Automating Craft Breweries Improving Efficiency From Grain To Glass

In craft breweries, automation beer brewery equipment means using reliable instruments like temperature probes, flow meters, and PLC timers to handle tedious or error-prone tasks. It's like having a tireless digital sous chef who never needs a break.

The scope of automatic beer brewing equipment in a craft brewery typically includes the following processes:

1. Grain Intake and Delivery to the Mill: Automation ensures consistent and efficient grain delivery, reducing manual labor and errors in metering and delivery.

2. Temperature-Controlled Mashing in the Brew Kettle: Precise temperature control is crucial for the mashing process. Automated brewery systems maintain optimal conditions, improving mashing quality and ensuring consistency.

3. Jacketed Beer Fermentation and Data Logging: Automated data logging during fermentation helps monitor and adjust environmental conditions to ensure optimal yeast performance and product quality.

4. Reflux Management in the Still: Automation enables precise adjustment of reflux ratios, improving distillation Equipment efficiency and ensuring consistent beer quality.

5. Alcohol Monitoring During Cooling of Parrot and Inline Condensers: Automated distilling systems continuously monitor alcohol content and adjust cooling to maintain product quality and comply with regulatory requirements.

6. Automated Clean-in-Place (CIP) Systems* Automated cleaning processes ensure micro brewery equipment is thoroughly sanitized, reducing downtime and ensuring readiness for the next production run.

While operators still have responsibilities for aspects such as aroma, cut point, and barrel selection, automation helps reduce fatigue. Instead of constantly staring at dashboards, operators can quickly check set points and use the time saved for tastings or interacting with visitors.

Many craft breweries begin by installing a single closed-loop temperature controller on the mash tun and brew kettle, which can prevent costly errors. Subsequently, they may add flow meter dosing, recipe documentation, and batch reporting. This incremental approach allows for gradual improvements without a complete overhaul of the existing system.

By automating these processes, craft breweries can increase efficiency, improve product consistency, and free up operators to focus on the creative and experiential aspects of brewing.

If you are interested in the beer equipment or distillery equipment please contact us freely