How to inspect the quality of a brewhouse

1. Stainless steel is the foundation of beer equipment

First of all, the material of the beer equipment. The main body of craft beer equipment is stainless steel.

The material must be 304 stainless steel or higher 316 stainless steel. The beer brewing process has very high hygiene requirements, and the cleaning of tanks and pipes will use acid and lye. 304 or 316 material has strong acid and alkali resistance, which can meet the technological requirements of beer brewing. Some manufacturers may use stainless steel with lower specifications, which cannot be distinguished in short-term use, and corrosion will occur in long-term use, which will affect the taste of beer.

Stainless steel thickness

Secondly, the thickness of stainless steel should also be paid attention to. There are many specifications of stainless steel plate and stainless steel pipe in the world, so the choice is very large. For example, stainless steel plates generally have a certain thickness loss during processing, which is normal and meets the requirements. However, the difference in thickness directly affects the cost of the equipment. For 3 mm thick steel plates, you can find 2.92 mm, 2.85 mm, etc., with a smaller drop, or 2.6 mm, 2.5 mm, etc., with a larger drop. From the cost point of view, there will be a 20% gap in material costs. The larger the equipment, the higher the proportion of material costs. Although the thickness of stainless steel does not necessarily directly affect the brewing, it will have a certain adverse effect on the later processing and service life of the equipment.

2. Production processes such as welding, polishing, etc.

Welding

The welding of stainless steel is argon arc welding. The current control in welding, the technical level and stability of the welding master, whether the welding method is used properly, the argon protection during the welding process, etc. all determine the welding quality

Polishing

The polishing of stainless steel is closely related to the welding quality. A good welding foundation is the beginning of a good polish. The internal polishing of the tanks and pipes of the beer equipment is more important than the external polishing. Internal polishing is for the hygienic requirements of beer brewing. The polished appearance is mainly the beauty of the beer equipment in the brewery. The internal polishing process is more complicated than the external polishing process, and the labor cost is higher

3. Total requirements

The mashing and fermentation equipment must be made according to the drawings, and the drawings must be determined in advance. At the same time, referring to the design style pictures of the existing molding equipment, the equipment will start production after confirmation by both parties. The key control points of the equipment, such as: the function of the tank, the design of the lees and the return pipe, the oxygenation of the wort after the plate change, the addition of yeast and the temperature detection, the argon shielded welding of the tank and the pipeline, etc. are processed in accordance with the determined drawings.

4.  material and thickness inspection

The inner liner and outer material and thickness of the tank body need to be inspected. Measure with caliper/micrometer and detect medicine.

Valve pipe fittings material: the material is tested with syrup before the on-site connection is completed or before delivery.

Tank volume: After making and forming, the actual measurement shall prevail. The empty capacity of the fermentation tank is more than 20%, and the empty capacity of the boiling pot is more than 30%. The remaining empty capacity is 10%.

Welding quality: need to be clear: welding process, pressure test standards (fermenter Miller plate jacket and inner bladder, saccharification steam jacket), the welding of the pipeline requires argon gas shielded welding, and there is no smooth inside of the pipeline Clean blind spots. In addition, flaw detection must be carried out.

Suppression test: To record, and to participate in inspections from time to time during the process. It is required to suppress 0.3MPa and maintain the pressure for more than 72 hours without pressure drop.

Insulation layer: insulation layer thickness, insulation material, etc.

The internal quality of the tank: 0.4um internal polishing without deformation and scratches. The inner tank of the tank must be smooth and clean, and it must be pickled and passivated after polishing to ensure the extension of the service life of the beer equipment.
Tank opening and welding seam: The opening meets the requirements of use and beauty, and the welding seam is highly polished.

Technical requirements of the equipment: see the following content for details.

All signal cables and power cables must be installed with bridges or bushings, and directly exposed cables cannot be used. There must be no joints between the cables. The cables must meet national standards, have leakage protection devices, and be reliably grounded.

Equipment installation and commissioning: meet the requirements of use and aesthetics.

5.Brewery beer equipment installation training and brewing services.

enerally, brewery brewery equipment factories will provide equipment installation services, as well as the pipes and accessories required for equipment installation. These are just minor obstacles. Here I would like to remind the other two aspects of the precautions during the installation process. One is the preparation and installation of the project. All brewery beer equipment requires water, electricity, steam, compressed air, etc. These equipment are not produced by brewery beer equipment manufacturers themselves. If there is no agreement in advance that these supporting equipment will be packaged and provided by the beer equipment manufacturer, you need to prepare it yourself. We recommend that the brewery's brewing equipment manufacturers pack them and provide them together. Although the price will be higher than buying it yourself, it can save a lot of communication and learning costs. This tested the ability of the brewery plant to complete packaging. The second is beer brewing training services. Some brewery equipment factories will build small brewing systems for research and training on brewing processes. These equipment factories will have their own professional brewers who can provide more professional brewing training and brewing recipes. In terms of brewing raw materials, it will also help users choose their own suppliers. The brewer who runs a craft beer bar or craft beer shop is different from the brewer who runs a brewery. Small craft beer bars generally brew fresh beer with strong flavors, and the brewing recipes are more flexible. The brewers of large breweries need professional industry knowledge and are best responsible for the brewing process and quality control of large breweries. There is still a big difference between a small beer brewing system and a large beer brewing system. This is also an important consideration when choosing a manufacturer of brewery equipment.