Setting up a microbrewery

AUTHORED BY:
RITWIK BHATTACHARYA, BREWER
CONTACT: neo.brewmaster@gmail.com

 INTRODUCTION 3
 MASHING & MASH TUN 7
 LAUTER TUN 10
 WHIRPOOL 11
 KETTLE 13
 MILL 14
 YEAST PITCHING & PROPAGATION 15
 CHILLER & COMPRESSOR 16
 CIP SYSTEM 17
 FILTRATION SYSTEM 18
 FERMENTATION & BRIGHT BEER TANKS 20

 DISPENSING SYTEM 23
 WATER TREATMENT PLANT 25
 EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT 26
 MISCELLANEOUS & ANCILLARY 27
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 30

 In my previous presentation titled ‘Brewpub and
microbrewery in India’
(http://www.slideshare.net/ritwik9/brewpub-amp-
microbrewery-in-india) I had dealt with basic setup issues
regarding a microbreweries in India, the history, the styles
catered to and in lines of conceptualizing a whole project
touching briefly points pertaining to license, technology
involved and other ancillary. Following it up, I am putting
up this presentation to take into consideration more of
technology based queries. More often I find
microbreweries being setup, with less emphasis on the
technology, quality and commissioning and more into
price, which is depressing for most brewers

 For a long run, such pre requisites should be of prime
concern for a smooth operation, and unperturbed quality
of beer. The motto behind this presentation is principally
to organize such activities and to get a better
understanding about the equipments for the entrepreneur
or the investor. The other reason being to culminate the
interests of the interests of the investor to get a good
profit and the brewer to make a good yield, come in
union, by asking these basic questions depending on
which the magnitude of the project could be fathomed. I
also want to stress that this is not the only methodology
to go about the setting up a microbrewery or
brewpub, but this is the approach that I personally prefer.

 Capacity of mash tun in HL (Gross and net
 Diameter of mash tun v/s lauter tun
 Heating mechanism- electrical element/boiler
steam
 If electrical element:
a. number and position of coils
b. Provision of circulation across external
calandria
c. Heating time from ambient to 100 deg C
d. Voltage and whether voltage regulation is
a possibility.

 If boiler:
a. oil fired/propane fired
b. Water heating time from ambient to steam
c. Autocut off mechanism at specific temperature and
pressure
d. Water tank holding capacity and max pressure
generation
e. MS lines whether redox coated & location of boiler.
 Mash tun to lauter tun pipe diameter, whether decoction a
possibility.
 PLC: Automatic/ Semiautomatic- Step infusion mashing a
possibility from 35 deg C.
 Exhaust line: hood or condensate line from Kettle &/ Mash
tun.

 Brewhouse vessel system-2/3/4, whether any
extra provision of holding tank with heating
system.
 Type of sensors: RTD/ PT 100
 Tank volume properly marked in level gauge in
graduation of 50 ltrs.
 Origin of tanks: Europe/India/China/Others
 Mechanism of mashing: Single infusion/Multiple
infusion/Decoction
 Tanks surface with copper cladding
(electroplated)/ Copper strips/Polished steel-B
finish (interior/exterior).

 Steel used: non radioactive with
proper certification from 3rd
party, Minimum SS 304 for steel
sheets and SS310 for valves.
 Butterfly valves in all tanks except
ball valves in boiler and glycol
lines for manual operation.
 Mash tun agitator RPM

 Lauter tun: single sieve/ double sieve. Sieve pore
size
 Provision of underlet water line at start of
lautering.
 Water circulation time, Scraper RPM & Manhole
size
 Ratio of diameter of lauter tun in comparision to
mash tun, minimum and max grain bed height
recommended.
 Sparging ball position, and sparging pressure.

 Supernatant tank cone capacity.
 View glass and level guage to
control clarity of liquid, minimum
run off volume in ideal case &
provision of a flowmeter

WHIRPOOL
 Whirpool: tank capacity, height of
inlet and pressure at inlet, pump
HP
 Depth of sump for discharge of
hot break, wort discharge line
height from sump.
 Whether can be used as a HLT,
with a heating element.

KETTLE
 Separate kettle or mash tun to double
up as a kettle.
 Kettle net and gross volume.
 Max heating temperature and total time
required for unit boil volume to reach it.
 Boiling pressure and whether internal or
external calandria system.
 Agitator speed in RPM, whether chinese
hat present.

MILL
 Number rollers present in mill: 2/3/4/6, whether
all rollers are mobile or a few stationary.
 Mill hopper to roller line provided with
magnets to remove metal particles and siphon
action to remove dust and broken grains etc
lighter than actual malt. Provision of grill over
the hopper.
 Minimum and maximum adjustment possible
in roller gaps.
 Milling motor HP.
 Type of milling : Dry/Wet
 Location of mill: overhead mash tun in
mezzanine floor with grist case and auger
control (ideal)/ Underneath in basement.

YEAST PITCHING &
PROPAGATION
 Capacity in volumes for yeast pitcher.
 Type of aeration: hot side (candle filtered
air)/ cold side (food grade pure oxygen)
 Max and min aeration pressure.
 Whether yeast propagator available, yeast
propagator capacity, yeast propagator
agitator RPM
 Number of yeast storage tanks and
capacity, provision of separate PLC control
for pressure temperature and pitching
operations. Level gauges for all tanks
 Yeast pitching pump HP, clear glass for
visual adjustment and flow meter to
regulate volume of yeast pitched.

CHILLER &
COMPRESSOR
 TR of glycol chiller
 Type of glycol being used: Ethylene
glycol/Propylene glycol, ratio of Water:
Glycol used.
 Compressor capacity based on volume
of total capacity of storage (Fermentors
+ BBTs + Storage tanks-if any), for
subsequent gradual temperature drop
from 30 to -2 deg C, as per requirement
and style of beer.
 CLT capacity
 Generator automatic switchover during
power failure.

CIP SYSTEM
 Capacity of caustic and acid tank.
 CIP pump HP
 Minimum and maximum caustic
and acid percentage
recommended
 Recommended circulation time
for unit size for effective CIP.
 Provision of extra water line
addition for rinsing purpose or for
dozing sterilization chemical

FILTRATION SYSTEM
 Type of filter used: sheet and
frame plate/ Kiselguhr filter/
Simple candle filter filter.
 Pore size of filter paper/sieve/
candle.
 Number of sieves/filter paper/
candles
 Minimum and maximum flow in
Hl/hr demonstrated across a
flowmeter and side glass to check
visually for clarity.

 Sampling valve in filtration unit to compare
samples after and before filtration and check for
DO/CO2 etc.
 Whether provision of alcolyzer, OD (at 90 & 25
Deg), pH attached to filtration unit.
 Provision for blending with deoxidized water for
high gravity brewing.
 Type of filter aid if at all used eg Hyflow celite
512, 522 etc.
 Whether the kiselguhr dosing tank has a
agitator, provision of using DA water to stop any
kind of oxygen uptake.

FERMENTATION & BRIGHT
BEER TANKS (BBTs)
 Number of fermenters and their type:
CCT or flat bottom.
 Number of BBTs
 Net and Gross capacity of fermenters
and BBTs
 PRV installation connected to pressure
sensors with PLC adjustment.
 Maximum pressure tolerance by tanks.
 Type of temperature probes and
whether connected to PLC.
 Separate PLC and chiller for cold room
area (fermenters & BBts)

 Sampling valve, cone height, cone
volume, discharge line diameter and
no of legs for ferementers and BBT.
 Whether fermenters can also double
up as Unitanks, with temperature
going down to below 0 deg C.
 Minimum head room requirement for
fermenters.
 Provision of extra pump for yeast and
beer transfer and its HP. Provision of
CO2 purging apparatus along with
Co2 cylinders.

DISPENSING SYSTEM
 Number and types of beers on tap.
 Counter pressure by CO2/N2/Mixed in
ration for dispensing across kegs
Provision of primary an tertiary
regulators.
 Whether to be dispensed across
kegerators or directly from storage
tanks/BBts.
 Glycol chilled lines are up to tower or till
the tap across chilling blocks.
 Proper angle of dispensing for:
Ales, Stouts and Pilsner/Lager.

 Minimum and max temperature
of dispensing.
 Cleaning and sterilizing
procedure of dispensing tower.
 Kegging apparatus provision
along with keg washer..
 Capacity of kegs and
numbers, minimum and
maximum pressure tolerance

 Type of water treatment plant: RO/Activated Carbon
and candle filter.
 Source of water: Underground/Municipality
 Original and treated water analysis: Mineral
content, TDS, pH, Hardness, SPC and Acidity
 Provision of iron filter.
 pH of water alkalinity required in brewing water
specific to brews. Whether salts will be supplemented
for such purpose eg Calcium chloride, gypsum etc
 Water filtration rate: Litres/hr
 Type and volume of treated water storage.
 Calculated volume of brewing water required per
brew.

 Type of ETP: Aerobic/Anaerobic
 Components of ETP and area covered
 Analysis of untreated water:
TDS, pH, COD, BOD, Dissolved and particulate matter
in compliance with local PCB.
 Whether yeast is drained, propagated for subsequent
generations and then drained, Dried into yeast cakes
in yeast driers ( if so capacity of yeast driers), mixed
with spent grain and sold as feed ( ratio of spent grain
: yeast).
 Method of handling spent grain: Discharged into ETP
or Sold to cattle farmers as feed (recommended)
 Handling of highly organic solid wastage from ETP.

ANCILLARY &
MISCLLENEOUS
 Spare valves, dispensing taps, Kegs
(Plastic/Steel, 25/30/50 liters) extra
hoses, valve fittings, clamps, gaskets,
Extra pump for tank to tank transfer,
Filter papers, candle filters and any other
ancillary stock.
 Raw material inventory & Specification
sheets: Base malts, Specialty malts,
Adjuncts (ambient storage at around 20
deg C, RH below 10 %) Additives (E.g
Enzymes, etc if any), Hops, Yeast (both
require cold storage below 4 deg C),
Chemical storage (Hazardous/ Non
Hazardous).

 Provision of laboratory: Attached to
microbrewery, small and secluded /
separate more sophisticated with
larger array of tests.
 Basic laboratory requirements:
Compound microscope (100 X, oil
immersion illuminated), slides, cover
slips, basic analytical reagents, dyes
and chemicals, Haemocytometer, Ph
meter, Hydrometer (0-10, 10-20, 2
each), Thermometers, Bunsen burner
and Standard glassware.

 Organized brew charts, Daily production
capacity, Fermentation charts, BBT data, Excise
flowmeter data, licenses, Inventory data, Analysis
sheets, etc maintained in soft copy in a work station.
 Staff: Brewmaster, Assistant Brewmaster, Operators and
supporting staff.
 Carbon dioxide and Oxygen cylinders, sterilizing
chemicals, Caustic flakes and acids for CIP maintained
along with inventory.
 Cleaning equipments, Plumbing fitting, electrical fittings
and literature related to machinery and servicemen along
with AMC details and electrical and machine drawings.
 Whether in future, plan of expansion includes bottling and
kegging lines and space allocation for the mentioned.

 The author has been involved the brewing industry since last 5
years, involving him self in brewing & process operations, Quality
control and assurance, Bottling & manufacturing and other
parameters like product excellance and beer tasting. Working and
brewing with global MNCs like SAB
Miller(Haywards/Knockout), United
Breweries(Kingfisher/Kalyani), Heineken, Carlsberg
(Carlsberg/Tuborg/Palone), he has gathered substantial experience.
However, Ritwik being a passionate brewer from his core, always
loved to experience microbrewing and fortunately the first exposure
he got was in Indias first Microbrewery in Pune.
 A bachelors degree holder in Microbiology from University of Calcutta
and MSc in Food technology, he later pursued his career in Wine
industry for brief time. He has also acquired a Post Grad Diploma in
food safety, and has extensive laboratory experience in all distilled
and un-distilled alcoholic beverages i.e Spirits
(whiskey, gin, rum, vodka etc), Wine ( Red/White/Rose) and Beer (
Lager/Ale

 Indias only J J Morrsion scholarship holder from only certified brewers and
distillers global certification council, Institute of Brewing &
Distilling, London, he is still pursuing his Diploma in Brewing
 An avid reader about new technological developments in the brewing
industry globally, he has published a few presentations and papers on his
research and findings in cider and beer industry in journals and over the net.
His earnest wish is to have more entrepreneurs to venture in the industry of
Craft Brewing, and he has always shared information free of cost over large
number of platforms to prevent circulation of wrong and disfigured
information in the market.
 We hope getting through with this presentation was helpful to you. Do send
your comments and suggestions in the email provided in the 1st Slide.
 KINDLY DON’T ASK FOR A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION AS IT SOLELY IN DISCREATION
OF THE AUTHOR, HOWEVER YOU ARE FREE TO TAKE DOWN POINTERS AS AND WHEN
YOU LIKE.
 ANY OF THE PICURES POSTED IN THE PRESENTATION ARE MERELY SUGGESTIVE IN
NATURE. I AM NOT PROMOTING ANY BRAND OR MAKE THROUGH THEM
*****************HAPPY BREWING*****************

Setting up a microbrewery

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Setting up a microbrewery