The Benefits of Reducing Condensation in your Beverage Production

Flensburger Brauerei is a well-established brewery located in Northern Germany that has been brewing beer since the 19th century. To avoid harmful condensation in the area of their pressure tank cellar, the company turned to the Cotes company to find a practical solution together, which began with a conversation about the brewery's needs and wants. 

This resulted in a customised dry-air solution from Cotes that does not only eliminate any condensation-related risks in their production but also significantly reduces the expenditure needed to maintain their sanitary standards. This goes to show that by effectively managing the condensation and humidity levels in your beverage production, you can increase your production output while simultaneously reducing required labour efforts. 

HUMIDITY AND HYGIENE STANDARDS 

Image: Flensburger Brauerei Production

Large temperature differences within and around your production areas result in the formation of condensation on the walls and machine surfaces in the facilities. This happened to the cooled tanks, pipes and valves in the brewery's production and storing areas, which are typically colder than the room's dew point. Apart from the possibility of falling water droplets bugging workers and tour guests at the Flens facilities, the long-term implications of water gathering on and around essential equipment posed a concern for the company.

The filtered beer is pumped from the tanks in Flens' “green cellar” to the filling lines in high-humidity areas without pasteurization. The valves and pipes that then dispense the beer are not only in areas that dramatically increase the probability of condensation occurring but are also directly exposed to the production environment which could lead to various other complications in the future.  Cotes goal was, therefore, to make it easier for Flens to maintain their quality standards and prevent an increased sanitary load on production equipment due to excessive humidity by providing a preventive dry-air strategy.

FLENS' DRY-AIR STRATEGY

For Flens, finding the right dry-air strategy meant manipulating the difference between the temperature of the green cellar and the surfaces of equipment to a point where condensation would no longer occur, and any potential problems were eliminated. Merely decreasing the room's overall temperature would have been inefficient in influencing the room's dew-point and also very cost-intensive. The Cotes dry-air solution which uses adsorption technology, however, could effectively lower the dew point below the surface temperatures, and eliminate the risk of condensation.

Fig. 1 Mould growth as a result of relative humidity

Flens' green room was subject to relative humidity levels of almost 100% before the collaboration with Cotes. After installing an adsorption dehumidifier in February  2020, we were able to decrease humidity all the way down to 40%. This reduction places Flens' production into a safe zone where neither condensation nor the formation of other sanitation threats pose an issue, as can be seen in Figure 1. It only took 24 hours after installation until the production facility was dried and the brewery effectively lowered the dew point to the desired temperature (<4°) using the C65E-19.1 unit with electrical regeneration.  

The payoff of a reliable dry-air solution is especially vital in the summer when the warm air conditions create a more humid environment, and the production load is higher than usual. Cotes dehumidifiers help you maintain the same ideal environment in your production areas regardless of external conditions by letting you manipulate and adapt the dew point to your needs instantaneously.  

Fig. 2 Reducing fluctuations in humidity levels throughout the year

MANAGING YOUR CLEANING EXPENDITURES 

Image: Flensburger Brauerei Production

Getting rid of condensation does not only directly impact your standard of sanitation and diminish the risk of compromised products but also indirectly benefits your required cleaning efforts.  

Every brewery undergoes two types of regular cleaning processes;  

• The daily cleaning of production areas to get rid of excess or spilt beer  
• The more extensive and thorough cleansing of walls, floors and pipes to prevent possible future hygiene issues.   

Due to the high humidity levels in the brewery's production areas, before a dry-air solution was installed, the cleaning expenditure was immense. The green cellar had to be thoroughly cleaned every two weeks, for which an experienced brewer needed up to 8hrs. That is valuable time spent doing taxing physical work in elaborate cleaning gear while exposed to harsh cleaning products in which the worker has to seize his regular brewing activities.  

The need for cleaning is especially driven by large amounts of condensation, but the cleaning itself also leaves wet surfaces behind which in turn increase humidity. By getting rid of condensation Cotes dry-air solution gave the workers at the Flens brewery more time to brew and reduced the need for cleaning to a 3-4h process that is now only necessary every four weeks. As a bonus, the dehumidifier also  improves drying times after cleaning, which increases the time that can be spent on the production itself.  

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Image: Flensburger Brauerei Production

Installing an effective dry-air solution is all about working smarter, not harder. Cotes adsorption dehumidifiers are able to ease production concerns for Flensburger Brauerei by eliminating condensation and thereby reducing the risk of sanitary issues, decreasing the cleaning expenditure and increasing production output as a result.  

"The performance of the dehumidification system has completely fulfilled our expectations. The installation was very simple, and an ideal room climate was achieved in a very short time. As a result, the effort required for cleaning was significantly reduced. Altogether it is a lot easier for us to keep this important cellar in a clean and adequate condition.” - Enes Erisgen, brewmaster 

Our goal is to accompany your company on the path to a better and more convenient production environment from assessment and installation to upkeep and retrofitting. By defining efficiency in collaboration with our clients, we are able to design and provide the best custom solution for your production needs whether in the food and beverage sector, battery manufacturing, the wind industry, or other branches. 

With regards to the Flensburger Brauerei, a second unit is currently being developed that intends to repurpose waste heat from other production areas instead of electrical regeneration to power the dehumidifier, significantly reducing operating costs for the brewery.  

Do you have issues with humidity?  

If you would like to determine whether you need a dry-air solution in your facilities or would like to explore what a custom dry-air strategy can do for your business, please reach out to one of our trusted partners near you.