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BREWERY DESIGN: THREE STEPS TO DESIGNING the BREWHOUSE system | NFE

January 03, 2023

Good brewery design can also lead to huge cash savings. Time is money – so we design our brewhouses to reduce time spent on tasks. 

Poor brewery design leads to inefficiencies, haphazard processes and over extended resources. 


While many parts of brewery design definitely come down to preference and opinion – there are some staples to getting it right that we follow, to give our clients the best results. 


When we are helping a client lock in their brewhouse design, we focus on three main points – heating method, configuration and controls.  (To help everyone keep up, we have created this handy Glossary of Terms!)


MT – mash tun
LT – lauter tun
KT – brew kettle
WT – whirlpool tun
MLT – mash and lauter combination tun
KWT – kettle and whirlpool combination tun
HLT – hot liquor tank
CLT – cold liquor tank

BREWERY HEATING METHOD


This is a really critical question for brewhouse equipment – as your heating method could possibly dictate your entire configuration, Because the temperature of the heating interface is not only related to the quality of the beer, but also related to the energy consumption during the boiling process. 

The heating methods we offer are steam, direct-fire and electric – and we prefer them in that order as well.

Before deciding on your heat source it is best to look at your site and the utilities coming in. 

Do you have a natural gas line? Can you put gas bottles onsite? (These are important for gas steam boilers or direct-fire.) What are your electricity costs? (This is important for electric heating elements and electric steam boilers.)


STEAM HEATING METHOD

We think the steam heating is the best option for a brewery. Primarily because it gives you efficiency (make sure to return the condensate water to hot water tank) and flexibility. 

With steam heating method you are able to perform step mashing in a mash and lauter combination vessel. Not to mention steam can be used in other equipment in the brewery, for example cleaning and packaging equipment. 

 

An important note – in terms of installation cost, it is typically the most expensive option as steam boilers are expensive and installation of steam lines and componentry is also pricey. In terms of maintenance and upkeep, the steam boilers require professional engineers to maintain the longevity of these units, so choosing the best boiler supplier is crucial. 

 

Pros: flexibility, efficiency, heating uniformity, fastest heating.it is better for beer taste,

Cons: expensive installation, regulations and maintenance.


DIRECT-FIRE HEATING METHOD


Imagine a big flamethrower aimed at the bottom of a vessel via a firebox this is essentially a direct-fire system! The burners used are intense, but you will get a good rigorous rolling boil with a direct fire flame. If you choose direct fire heating, you need to make sure that the gas supply line is the right size and well ventilated.

 

At NFE, we prefer this option better than electric, as you can start heating shortly after covering the bottom of the kettle like steam. 

Pros: cheap installation, low maintenance, faster heating
Cons: least efficient, single infusion mashing, more expensive due to the firebox.

ELECTRIC HEATING METHOD


Depending on your electricity rate this can be pretty expensive. This is why we generally don’t recommend this heating method for anything over 7BBL brewing system or 10BBL brewing equipment – unless you have crazy cheap electricity.

You can get good boils from heating elements, but they can also prove problematic for cleaning and also whirlpooling, as they can disrupt the effects.

Pros: cheapest installation, low maintenance, easier to installation and operatation.

Cons: not the best when using a kettle and whirlpool combination vessel, scorching of wort, no heat source for mash tun


ELECTRIC HEATING METHOD


Depending on your electricity rate this can be pretty expensive. This is why we generally don’t recommend this heating method for anything over 7BBL brewing system or 10BBL brewing equipment – unless you have crazy cheap electricity.

You can get good boils from heating elements, but they can also prove problematic for cleaning and also whirlpooling, as they can disrupt the effects.

Pros: cheapest installation, low maintenance, easier to installation and operatation.

Cons: not the best when using a kettle and whirlpool combination vessel, scorching of wort, no heat source for mash tun


               


               

               



CONFIGURATION


Over the years we have designed many different combinations of brewhouse systems.

However, the most common would be our 2-vessel with a mash and lauter combination vessel and kettle and whirlpool combination vessel. With a 2-vessel system you can do double brews – but they can prove to be long days!

Once you have the need to do 2+ brews a day then you should look into a 3-vessel brewhouse system. 

We have mainly done the configuration of mash tun, lauter tun, and kettle and whirlpool combination vessel – but have done mash and lauter combination vessel, kettle and whirlpool. Each has their own pros and cons and it really depends on the brewer and beer styles.

Beyond a 3-vessel brewhouse solution you get into a 4-vessel or even 5-vessel brewhouse. This splits each process out into its own vessel,Brewing efficiency will be greatly improved.


 


               



CONTROLS


Modern brewhouse control system can improve product quality, enhance the safety of brewing process and reduce production cost. Today we'll take a brief look at several types of brewhouse control systems commonly used in modern breweries-manual and semi-automatic (varying degrees) and fully automatic (not seen a lot in craft, mostly it is used for large brewery).

 

When we design a manual system we try to make the main bulk of valves and componentry in 1 or 2 locations. This is so the brewer is not constantly having to move around the brewhouse equipment. We also implement a double control panel design, with functionality crossing between both. This way the brewer is not constantly running up and down the stairs to adjust pump speeds, turn on rakes, etc.

 

When we design the semi-automatic control system(that is to say, it is PLC Siemens control system),the PLC controller can be programmed and have the touch screen, and it realized to automatic temperature control. The PLC is able to centrally manage the beer tanks, and the state of brewery tanks within each tanks will be visible on the HMI (human-machine interface) through the temperature curve. For different brewing recipes or fermentation requirements, can be programmed to set several steps, and design according to the time/temperature setting data automatically different steps. If you add a site manager, you can even do remote monitoring.

 

Customization variance


Each of our clients is given their very own, custom designed brewhouse equipment. Each design is different from the next – we have never built the exact same brewhouse equipment twice!

We take all the factors into consideration – the size and shape of the brewery space, the physical location, utilities – and most important, the needs and wants of the brewer. 

What you’re trying to achieve and the type of beer you’re planning on brewing are the two most important details. 

 

We respect every client’s requirement, Their ideas are unique!

 



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