Higher automation level for micro brwery
- Nov 10, 2017
- 113
- beer
Higher automation level for micro brwery
We are manufacture of beer brewing equipment in China. Some customers asked us if we could do the fully automatic control for their brewhouse.
We had wrote a blog before to explain the fully automatic bewhouse before.
Here we would like to describe the control process step by step of one kind of automation level, as different people have different understanding on the automation.
If you are also thinking about the similar automation level for your microbrewery, welcome to any your additional ideas.
Grain feeding for microbrewery:
→The grain weight in the hopper is scaled in advance manually by brewer such as 500kg.
→We set spray water temperature (e.g 30℃) in advance, and also set the mashing washing water feeding amount (e.g 1500L) in advance.
→We only need to press the ‘start button’ on PLC:
→the gate valve open automaticlly
→the grain drop down.
→Meanwhile, the water (30℃) sprays into the hydrator automatically (the water temperature is set on computer in advance, this temperature can be changed/adjusted freely before or during the sparing process).
→When the hopper is empty, the level switch gives signal to computer, the gate is close automatically.
→The mashing keeps flows into the MT until it reaches sucn as 1500L, then the water pump and valve stop automaticaly.
Mashing process for microbrewery:
We can set temperatures and resting times in advance according to the recipe.
We can chose in advance to have manual intervention in some steps.
→For example we set 35℃, resting 30 minutes,
52℃, resting 40 minutes
65℃, resting 30minutes, add a manual intervention (YES NO) to decide if we should continue to next step.
78℃
→ Lauter decision: Yes No
Mash transfer from MKT to LT for microbrewery:
We chose YES to start the Lauter process, so the mash pump is on, the pneumatic valves (at draining port of MLT, and mash inlet of LT) are on, so mash will be transferred from MKT to LT at the same time.
When the mash pipe is empty, the level switch sends signal to PLC to stop the mash pump, and close the valves.
Then we press button ‘YES’ to confirm vorlauf process.
Vorlauf for microbrewery:
The lauter pump is on. The pneumatic valves (vorlauf inlet and outlet) are on, so the recirculating starts.
Sparge for microbrewery:
When we chose ‘Lauter’ in last step, then the lauter starts.
The wort flows into the pressure balance column by gravity from the multi-wort-outlets.
We can set the required total wort amount (the wort amount that flows into the KWT) on PLC.
If the first wort is not enough, we can chose ‘ Sparge YES’ or ‘Sparge NO’.
We set the sparge requirement (temperature and amount) in advance.
For example:
Step 1. add 200 l water, collect 180 l of wort,
Step 2. add 200 l of water, collect 200 l of wort,
Step 3. add 200 l of water, collect 200 l of wort,
When the total required wort amount is reached, the sparge stop automatically.
Spent grain draining for microbrewery:
When lauter is done, there will be a reminder on the computer: Spent grain draining YES or NO.
This process will be done manually and the tank is cleaned manually.
Boiling for microbrewery:
We set in advance about the heating starting time (such as once the wort is over the steam jacket)
We can set the boiling time.
For example:
→We set that the heat starts once the wort is over the steam jacket.
→We set that the heating keeps for e.g 100 minutes once the boiling happens.
→We set several alarms for reminding adding hopper at different times, as well as the adding amount and hopper type.
Whirlpool for microbrewery:
We set in advance the standing time such as 40 minutes Then the valves and pump are open to transfer wort from WT to PHE.
We set that the pump speed is quicker when the wort level is still high (as the higher wort is normally clean).
Then the pump speed down to a slower speed automatically when the wort level is lower, so it avoid a second whirlpool or a turbulence of the trub.
Wort cooling for microbrewery:
We set cooling temperature on computer.
So the valve for glycol water and tap water will adjust automatically to keep the cooling temperature around that set temperature.
When the whirlpool tun is empty, then the valves and pump close automatically.
Edited by Jana
Sales manager
[email protected]
We are manufacture of beer brewing equipment in China. Some customers asked us if we could do the fully automatic control for their brewhouse.
We had wrote a blog before to explain the fully automatic bewhouse before.
Here we would like to describe the control process step by step of one kind of automation level, as different people have different understanding on the automation.
If you are also thinking about the similar automation level for your microbrewery, welcome to any your additional ideas.
Grain feeding for microbrewery:
→The grain weight in the hopper is scaled in advance manually by brewer such as 500kg.
→We set spray water temperature (e.g 30℃) in advance, and also set the mashing washing water feeding amount (e.g 1500L) in advance.
→We only need to press the ‘start button’ on PLC:
→the gate valve open automaticlly
→the grain drop down.
→Meanwhile, the water (30℃) sprays into the hydrator automatically (the water temperature is set on computer in advance, this temperature can be changed/adjusted freely before or during the sparing process).
→When the hopper is empty, the level switch gives signal to computer, the gate is close automatically.
→The mashing keeps flows into the MT until it reaches sucn as 1500L, then the water pump and valve stop automaticaly.
Mashing process for microbrewery:
We can set temperatures and resting times in advance according to the recipe.
We can chose in advance to have manual intervention in some steps.
→For example we set 35℃, resting 30 minutes,
52℃, resting 40 minutes
65℃, resting 30minutes, add a manual intervention (YES NO) to decide if we should continue to next step.
78℃
→ Lauter decision: Yes No
Mash transfer from MKT to LT for microbrewery:
We chose YES to start the Lauter process, so the mash pump is on, the pneumatic valves (at draining port of MLT, and mash inlet of LT) are on, so mash will be transferred from MKT to LT at the same time.
When the mash pipe is empty, the level switch sends signal to PLC to stop the mash pump, and close the valves.
Then we press button ‘YES’ to confirm vorlauf process.
Vorlauf for microbrewery:
The lauter pump is on. The pneumatic valves (vorlauf inlet and outlet) are on, so the recirculating starts.
Sparge for microbrewery:
When we chose ‘Lauter’ in last step, then the lauter starts.
The wort flows into the pressure balance column by gravity from the multi-wort-outlets.
We can set the required total wort amount (the wort amount that flows into the KWT) on PLC.
If the first wort is not enough, we can chose ‘ Sparge YES’ or ‘Sparge NO’.
We set the sparge requirement (temperature and amount) in advance.
For example:
Step 1. add 200 l water, collect 180 l of wort,
Step 2. add 200 l of water, collect 200 l of wort,
Step 3. add 200 l of water, collect 200 l of wort,
When the total required wort amount is reached, the sparge stop automatically.
Spent grain draining for microbrewery:
When lauter is done, there will be a reminder on the computer: Spent grain draining YES or NO.
This process will be done manually and the tank is cleaned manually.
Boiling for microbrewery:
We set in advance about the heating starting time (such as once the wort is over the steam jacket)
We can set the boiling time.
For example:
→We set that the heat starts once the wort is over the steam jacket.
→We set that the heating keeps for e.g 100 minutes once the boiling happens.
→We set several alarms for reminding adding hopper at different times, as well as the adding amount and hopper type.
Whirlpool for microbrewery:
We set in advance the standing time such as 40 minutes Then the valves and pump are open to transfer wort from WT to PHE.
We set that the pump speed is quicker when the wort level is still high (as the higher wort is normally clean).
Then the pump speed down to a slower speed automatically when the wort level is lower, so it avoid a second whirlpool or a turbulence of the trub.
Wort cooling for microbrewery:
We set cooling temperature on computer.
So the valve for glycol water and tap water will adjust automatically to keep the cooling temperature around that set temperature.
When the whirlpool tun is empty, then the valves and pump close automatically.
Edited by Jana
Sales manager
[email protected]
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