Energy and water management in the brewery – Part 3

Many different technical solutions for improving the environmental performance in a brewery are widely available from the major brewhouse suppliers. In part 1 of this series, the combination of a vapour condenser, condensate cooler, heat storage tank (stratification tank) and wort preheater was discussed. This is the obvious choice for any new brewery for recovery and reuse of thermal energy, even though this solution is not always a guarantee that energy is effectively recovered and reused. Often there is an imbalance between heat recovery and heat reuse. In spite of the benefits, surprisingly few breweries use stratification tanks.

Skol! to the Ikea way

Swedes are on first name terms with Billy, Malm and Hemnes. They come in birch veneer, black-brown, oak veneer and white and are sold by Ikea. Ever since Ikea was founded exactly 70 years ago, it has not only changed the way Swedes furnish their homes – perhaps eight in ten people sleep on an Ikea mattress, and it’s even been suggested that most babies are conceived in Ikea beds – it has also changed the way Swedes run their lives. If you can assemble an Akurum kitchen without going mad, you won’t be daunted by the task of building your own brewery. Don’t get me wrong. Not every Swedish homebrewer has turned to brewing full-time, but quite a few have. Therefore, today’s 70 or so craft breweries owe their existence, at least in part, to the prevalent Ikea can-do approach.

Thermally regenerated kieselguhr – an alternative to conventional kieselguhr?

The notion that thermally regenerated kieselguhr could serve as an alternative to conventional, untreated kieselguhr has been a topic of discussion for years in the German brewing industry. Some view kieselguhr, also known as diatomaceous earth, which has been thermally regenerated, as a fully acceptable alternative while others refuse to even consider it. When attempting to ascertain basic facts on this subject, it becomes evident that there is almost no solid information specific to this application. Therefore, an objective evaluation for the utilization of thermally regenerated kieselguhr in beer filtration is needed. The results of the evaluation conducted by the VLB Berlin in cooperation with Tremonis GmbH, Dortmund are described in this paper.

From vintner’s son to prominent brewer in the Italian craft beer scene

When he came into the world, Teo Musso’s path was already laid for him as the son of a vintner in the northern Italian region of Piedmont, a region known above all for Barolo (barrique) wine. However, as is often the case, his destiny took an unexpected turn. When Teo was 15 years old, his father Enrico Musso began to train his son’s palate to recognize the “proper” flavors preferred in wine by giving him a glass of wine and water. This marked the beginning of an on-going conflict between the two. Young Teo, who was groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps, made up his mind to thwart his father’s plans for him and, in rebellion, began drinking beer – though he didn’t really care for it.

Pentair Filtration Solutions has acquired Carl Prandtl MicroFiltration (CPM), a global leader in sterile air filtration. CPM brings Pentair Filtration Solutions over a century of innovation and expertise in sterile air filtration technologies in the Food and Beverage industry. . CPM also offers a line of in-process and off-line filter cartridge integrity testing equipment.

Depth filtration makes a comeback

Beer filtration has seen significant developments over the last 25 years. An excellent overview, including a synopsis of the status quo and the prospects for the future for this sector, was published in the BRAUWELT anniversary edition [1]. Most systems are either new or based on further developments of existing technologies that usually require substantial investment and therefore represent a significant hurdle for small and medium-size companies. True to the motto “Never change a winning team”, Begerow uses a different approach for offering breweries environment-friendly and economic filtration solutions. Read on to find out how different breweries work with Becopad.

Identification of hazes in beer – Part I

The so-called brightness is an important quality characteristic of beers. After extended storage, clear filtered beer eventually loses its brilliance while haze or deposits form. Consumers expect that beer does not change, at least not until the best before date. It is therefore expedient to remove haze-active substances. To reduce haze formation, use of filter aids and stabilisers prolong colloidal stability in commercial operations. In the first part of this article series, the authors describe the most important haze-forming substances in beer and known mechanisms of formation. The second part presents a practical method for identifying hazes and describes relevant test methods, illustrated by commercial examples. The problem of “haze in beer” has been a research focus at the Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology for some years [5].

Like a rabbit in the headlights

To avoid the demography-is-destiny-trap, Japanese firms are looking overseas for growth. But it’s a big leap to become a fully-fledged international player.

Particles contributing to turbidity in beer

Demands on quality | The appearance of a beverage plays a significant role in the enjoyment of the drinking experience. With the advent of transparent, colorless glasses, clarity has become a sign of quality. The following article provides a brief overview of the development of fine, bright filtration and explores the causes for turbidity in beer and the measures employed to correct it.

Ten years experience in beer membrane filtration

In terms of sustainability, the brewing industry has passed the point of no return. After the sector has topped out, it has turned its back on conventional solutions and is moving towards clean technologies that are in keeping with the perpetual upward movement in terms of quality, sustainability and flexibility, naturally at lower cost. Experience gathered at Norit over ten years of development work in beer filtration is summarised in this article.

Alive and kicking

Some brewers are feeling morose about their future. The growing interest in special edition beers however suggests they should not.