Beer is an ancient beverage that dates back thousands of years through history. While the enthusiasm for the drink is still strong today, the way that it’s brewed has changed. Modern breweries can now take advantage of advancing compressed air and nitrogen technologies for their beer.
Compressed air is used throughout the brewing process. Having the right tools to create a high-quality product is essential whether you operate at large scale, or have a microbrew operation. It powers pneumatic equipment and ensures the purity of your beer. Compressed air systems for breweries play an essential role in transforming raw ingredients into delicious ales, lagers, and stouts.
Key Takeaways
- Having the right compressed air system for your brewery will increase efficiency and reduce downtime, resulting in significant cost savings.
- Nitrogen serves many uses in the brewing process that ensure high-quality production and protects the integrity of the brew.
Let’s take a deeper look at how compressed air helps in the brewery processes.
The Beer Brewing Process
The brewing process requires several different steps to complete. Compressed air is used throughout this process to help create a better product. The air that comes into contact with the product should be sterile to help avoid bacteria growth within the beer. Let’s look at the role it plays throughout the process.
Aeration
Yeast needs to be introduced to oxygen for it to grow within fermentation. Compressed air is the best way to accomplish that.
Bottling
Compressed air is the best way to move beer from the tanks to bottles. It’s also needed to keep the clean and free from moisture. This process relies heavily on compressed air so making sure you have the right-sized machine in place will be essential to your success.
Moving
The beer needs to advance from one stage of the brewery process to the next as it goes through the process. The lines need to be kept clean as this takes place. Both require compressed air.
Compressed Air Creates Nitrogen For Brewing
Your compressed air system is also essential in creating nitrogen for the brewing process. Below are some of the phases of the brewing process where nitrogen becomes essential.
Cleaning
Brewery equipment must be kept very clean. The yeast must be contaminant free to protect its integrity. Nitrogen is used so that cleaning agents don’t react with the oxygen.
Pumping
Beer is passing through a series of tanks during the process. The easiest way to move the liquid is through a pressure transfer. Nitrogen is used to push your brew through the lines and into the appropriate storage tanks. When you use nitrogen for the pumping it won’t effect the carbonation.
Maturing
After the beer has been fermented, oxygen can negatively impact the taste. This is why nitrogen is used in the maturing tanks before filling it. This can help keep out any oxygen during maturation.
Carbonation
Increasing the carbonation level with nitrogen helps to improve the beer’s taste, flavor, aroma, and appearance.
Packaging
To prevent air from sneaking into the cans, kegs, and bottles, nitrogen is used after cleaning.
Dispensing
Nitrogen is used to push beer from kegs to the bar taps. It’s also what keeps the head of your beer in place after it’s poured into a glass.
Using The Right Compressed Air And Nitrogen Equipment For Your Brewery
When you use compressed air in the food and beverage or medical industries, the purity of the air becomes crucial. No contaminants such as oil, moisture or particles, can be introduced to the beer during the brewing process. This is why the right equipment is essential. An oil-free air compressor ensures that no oil comes into contact with your brew. You can also use an oil-injected compressor if you also use food-grade oil.
You’ll also need an appropriate dryer to ensure there is no moisture, and filters to eliminate contamination. If you generate nitrogen with high-quality compressed air, you won’t have to worry about the quality of the nitrogen.
If you have any questions or would like to talk about your brewery compressed air system, contact Compressor Services today.
