The brewhouse system consists of several hardware devices, including a mash pot, a filter tank, a boiling pot, a whirlpool, a temporary storage tank, and a hot water tank, each with its own unique functions. Let’s explore these components with the engineers from ACE Craft!
Preparation
First and foremost, at the front end of the craft brewery, we set up a malt raw material warehouse to store malt and perform metering and cleaning functions to prepare for the next step, which involves crushing the raw materials. Small-scale beer brewing equipment may skip this step and directly use dry malt powder.
Malt Crushing
The malt crushing device is responsible for crushing the malt, which is the main raw material used in brewing. The degree of malt crushing directly affects the efficiency and results of the mashing process. Breweries usually adopt wet grinding. In this process, the malt undergoes pretreatment, spraying, and wetting before grinding. This ensures that the husk of the malt doesn’t get overly crushed after being wetted, as the husk contains some substances that are unfavorable to the wort. If the pulverization is too fine, these harmful substances will be released, making wort filtration difficult. However, for small equipment, malt can be dried before crushing. Beer equipment typically uses a pair of roller crushing equipment to achieve complete crushing of the inner core of the malt while keeping the outer skin intact. This ensures the efficiency and stability of the subsequent brewhouse process, and the wheat husk itself acts as a natural filter layer. The pulverization effect is confirmed by adjusting the distance between the core of the pulverizer and the roller.
Crushing operation: Malt crushing can also be pre-soaked in water to achieve a “broken but not crushed” state during the crushing process. The finer the malt powder, the better, as it facilitates protein decomposition and sugar leaching.
Beer Brewhouse System Equipment
The brewhouse system is the core part of the entire beer brewing equipment. After the malt is crushed, it enters the brewhouse equipment for mashing. The brewhouse system typically consists of a hot water tank, a mash pot, a filter tank, a boiling pot, and a whirlpool. Temperature control and filter tank design are crucial to meet the requirements of the beer brewing process and to prepare high-quality wort with a certain sugar yield.
The brewhouse system is made of sanitary grade stainless steel 304, ensuring the pure taste and hygiene of the beer. It also extends the effective service life of the equipment, delaying its depreciation.
Beer Brewing Process Introduction:
- Add a specific amount of brewing water to the brewhouse pot. The temperature of the saccharification feeding water varies depending on the brewing process, generally ranging from 35-55°C.
- Place the crushed malt into the mash pot, start the stirring motor, and ensure precise coordination of the mashing temperature and time through the automatic temperature control system. This ensures a step-by-step sugar extraction process and improves the sugar extraction rate of the wort.
- At the end of the mashing time, the temperature rises to around 76-78°C. An iodine test can be performed to ensure complete starch decomposition in the malt.
- Next, turn on the wort pump and transfer the wort mash to the filter tank for filtration and collection. During this process, the clarity of the wort should be monitored, and self-reflux operation should be used to maintain clarity.
- Start wort collection by draining the remaining wort. After the wort bed is exposed, initiate the wort washing process by pumping a certain amount of wort washing water. After stirring and settling, continue collecting the wort. The amount of washed wort depends on the original wort concentration and determines how many times the tank needs to be washed.
- Proceed to the boiling process by boiling the collected wort. Add an appropriate amount of hops in batches during this period. The typical boiling time ranges from 60 to 120 minutes.
- After boiling, transfer the wort to the whirlpool tank and let it stand for approximately 20 minutes. Then, cool it down using a plate heat exchanger and oxygenate it before transferring it to the beer fermentation tank. At this stage, yeast is added, and the fermentation temperature is set. The beer then undergoes fermentation until maturity and is subsequently cold-stored.
Beer Fermentation System Equipment
The beer fermentation system consists of fermentation tanks, a refrigeration system, a control system, and pipeline valves. Precise temperature control during fermentation is crucial. After fermentation, the beer can be transferred to a sake tank for further fermentation and aging. Filling and storage processes can involve centrifugation or instant sterilization and pasteurization techniques.
Beer Filtration and Sterilization Equipment
The beer filtration system removes residual yeast, wheat mash, hop particles, and certain microorganisms from the fermented and matured beer, resulting in a clear liquid. This process slows down wine deterioration, improves beer stability, enhances hygiene, and enables longer storage.
Conventional beer filtration systems include candle-type diatomite filters, plate-and-frame diatomite filters, and membrane filters. However, in recent times, many craft beers prefer to be consumed as fresh, unfiltered and unsterilized beer. In such cases, the entire filling process must meet strict standards. It should be noted that the shelf life of unfiltered beer is generally shorter.
Beer Filling Equipment
There are various options for beer filling equipment, including glass bottles, cans, tin cans, and barrels in different sizes such as 20L and 30L American standard barrels, and European standard barrels. The choice depends on the brewery’s production capacity and the filtration and sterilization methods used.
Get the Key to Unlock the Craft Brewery
The typical batch output capacities of beer brewing equipment include 100 liters, 200 liters, 300 liters, 500 liters, 1000 liters, 2000 liters, 5000 liters, 10 tons, 20 tons, 50 tons, and 100 tons. For experimental equipment in breweries and hotel catering establishments, smaller capacities such as 300L, 500L, and 1000L can be used. 10 tons and 20 tons are more commonly used.
The specifications for the saccharification system and the quantity and capacity of fermentation tanks are determined based on the planned production capacity of the brewery project. Generally, a craft beer factory would start with the first, second, and third phases of the project. This includes designing and planning the saccharification system to meet production capacity requirements and allowing for the future addition of fermentation tanks. Obtaining the necessary approvals for sanitation and environmental assessments is also crucial.
If you are planning to open a brewery, ACE can assist you by answering your questions and providing beer equipment systems.
To obtain a turnkey solution for brewery equipment, contact us directly. Our engineers will design and manufacture brewery equipment tailored to your brewing process. We can provide a complete turnkey solution and customized options if you plan to expand your brewery.
