What brewers do with a primary PLC controlled brewhouse
- May 18, 2018
- 75
- beer
What brewers do with a primary PLC controlled brewhouse
Now more and more brewers mentioned the PLC control panel for their brewhouse. The main intention is to have easier and less labored brewing operation.
The PLC control system can be with software CPU-200, CPU-1200, CPU-300 even higher level like CPU-400. But only with one of those CPU, it is not enough. The instruments decide how smart the whole brewhouse can be.
The instruments include such as: pneumatic valves, more sensitive temp.sensors, floemter, level switch, empty level switch, foaming sensors, wort clarity tester, pressure transmitter, motorized valve etc. Many of them are really expensive.
Now for our customers who plan to build up a micro brewery, considering the budget and actual operation demand, we only normally advice customer use pneumatic valves, flowmeter into their PLC controller.
The automation is basic and primary, and the operation will be like below:
Mashing
For example, if we increase the mash liquid temperature via heating the mash tun directly, then we can set the mashing temperatures in advance on the control panel touch screen: such as 30 ℃, 45℃, 55℃, 65℃, 72℃.
Then the steam valve will open or close itself to heat the mash liquid to 30 ℃, 45℃, 55℃, 65℃, 72℃ step by step, and rest certain time at eat temperature.
Lauter
Then the brewer touches screen to start the pump and open related valves, to transfer mash liquid from mash tun to lauter tun.
During this process, the brewmaster control the transferring speed via adjust the VFD. Then the brewmaster touches screen again to stop the pump and close valves when the mash tun is empty.
Since here is no empty level switch, the brewer need check it by eyes.
In the lauter tun, the brewer touches screen to start pump and related valves again for ‘vorlauf/recirculating’.
When the wort looks clear in the sight glass, the brewer touches screen to stop pump and related valves.
Then he touches the lauter pump and related valves to start lauter.
Then the brewmaster touches screen again to stop the pump and close valves when the lauter tun is empty (since here is no empty level switch, the brewer need check it by eyes).
Boiling &Whirlpool
Then the brewer set a boiling temperature on touch screen to start boiling process, and boiling time can be also set (of course during boiling, hops are added into the kettle manually at different time points).
When boiling stops itself, the brewer touch screen to start the wort pump and related valves to start whirlpool.
Wort cooling
After whirlpool, the brewer touches screen to open wort pump and valves for wort fooling.
The brewer monitor the wort temperature at the wort outlet (heat exchanger wort outlet) though a normal temperature meter, and she/he can manually adjust the port/valve to adjust the flowspeed of the cold water according to the wort temperature.
Thank you for reading.
Tiantai, your honest brewery builder!
Edited by Jana Wang
Sales Manager
Email: [email protected]
Now more and more brewers mentioned the PLC control panel for their brewhouse. The main intention is to have easier and less labored brewing operation.
The PLC control system can be with software CPU-200, CPU-1200, CPU-300 even higher level like CPU-400. But only with one of those CPU, it is not enough. The instruments decide how smart the whole brewhouse can be.
The instruments include such as: pneumatic valves, more sensitive temp.sensors, floemter, level switch, empty level switch, foaming sensors, wort clarity tester, pressure transmitter, motorized valve etc. Many of them are really expensive.
Now for our customers who plan to build up a micro brewery, considering the budget and actual operation demand, we only normally advice customer use pneumatic valves, flowmeter into their PLC controller.
The automation is basic and primary, and the operation will be like below:
Mashing
For example, if we increase the mash liquid temperature via heating the mash tun directly, then we can set the mashing temperatures in advance on the control panel touch screen: such as 30 ℃, 45℃, 55℃, 65℃, 72℃.
Then the steam valve will open or close itself to heat the mash liquid to 30 ℃, 45℃, 55℃, 65℃, 72℃ step by step, and rest certain time at eat temperature.
Lauter
Then the brewer touches screen to start the pump and open related valves, to transfer mash liquid from mash tun to lauter tun.
During this process, the brewmaster control the transferring speed via adjust the VFD. Then the brewmaster touches screen again to stop the pump and close valves when the mash tun is empty.
Since here is no empty level switch, the brewer need check it by eyes.
In the lauter tun, the brewer touches screen to start pump and related valves again for ‘vorlauf/recirculating’.
When the wort looks clear in the sight glass, the brewer touches screen to stop pump and related valves.
Then he touches the lauter pump and related valves to start lauter.
Then the brewmaster touches screen again to stop the pump and close valves when the lauter tun is empty (since here is no empty level switch, the brewer need check it by eyes).
Boiling &Whirlpool
Then the brewer set a boiling temperature on touch screen to start boiling process, and boiling time can be also set (of course during boiling, hops are added into the kettle manually at different time points).
When boiling stops itself, the brewer touch screen to start the wort pump and related valves to start whirlpool.
Wort cooling
After whirlpool, the brewer touches screen to open wort pump and valves for wort fooling.
The brewer monitor the wort temperature at the wort outlet (heat exchanger wort outlet) though a normal temperature meter, and she/he can manually adjust the port/valve to adjust the flowspeed of the cold water according to the wort temperature.
Thank you for reading.
Tiantai, your honest brewery builder!
Edited by Jana Wang
Sales Manager
Email: [email protected]
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