Brewery Chillers
Rite-Temp has been designing and
manufacturing industrial glycol chillers here in Arkansas for brewers
for over twenty five years. Whether you are the smallest of
brew houses or the largest of tank manufactures we take
pride in the relationships we have developed and nurtured
along the way. When you go with a Rite-Temp chiller you know
that you are dealing with a company that takes as much pride
in our craft as you will yours!
Cooling in Brewing and Other Applications
Glycol chillers are a specific kind of refrigeration system,
often used to cool a variety of liquids, including alcohol
and other beverages. Using a chiller allows producers to
lower the temperature of the product dramatically over a
short period of time, depending on the production needs.
Propylene glycol plays a significant role in the application
of a glycol chiller. For cooling in brewing, there are few
processes where decreasing or maintaining temperature are
important - like crash cooling a beer after fermentation, or
keeping a steady temperature during fermentation (which
generates heat), or cooling the wort after an initial
boiling process.
There are many applications for glycol chillers. Without a
properly designed system and knowing the application, it is
possible for the evaporator to freeze-up operating at 50-70F
supply temperature.
Glycol chillers in operation
A chiller is essentially a refrigerator that includes a
compressor, evaporator, condenser and a metering device. An
additional buffer tank is used with the chilling unit to
provide additional system capacity to prevent excessive
cycling, unexpected temperature fluctuations, and erratic
system operation.
Propylene glycol, a food-grade antifreeze, is typically used
when consumable products are involved. Before using glycol
in the brewing process, check that propylene glycol is of
USP grade to ensure it is recommended for food use.
References
The Brewers Association's Guide to Starting
Your Own Brewery by Dick Kentwell
"Everything you wanted to know about glycol".
www.probrewer.com. |
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