In the brewing industry, crafting beer requires great attention to detail, as precision and expertise are essential throughout the entire production process. Beer, a product known for its nuanced flavours, undergoes a complex production process that demands careful attention at every step. One critical yet sometimes overlooked aspect of this ancient craft is the control of humidity in the production environment. Effective humidity control during production is crucial for ensuring product quality, maintaining hygiene standards, infrastructure and optimising the efficiency of various brewing processes within the food and beverage sector.
HUMIDITY CHALLENGES IN BREWERIES
Production typically begins with the meticulous preparation of raw ingredients for beer crafting. This intricate process involves several stages, including mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, and packaging. Each step demands precision, expertise, and strict adherence to rigorous quality standards to ensure that the final product meets both the desired taste profiles and safety regulations. Any errors or deviations with this carefully orchestrated sequence can risk compromising the overall quality and integrity of the beer.
CONTROLLING HUMIDITY IN BREWERIES
Production usually begins with the careful preparation of the raw ingredients for beer production. This complicated process involves several stages, including mashing, lautering, boiling, fermentation, storage, and packaging. Each step requires precision, expertise, and strict adherence to stringent quality standards to ensure that the final product meets both the desired flavour profiles and quality specifications. Any errors or deviations in this carefully orchestrated sequence can affect the overall quality of the beer.
Beer's susceptibility to quality degradation underscores the need for meticulous attention to detail throughout the brewing process. Factors such as impurities, inconsistent temperatures, or improper handling can negatively impact the taste, texture, and overall quality of the final product. Additionally, these factors present potential risks to the consumer, which underlines the importance of maintaining a clean and controlled atmosphere throughout the entire production process. Minimising moisture build-up and adhering to appropriate storage conditions, including temperature and humidity levels, are essential for ensuring that the beer reaches consumers in optimal condition.
Uncontrolled room and dew point temperatures in breweries can lead to the following negative outcomes:
- Condensation forms and accumulates on exposed cold surfaces, such as pressure tanks, pipes, fittings, and walls, as well as production areas within the building.
- Corrosion and other damage to the building structure.
- Bacterial growth and mould formation within the building structure pose a risk to hygiene and compliance.
- Increased maintenance and repair costs due to uncontrolled humidity.
CASE STORY: PROTECTING ONE OF GERMANY'S LARGEST BREWERIES FROM UNWANTED HUMIDITY
One of the most renowned beer breweries in northern Germany was facing major challenges. The lack of an adequate air conditioning and ventilation system led to the accumulation of heavy condensation on various surfaces such as pressure vessel tanks, pipes, and fittings within the production building.
The temperature on the surface of the installed uninsulated production units is usually between +4°C and +6°C. In summer, the humidity inside the production building was sometimes as high as +23°C at 60% relative humidity. Converted to a dew point temperature, this is approx. +15°C (Tp). As a result, this humid ambient air condensed on all exposed cold surfaces inside the building.
Consequently, signs of corrosion appeared on the steel metal construction, indicating potential long-term structural damage. Temperature fluctuations on pipes and pressure vessels, ranging between +4°C and +6°C, exacerbated the issue, resulting in indoor humidity levels reaching up to 60% relative humidity (RH) at 23°C during the summer, with a dew point of +15°C.
THE SOLUTION
ULT AG and ULT Dry-Tec GmbH, both Cotes' trusted partners in Germany, supplied the North German brewery with a Cotes' flexible dehumidification unit to solve the problems of humidity and therefore condensation within the building. After the thermodynamic design and calculation of the sorption system (air drying system), the Cotes CRT12000E-POC was selected for this application.
After the installation of all supply and exhaust air pipes and the air-drying system outside, the relative humidity inside the building fell to 13.3%RH at 10°C and reached a dew point temperature of -15°C. The dehumidification system allows for two air changes per hour of the indoor building volume (approx. 4,000 m³ building volume), which more than effectively solved the condensation problem. Furthermore, the installation of a Cotes adsorption dehumidifier showed remarkable effectiveness by eliminating all water droplets on pipes, containers and building structures caused by condensation. As a result, a dry and corrosion-free environment was created in the brewery.
In addition, the introduction of adjustable temperature and humidity controls provided more flexibility, resulting in significant gains in energy efficiency. This comprehensive project, in which a total of approx. 300 meters of air ducts were installed, was successfully and sustainably completed within an installation time of around two weeks. This proves the effectiveness of the CRT12000E-POC desiccant dehumidifier from Cotes in overcoming humidity problems in the brewing industry.
Image: Cotes Flexible unit CRT12000E-POC in the North German brewery
THE BEST DEHUMIDIFIER FOR THE JOB
Cotes Flexible dehumidifiers are designed for large-scale humidity management in conjunction with process drying requirements – where exceptionally dry air (deep drying, high ΔX) or exceptional volumes of process air are necessary. This range of dehumidifiers has been meticulously designed for optimal effectiveness, versatility, and reliability. They are robustly built and engineered for energy efficiency, ensuring ease of use. maintenance and operation across industries including food and beverage, sports facilities, pharmaceutical and chemical industries and general industrial dry-air supply
Image: Cotes Flexible unit
Do you have issues with humidity?
If you are facing humidity challenges in your brewery or beverage production and would like to determine the right dry-air solution or explore what a custom dry-air strategy could do for your business, please reach out to one of our trusted partners near you.
