Apart from membrane filtration, no means of beverage filtration exists which can do without filter aids. Practically from the beginning of beverage filtration, filter aids have been used. Initially, mass filters for example were used containing a mix of cellulose and asbestos, these had to be washed labour-intensively by hand after filtration. Then kieselguhr and perlite soon made their way into filtration. A lively, sometimes controversial discussion about kieselguhr has currently sprung up.

The outstanding filtration characteristics of kieselguhr are not in doubt.
In terms of adsorption, separation selectivity, consumption and cost/benefit (leaving aside the costs of disposal), kieselguhr cannot be surpassed by any other filter aid. Rettenmaier & Söhne GmbH + Co.

After almost two years’ construction, the new filter cellar at Beck GmbH & Co., Bremen, has been officially commissioned. A large number of guests attended when Dr. Horst-Gevert Bellmer, Technical Manager, inaugurated the plant. "Flexibility, product quality, high availability, managing a high degree of complexity and profitability were our main criteria" stated Dr. Bellmer. These objectives were implemented jointly by ATM, Filtrox and Siemens, co-operating on this project.

The new filter cellar replaces two older ones at less centralised locations. A new purpose-built building was erected on the new site, centrally located adjacent to the brewhouse, the fermenting room and storage cellar.5 million Euro were spent in linking the cellar with pipe bridges. Dr..

The new TFS Twin Flow System was introduced for the first time in 2001 at the drinktec-interbrau. In the meantime, scientifically based practical experiences with the system have been made. The TU Munich-Weihenstephan subjected a TFS system at the Paulaner Brewery in Munich to extensive acceptance testing with respect to technology, microbiology, performance and consumption.

The Memminger Brewery AG converted its existing candle filter system to TFS. The following technical article describes the TFS candle filter system and reports on the results established in these breweries.

Register replaces perforated plate

In the TFS System from Steinecker a new filtrate run-off register replaces the conventional perforated plate for the fastening of the filter candles.

As an alternative to filtration with the well-established depth filter sheets, filtration with depth filter cartridges is gaining ground. E. Begerow GmbH & Co. of Langenlonsheim/Germany present a two-stage beer filtration process with depth filter cartridges downstream of kieselguhr filtration, installed in Postbrauerei Weiler im Allgau.

The first filter stage generally has a trap filter using polypropylene cartridges (PP depth filter cartridges) with a nominal separation capability of 3 to 6 µm, these retain all kieselguhr and PVPP particles. The second filter stage (fine filter) retains yeasts and most germs. This filter is also provided with polypropylene filter cartridges between 0.6 and 0.3 µm. This is fitted with 0.45 µm membrane at a constant pressure of 1 bar.g.6 µm.g.g.

New techniques developed in recent years for numerical analysis of three-dimensional flow patterns using flow simulation as well as the possibility of mechanical strength calculations and geometry optimisation using FEM (finite element method) currently allow optimisation of filter equipment in a manner which would have appeared unthinkable some years ago. Pall SeitzSchenk uses these new technologies in order to optimise and customise their filter equipment in terms of economics and process safety in the interests of clients.

Precoat filtration using kieselguhr continues to be one of the most flexible, efficiently operating and economic filtration processes for filtration of beer. The filter pack consists of the main filter and the residual filter elements. Fig. Fig.
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Spaten-Franziskaner Bräu KGaA in Munich had been examining commercial and technical aspects of modernising filtration for some time. As a result of the merger with Löwenbräu AG in 1997, the project had to be tackled right away. This paper describes the investment in a "new filter cellar" from an economic and ecological standpoint. In addition, technological features and operating experiences gathered on the plant are covered.

An initial economic feasibility study and analysis of critical points of filtration at Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu KGaA was carried out back in 1993 by JMF, Josef Meier Filtrationsberatung. After the merger with Löwenbräu AG in 1997, the concept then formulated had to be revisited.5 million hl p.a.00 DM/hl.
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In on-going in vitro investigations, xanthohumol prenylflavonoid exhibits a surprisingly great diversity of positive attributes. A test series was run to establish the behaviour of a xanthohumol-rich hop product in beer production (compared to a-acids) and to evaluate the resulting bitter impression.

First results about the biological effect of xanthohumol were summarised in a review article published in 1998 (1).

Brief survey on status of research into xanthohumol

Biological effects

Growth inhibition of certain tumour cells, antioxidative and other anti-carcinogenic properties (activation of the "Quinon-reductase" enzyme or inhibition of human enzymes of the "P450 CYP1A2" class) has been reported.
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This paper describes a novel wort boiling process which achieves huge energy savings compared to conventional boiling systems, while simultaneously maintaining overall evaporation. The process presented by the Kaspar Schulz company makes a further distinction between hot holding and boiling-off - with advantages in terms of flexibility and use of primary energy.
In older designs of coppers with low evaporation rates, no problem arose in terms of breakdown of precursors of undesirable aroma components at boiling times of 80 min and more. As far as protein excretion is concerned, the objective has always been to "boil out" sufficient protein in the absence of protein-stabilising additives in beer. Foam problems could hardly be ascribed to wort boiling itself.

Final carbonation of filtered beer may occasionally result in different CO2 values arising in the various bright beer tanks. It may also happen that, due to a change in demand, a different CO2 value in the finished beer is subsequently required, e.g. due to a different container or the like.

Moreover, one might possibly have to transfer the contents of a bright beer tank to a transport tank for filling elsewhere.
In some instances, it may be favourable to do final carbonation in the particular bright beer tank to avoid having to filter and carbonate the whole content of the bright beer tank again. This is time-consuming and involves additional costs, furthermore the equipment used is not otherwise available for hours.
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Athenian Breweries S.A. installed new filter equipment and largely fully automatic process technology in the brewery plants in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras. This report provides details on the new installations.

The first "FS 130 System Beer" kieselguhr filter from the "Clear-plus-2000" programme of A. Steinecker Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Freising/Germany, was installed in Patras in 1982. In line with a capacity increase, a second line, again with a capacity of 400 hl/h, was added in 1985.
Convinced about the technology, decision-makers in the Patras brewery asked the planners to undertake a complex job: In the context of automation and extension, the two filter lines had to be moved, one after the other, to a new building while continuing with production..