With the improvement of living standards, there is a growing demand for high-end and diverse beer flavors. Craft beer focuses on providing a premium experience, using the freshest and most nutritious ingredients, and employing a controlled brewing process. Let’s explore some key factors in maintaining hygiene during the craft beer brewing process.
Raw Material Selection and Hygiene Control
The selection of raw materials is crucial for craft beer production. Opting for pure, high-quality malt is the best choice, without adding any auxiliary substances. This returns to the traditional method of beer brewing, resulting in a rich malt aroma.
Malt storage should prevent moisture, mildew, and insect infestation, while ensuring proper air circulation. It’s important to monitor temperature and humidity changes in the malt warehouse and take preventive measures such as spraying and fumigation to ward off insect damage.
Hygienic Control of the Brewing Process
- Milling control: After milling, it is essential to promptly feed the raw materials, especially during hot summer months. Failure to do so may lead to damp and moldy malt.
- Boiling control: Boiling plays a crucial role in wort sterilization. Sufficient boiling intensity and duration must be ensured.
- Tank entry control: Once the boiled wort is pumped into the lauter tank, it should be cooled promptly to avoid prolonged stay, which can cause a decrease in wort temperature and microbial contamination. Before the wort enters the tank, ensure that the wort pipes, compressed air, and yeast are sterile to achieve zero pollution.
Fermentation Hygiene Control
The fermentation vessel must be sterile before the wort is transferred into it, and it should be cleaned in a timely manner to maintain the effectiveness of disinfection. After each fermentation cycle, the fermentation vessel should be thoroughly cleaned to prevent hygiene issues.
The fermentation workshop must maintain a clean environment, ensuring daily ultraviolet sterilization for at least 30 minutes and quarterly fumigation.
Filling Hygiene Control
Craft beer differentiates itself from regular beer by preserving the pure taste and nutritional value of the fermented brew without subsequent sterilization. Therefore, the filling process of craft beer requires strict adherence to hygiene standards.
Currently, high-end consumption places package beer in cans or glass bottles suitable for low-temperature storage. The bottling process demands stringent environmental sanitation to uphold hygienic operation standards.
The majority of beer barrels are filled using a wine injector. The key focus lies in maintaining hygienic control before the spear caps of the beer barrels come into contact with the beer dispenser, ensuring constant sterility.
Hygienic Controls for Storage and Transport of Finished Products
Craft beer requires a complete cold chain during its storage and transportation. Beer is not only rich in nutrients but also contains active yeast. Poor temperature control can result in secondary yeast fermentation, affecting the taste and causing high pressure in the bottle, leading to cap leakage and potential microbial contamination.
In summary, every step of the craft beer brewing process demands rigorous hygiene standards. It is essential to rely on space hygiene and standardized operations. While we appreciate the premium nature of craft beer, it is equally important to maintain controlled and standardized brewing processes.
Turnkey Craft Brewery
If you are planning to establish your own craft brewery, hygiene is of utmost importance. The hygienic quality of beer production directly influences the taste. If you are ready to start a craft brewery, feel free to contact us. ACE Craft’s professional engineers will provide you with the perfect beer equipment solution to help you turn your dreams into reality. We look forward to collaborating with you!
For a turnkey solution for brewery equipment, contact us directly if you plan to open or expand your brewery. Our engineers will design and manufacture brewery equipment tailored to your brewing process. We also offer complete turnkey solutions and customized options for brewery expansion.
