Overview
The beer brewing process involves many steps. Filtration is necessary at several different points in beer production from rinsing the mash with sterile water to cleaning or sterilizing the kegs and bottles before filling.
Products
Applications
- Steam Sterilization for Keg Sanitation
Steam is used to heat the mashed kattle to start the brewing process.
- Process and Rinse Water Sterilization
Water is used both as an ingredient in the Mash and as process water to rinse the sugar from the grain in the Lauter Tun. In both cases, the water needs to be filtered to remove particulate.
- Sterile Compressed Air, Gas & Water
Compressed air and sterile water are used at many points in the brewery production line including packaging the finished product. Ensuring that finished beer is put into clean containers is essential to protect your investment.
Regulatory
Brewery Filtration Principles
Breweries are regulated by the FDA under the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2010, and are also subject to a number of industry standards such as Safe Quality Foods.
Compliance requires having a comprehensive Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan or Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC) plan in place. Filtration of process air, water, and steam is key to that effort.
Each brewery will have unique needs, but in general, there are more than a dozen locations where filtration is critical to the safety of your product and equipment. Here are just some examples:
- Process, rinse, and boiler water: Particulate removal from source water used in mash and feed for the boiler.
- Sterilization-in-place (SIP): Clean industrial steam to sterilize large systems without disassembly.
- Steam-heated mash: Debris removal from steam in order to protect heating efficiency.
- Yeast propagation: Sterile air and oxygen to facilitate the fermentation process.
- In-line carbonation: Sterilize CO2 for pipe aeration systems.
Collaborating with an experienced filtration partner can help you develop a compliant filtration system that is also cost-efficient.
To get you started, Donaldson offers these complimentary resources:
Regulatory and Best Practice Overview:
A summary of applicable filtration and sanitary design standards for liquids,
steam, and sterile air use in food and beverage processing.
Filtration Map for Breweries:
A diagram illustrating common control points in breweries, along with
filtration solutions to consider at each point.
Filter Maintenance Schedule:
A recommended filter replacement schedule for steam, compressed air, and
liquid filters in a process line, to optimize both safety and cost efficiency.
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