Table of Contents
What is automatic brewing equipment?
Automatic brewing equipment is a machine that can automatically complete the brewing or brewing process. It improves brewing efficiency and consistency by precisely controlling parameters such as temperature, humidity, and time. Users only need to add raw materials, and the equipment can complete the entire process from fermentation to filtration. It can be used for home brewing, small-scale production, and commercial brewing.
Functional characteristics of automatic brewing equipment:
- Raw material processing: The equipment can automatically complete the crushing, cleaning, and stirring of grains, fruits, or other brewing raw materials.
- Temperature and humidity adjustment: The fully automatic brewing equipment will automatically adjust the temperature and humidity in the brewing environment through the temperature control system and humidity sensor to meet the brewing needs at different stages.
- Automated detection and monitoring: Built-in sensors monitor key parameters of fermentation, distillation, storage, etc. in real time to ensure that each step meets the best brewing standards.
- Intelligent control: Through the operation control system, operators can easily set parameters and monitor the production process remotely or on-site.
Main components of automatic brewing equipment
Malt grinder
The main function of the malt grinder is to grind the whole malt into powder for the subsequent mash process. Appropriate grinding particle size is essential to improve brewing efficiency. Too large or too small particles will affect the quality of the wort. The crushed malt powder will be sent to the mash system to start the next brewing process.
Mash system
The mash system heats the mixture of malt and water to convert starch into sugar. During the mash process, temperature control is essential to ensure that the enzyme works effectively. This system is one of the most critical stages in the brewing process.
- Mashpot: Mix the ground malt and hot water for mash reaction to convert starch into fermentable sugar. It usually has a heating function to control the temperature to ensure the mash
- Filter tank: The filter tank is used to separate the saccharified wort from the malt residue and filter out insoluble solids. Through this process, clear wort is obtained and ready to enter the boiling stage.
- Boiling pot: The boiling pot heats the wort to boiling, adds hops for boiling, and extracts bitterness and aroma. It is also able to remove unstable substances in the wort to ensure the stability of the final product.
- Rotary settling tank: The rotary settling tank concentrates hop residues and protein precipitates to the bottom of the pot through a rotating water flow. This makes the wort clearer and facilitates subsequent cooling and fermentation.
Cooling system
The cooling system uses water or ice water through heat exchange equipment, such as a plate cooler, to quickly reduce the wort temperature to the range required for fermentation. At this point, the temperature of the wort usually drops to 20℃-25℃, which is suitable for adding yeast for fermentation. Rapid cooling not only improves production efficiency but also reduces the time the wort is exposed to the air to avoid oxidation and contamination.
Fermentation tank
The fermentation tank is where the cooled wort is mixed with yeast. Yeast begins the fermentation process here, converting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation tank is usually equipped with a temperature control system to ensure a stable fermentation temperature.
Bright tank
The bright tank is used to remove yeast precipitation and impurities produced during the fermentation process to ensure the clear appearance of the beer. Common methods of clearing include centrifugation and filtration, which remove most of the residual substances by physical means. Clearing not only enhances the visual effect of beer but also improves the taste and reduces the impact of precipitation on the drinking experience.
Control system
The control system is the brain of the automatic brewing equipment, responsible for real-time monitoring and adjusting the operating status of each link. Through the operation panel, key parameters such as mash temperature, boiling time, fermentation temperature, etc. can be adjusted. The system can automatically manage the entire brewing process, reduce human errors, and improve production efficiency.
CIP system
The CIP system is used to automatically clean the brewing equipment to ensure hygiene and prevent cross-contamination. The cleaning process does not require the equipment to be disassembled, and the cleaning task can be completed efficiently. The system is a key tool to ensure the quality and hygiene safety of each batch of beer.
The difference between fully automatic brewing equipment and semi-automatic brewing equipment
Fully automatic brewing equipment
- With PLC control cabinet: PLC is used to achieve fully automatic process control to ensure that all equipment tasks are performed according to procedures.
- Save labor: Due to automation, the operator’s intervention is less, saving a lot of human resources.
- Precise control: It can more accurately control fermentation conditions, temperature, humidity, and other factors to ensure product consistency.
- High production efficiency: It can run continuously for a long time, reducing labor costs and saving time.
- High cost: Due to the integration of high-tech control systems and sensors, the equipment cost is high. Suitable for larger breweries.
Semi-automatic brewing equipment
With PID control cabinet: It provides some basic automatic control functions but still requires manual intervention.
- More manual participation: In the process of fermentation, filtration, filling, etc., operators need to participate more in operation and monitoring.
- Flexible operation: Operators can flexibly adjust and intervene according to actual needs.
- Low production efficiency: Manual intervention and operation are required, which may reduce the overall production efficiency due to the time interval of manual operation.
- Low cost: due to more manual intervention, the equipment cost is low, suitable for small and medium-sized breweries or production environments with low automation requirements.
How to choose the right automatic brewing equipment?
Determine the brewing needs and scale
- Home brewing: Home brewing equipment is usually small, with a capacity of 5L to 30L. Suitable for personal enthusiasts or family gatherings. Usually, the amount of brewing is not large, and frequent brewing is not required, so small-capacity equipment is sufficient.
- Commercial brewing: Commercial brewing equipment usually requires a larger brewing capacity, ranging from tens of liters to hundreds of liters or even thousands of liters. The design of the equipment must support large-scale production to meet market demand. Suitable for wineries, bars, restaurants, and other places.
Degree of automation
- Fully automatic brewing equipment: Simple operation, basically only need to set the temperature, time, amount of raw materials, etc., and the machine automatically completes the brewing process. Suitable for busy people or those who do not want to participate in too much manual operation.
- Semi-automatic brewing equipment: The operation requires certain manual interventions, such as adding raw materials, adjusting the temperature, etc. Suitable for brewing enthusiasts who want to participate in more brewing processes.
Cleaning and maintenance
- Self-cleaning function: Some high-end automatic brewing equipment comes with an automatic cleaning system to reduce cleaning work.
- Easy to disassemble and clean: It is very important to choose equipment that is easy to clean, especially in the fermentation and cleaning stages, which require high equipment hygiene.
Budget
The price of automatic brewing equipment varies greatly. The price of an entry-level home brewer may be a few hundred to one or two thousand yuan, while commercial-grade equipment may cost tens of thousands or more. When choosing, you need to weigh the balance between the function of the equipment and the budget.
Scope of application of automatic brewing equipment
- Beer brewing: Automatic brewing equipment is most widely used in beer brewing. The beer brewing process involves multiple links such as malt mash, fermentation, and filtration. Automated equipment can accurately control parameters such as temperature, time, and humidity to improve production efficiency and quality stability.
- Wine brewing: Automation technology has also been widely used in the wine production process, especially in the fermentation and bottling links. Automated equipment can accurately control fermentation temperature, time, and alcohol concentration.
- Liquor and whiskey brewing: The brewing process of spirits such as liquor and whiskey is relatively complicated, involving multiple links such as saccharification, fermentation, and distillation. Automated equipment can provide precise management in terms of controlling temperature, time, and raw material ratios.
- Kombucha brewing: Automatic brewing equipment can optimize the fermentation environment of kombucha while reducing the errors of manual operation and improving the consistency and quality of the product. It is also convenient for large-scale production and management to meet the market’s growing demand for kombucha.
FAQ
What is automatic brewing equipment?
Automatic brewing equipment is a device used to automate the brewing process of beer, wine, or other beverages. It usually includes components such as a temperature control system, agitator, fermentation container, etc., which can accurately control temperature, time, and other brewing conditions, helping users to easily brew high-quality beverages at home.
Does the automatic brewing equipment support the brewing of multiple beverages?
Many automatic brewing equipment support the brewing of different kinds of beverages, including beer, wine, cider, etc. The equipment may provide special recipes and raw material packages, and users can choose different brewing projects according to their interests.
What are the advantages of automatic brewing equipment?
- Simplified brewing process: Automated control can reduce manual operation and improve efficiency.
- High consistency: The automated process reduces human errors and makes the results of each brewing more consistent.
- Save time and energy: Most of the brewing process is completed by the machine, and the user only needs to check regularly.
- Suitable for novices: For users who have no brewing experience, automatic brewing equipment makes the brewing process easier to use.
How to clean and maintain automatic brewing equipment?
- Cleaning: After each brewing, the equipment should be cleaned in time, especially the parts that come into contact with the wort and fermentation liquid. Most automatic brewing equipment provides a cleaning program, and the user only needs to follow the instructions.
- Regular maintenance: Check whether the heating elements, temperature control system, pipes, and joints are damaged or aged to avoid malfunctions caused by long-term operation of the equipment.