Craft Beer Brewing Equipment: beer equipment fermentation tank Knowledge. There are basically two important core steps in the brewing process of craft beer: one is maltification, and the other is wort fermentation.
Among them, the wort fermentation process is mainly completed by fermentation tanks, but how much do you know about beer fermentation tanks:How is the fermenter configured? What are the key points of the fermentation process? What is the function of the pipe fittings and valves it is equipped with?
Today, vdobrew, a beer equipment manufacturer, will take you to learn more about it.
1. The basic principle of beer fermentation tank
In the process of beer brewing, after the malt is prepared into wort by the saccharification system, it is cooled and put into the fermentation tank, and beer yeast is added to start fermentation. The traditional process is divided into pre-fermentation and post-fermentation, which are carried out in different fermentation tanks. Now the popular practice is to carry out one fermentation in one tank.
The pre-fermentation mainly uses yeast to convert the maltose in the wort into alcohol (that is, the anaerobic respiration of yeast), and the post-fermentation mainly produces some flavor substances, eliminates the peculiar smell in the beer, and promotes the maturation of the beer.
Cool, put it into the fermentation tank, add brewer’s yeast, and start fermentation. The traditional process is divided into pre-fermentation and post-fermentation, which are carried out in different fermentation tanks. Now the popular practice is to carry out one fermentation in one tank.
The pre-fermentation mainly uses yeast to convert the maltose in the wort into alcohol (that is, the anaerobic respiration of yeast), and the post-fermentation mainly produces some flavor substances, eliminates the peculiar smell in the beer, and promotes the maturation of the beer.
2、the characteristics of beer fermentation tanks
1. It should have a strict structure.
2. Good liquid mixing characteristics.
3. Good mass transfer phase heat transfer rate.
4. Equipped with supporting and reliable detection and control instruments.
5. High reliability of fermentation process operation.
Detail of beer fermenter3. Basic configuration description of beer fermentation tank
1. The volume of the beer fermentation tank is determined according to the customer’s requirements; it is generally divided into two parameters: the effective volume and the total volume. Because beer fermentation requires a certain space for the fermentation tank, the total volume is generally 1.2-1.3 times the effective volume.
2. The overall dimensions of the beer fermentation tank are generally designed flexibly according to the customer’s site, but the basic height-diameter ratio is not less than 1.
3. The material of beer fermentation tank is mainly food-grade SUS304 stainless steel. If customers have requirements, SUS316L can also be used, but the cost is much higher.
4. The polishing accuracy of the inner wall of the beer fermentation tank is not more than 0.6um.
5. The beer fermentation tank needs to be insulated, and the general insulation material is polyurethane.
6. The beer fermentation tank is generally designed with a lower cone, and the common taper is 60° and 72° compression design.
7. Cooling method of beer fermentation tank: mainly use stainless steel Maitreya plate or water jacket to cool down, and the cooling medium generally adopts ice water circulation cooling at about minus 7 degrees.
8. Cleaning of beer fermentation tank: mainly equipped with cleaning device, circulating cleaning with water, alkaline water or disinfectant.
9. The beer fermentation tank is equipped with a pressure manhole at the top or a pressure manhole at the waist, which is convenient for observation in the tank or manual cleaning.
10. The temperature control of the beer fermentation tank is mainly detected by PT100 temperature probe, and the solenoid valve controls the flow of ice water for automatic control.
11. The pressure control of the beer fermentation tank is mainly controlled by a mechanical pressure regulating valve, and the pressure gauge is displayed.
12. Other pipe fittings valves, such as sampling valve, butterfly valve, ice water valve, hop dry casting port, etc., can be prepared according to the needs of the process.
4. Description of the function of beer fermentation tank accessories
1. Wine valve: If the wine is directly sold in the fermentation tank, it is recommended to configure the wine valve, which can facilitate the wine.
2. Refrigeration system: It can accurately control the fermentation temperature of beer, reduce the error of fermentation temperature, and ensure the quality of beer brewing.
3. Manhole of the fermentation tank: It can not only add hops, but also facilitate everyone to observe the wine level, and also facilitate manual entry into the tank for manual cleaning of the inside of the tank.
4. Pressure gauge: It is mainly used for the display of the pressure data of the fermentation tank, which is convenient for everyone to observe the pressure in the tank.
5. Fermentation thermostat: used to adjust the fermentation temperature of beer to ensure the stability of fermentation temperature during beer fermentation.
6. Safety valve: The safety guarantee of the beer fermentation process can automatically discharge the pressure to prevent the pressure from being too high due to operator errors and safety accidents.
7. Sampling valve: It is mainly used for sampling and testing the fermentation liquid in the beer fermentation process to prevent bacteria contamination during the fermentation process caused by sampling.
8. Liquid level meter: For the convenience of observation, a liquid level meter can be configured to know the quantity of beer in the fermentation tank at any time.
Beer fermentation process diagram5. Fermentation process of beer fermentation tank
1. Beer fermentation temperature control: Controlling different fermentation temperatures has its own advantages and disadvantages. Using low-temperature fermentation, yeast produces less by-products during the fermentation process, so that the beer tastes better and the foam is in good condition, but the fermentation time is long; Using high temperature fermentation, the fermentation speed of yeast is fast, the fermentation time is short, and the utilization rate of equipment is high, but more by-products are generated, and the beer taste is poor.
2. Control of beer concentration: The change of wort concentration is affected by fermentation temperature and fermentation time. If the fermentation is vigorous and the sugar-lowering speed is fast, the fermentation temperature can be appropriately lowered and the holding time of the highest temperature can be shortened;
3. Control of beer fermentation time: The fermentation time mainly depends on the change of the fermentation temperature. The higher the fermentation temperature, the shorter the fermentation time; the lower the fermentation temperature, the longer the fermentation time.
There are many types of fermentation tanks, as long as they are used in the fermentation industry, due to different uses, the requirements for fermentation tanks are also different. Beer fermenters also vary depending on the beer being brewed. These are the general contents of a beer fermenter for reference.
If you want to know more about beer fermentation tank or beer equipment, you can pay attention to the official website of vdobrew beer equipment.
