Notes

on

Production of Beer
Beer is a low alcohol content beverage produced by fermenting sugars extracted from various types of
cereals. A large number of different beer types exist that vary in the use of raw materials and the strength,
taste profile, and packing of the final product. Each brewery generally has its own specific product and
container mix.

Production methods differ by brewery, as well as according to beer types, equipment, and national
legislation. Historically beer was produced from malted barley. However, there is a trend toward a more
diverse group of cereals with modern large breweries increasingly using maize and rice. The sugar is
extracted from the cereal into the water, hops are added and the mixture boiled. After cooling the mix is
fermented with yeast to produce alcohol. This raw beer is then matured and packed. Some beers are
filtered and pasteurized.

1. Raw Material Handling and Storage

The raw materials for beer production generally include cereal (barley malt, rice or maize), hops, water,
and yeast. The malting process converts the starch in the cereal into fermentable sugar which is extracted
from the malt during mashing. Extracts from the hop are used as a preservative and to add bitterness to
the sugar solution. Yeast converts the sugars into alcohol during fermentation. Brewery operations
require heating and cooling, cleaning agents and packaging materials.

MALT ADJUNCT (RICE) HOPS

2. BEER PRODUCTION PROCESS:

a) Malt Storage Room
Malt & Barley receiving and storage.
Malt & Barley dumped in hopper at the start of milling

b) Malt Milling
From hopper malt & barley comes into screener with the help of conveyor. Dust particles
are separated there then by means of chain conveyer it comes into De-stoner for stone
and dust separation. After that the bucket elevator takes it to the Magnetic separator to
 separate iron particles and then it comes into the 6 roller malt mill from where they obtain
coarse and finely ground malt and barley, keeping husk intact as much as possible, after
grinding it is known as grist. With the help of another chain conveyer and bucket elevator,
the grist is stored into Grist Bin.

c) Mash Kettle
From Grist Bin the grist comes in to Mash kettle by means of a chain conveyer it is mixed
with water, enzymes and calcium salt are added at this stage, and cooked at different
temperature to convert the starch of the grains into fermentable sugars. The mixture of
grist & water is called Mash at this stage.

d) Lauter Tun
In this vessel solid and liquid separation takes place i.e. the wort water with fermentable
sugars is separated from husk. Wort collected to the next vessel called Wort Kettle by
means of filtration on a porous surface (False bottom of Lauter tun). After separation of
water & fermentable sugar, solution (Wort), the leftover separated husk material is then
removed and transferred to Spent grain Bin beneath Lauter Tun. Spent grain are
transferred to spent grain silo for where its loaded to vehicles and used as cattle feed.

e) Wort Kettle
In this vessel ( steam jacketed), the wort is boiled at 100 ᵒC-120ᵒC for 40 – 60 Minutes to
destroy the entire microorganism, trace enzymatic activities and colloidal stabilization
takes place during boiling process in this vessel. All the ingredients required for beer
recipe are added in wash so that sterilization may take place.
We obtain sterilized and stabilized hopped wort from this stage.

f) Whirlpool
In this vessel the wort gets in at a very high velocity from Wort Kettle.
With the help of tangential entry of wort to this vessel, whirling action created which
intern helps hot tub to settle in the center of vessel due to centrifugal force, clean &
clarified wort is then subjected to wort cooling.
The clear wort passes through a Plate Heat Exchanger to achieve final wort temperature
12 -17ᵒC and collected in the fermentation vessels.
During wort cooling, air injected for aeration of wort and yeast addition (pitching) done
for fermentation.

g) UNI Tanks
The wort pitched with yeast collected to the fermentation vessels called UNI tanks/
fomenters where fermentation of the wort carried for 5-6 days at controlled temperature
of 16ᵒC-17ᵒC with the help of glycol.
 After completion of fermentation, the yeasts is cropped for re-use into subsequent
batches and surplus yeast is dumped, now the tanks are rapidly cooled from 16ᵒC to -2ᵒC
with the help of glycol within 72 hrs.
After cooling, the beer stored at least for 4 days at -2ᵒC for maturation. This process also
known as beer treatment and chill proofing at this stage. Now the beer at this stage is
called as Green Beer.

h) Filtration
Horizontal Plate Filter is used for this filtration process. The plates are coated with
Kieselguhr powder through which the green beer is passed and gets polished (free from
yeast and protein coagulants).
Diatomaceous earth (/ˌdaɪ.ə.təˈmeɪ.ʃəs/), diatomite (/daɪˈæt.əˌmaɪt/),
or kieselgur/kieselguhr is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that has
been crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from less
than 3 μm to more than 1 mm, but typically 10 to 200 μm. Depending on the granularity, this
powder can have an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and has a low density as a
result of its high porosity.
i) Bright Beer
After Filtration process the clear beer is stored in Bright Beer Tank at <-1ᵒC for <24 hrs
from here it is sent to the pack line for bottling / canning.
3. Beer Processing
3.1. Filtration

Following maturation, most beer is filtered to remove remaining yeast to obtain “bright beer” which has
the specified level of clarity and prolonged shelf life. The filtration takes place in a kieselguhr
(diatomaceous earth) filter using frame, candle, or mesh filters. Spent kieselguhr can be used in farming,
reprocessed, or as building material. Following filtration beer is stored in “bright beer tanks” and is ready
for packaging in the bottling Section.

3.2. Carbonation

The beer may be carbonated before being sent to the bright beer tanks. Nitrogen gas may also be used in
small quantities to enhance foam performance.

3.3. Dilution

High alcohol content beer resulting from high-gravity brewing is diluted to final product strength with de-
aerated brewing-quality water before packaging.

4. Cleaning-in-Place (CIP)
It is important that all process equipment and pipes are kept clean and disinfected. Cleaning is carried out
by means of CIP systems, where cleaning agents are circulated through the equipment or sprinkled over
the surface of the tanks. Caustic soda or acid are often used as cleaning agents. The cleaning and
disinfection of the brewery equipment may use a substantial amount of energy, water, cleaning agents,
and disinfectants. The design of CIP systems can vary greatly, ranging from simple systems in which a
batch of cleaning solutions is prepared and pumped through the system and drained, to fully automatic
systems consisting of tanks for water and cleaning solutions that make it possible to reuse some water
and cleaning solutions.

5. Packaging Operations
Beer is pumped from the bright beer tanks and after dilution to sales strength is bottled, canned, or
kegged in the packaging area. During these operations, it is important that the beer is protected from
oxygen contact and carbonation loss. Packaging lines may have different packaging materials and levels
of automation.

5.1. Bottle Washing and Control

Returned bottles are sorted electronically. Foreign bottles are returned to their respective manufacturers
or crushed and sent to recycling. After sorting, bottles are sent to a bottle washer where all internal and
external impurities are removed. Bottle washer operations typically include soaking and washing, high –
temperature sterilization, and rinsing. The bottle washer consumes large quantities of energy, water, and
caustic soda. Substantial quantities of wastewater are discharged and the effluent may have a high organic
load. When a bottle has been cleaned, it is inspected for damage and residual dirt.

5.2. Bottle Filling

The bottles are transported by conveyor belts from the bottle washer to the filling machine. They are filled
under pressure according to the quantity of dissolved carbon dioxide in the beer. An important function
of the filling machine is to prevent oxygen from coming into contact with the beer. The bottles are sealed
immediately after filling (usually with crown corks) and the filling volume is checked. The sealed bottles
are then conveyed to the tunnel pasteurizer.

5.3. Can Filling

Can filling is based on the same principles as bottle filling. Because of their low weight, it is necessary to
convey the cans gently to ensure constant spacing. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to the
thin wall thickness and resulting low stability of the cans. Filling lines consume large quantities of
electricity. Beer loss can occur on the filling line, contributing to the organic load of the effluent.

5.4. Pasteurization
Beer is usually pasteurized to kill any remaining live yeasts or other microorganisms and so prolong the
shelf life. Two alternative methods are used for pasteurization:
Tunnel pasteurization, during which the beer is pasteurized in bottles or cans (i.e. the beer and container
are pasteurized as a closed, assembled unit); ·

Flash pasteurization, which employs a heat exchanger in which the beer is pasteurized before it is filled
into kegs.

5.5. Labeling
Following tunnel pasteurization, the bottles are conveyed to the labeler. Starch- or protein-based glues
are used as adhesives to ensure labels come off easily when the returnable bottles are cleaned. Labelling
lines consume large quantities of electricity. High noise levels can arise from the labelling line

5.6.Packing
Bottles and cans are packed in crates, cartons, or other forms of transport packaging and palletized. Kegs
are transported on pallets

6. Utilities
Brewery processes have a high energy demand for heating and cooling purposes, in addition to high water
consumption. Utility installations are therefore a key factor in this sector. Brewery processes are typically
supplied with heat from a steam boiler plant. Process cooling is usually provided by central ammonia
based refrigeration systems, which circulate ammonia or a secondary fluid (e.g. chilled water, brines or
glycols) to the points where cooling is required. Compressed air is mainly used for instruments, actuators,
pressurizing of tanks, and sometimes the transport of spent brewers grain.

7. Water Treatment Plant

Breweries typically draw water from wells or from surface intake at a lake or river, and use several
different qualities of water, for example, brewing quality water for mashing, deaerated brewing water for
dilution, softened water for utility systems and tunnel pasteurizers, wash down water etc. For this reason,
breweries often have several sophisticated water treatment facilities

8. CO2 Recovery Plant

The CO2 generated during the fermentation process can be collected, cleaned and stored before being
used in the process. CO2 is necessary for carbonation and to provide inert atmospheres as required by the
process

9. Electricity Supply
Most breweries purchase electricity from the national grid, although some use cogeneration/combined
heat and power (CHP) plants that produce both electricity and heat/steam.
PROCESS
RAW/ANCILLIARY MATERIALS

RAW MATERIAL HANDLING

AND STORES

WORT PRODUCTION

FERMENTATION AND
MATURATION

BEER PROCESSING

PACKAGING

WAREHOUSE DISPATCH

DISTRIBUTION
 WATER BALANCE - WDBL
UTILITIES 1.02 HL/HL

BREWING 2.0 HL/HL

BOREWELL 5.5 HL / HL
WATER TOTAL

PACKING 2.0 HL / HL

OTHERS 0.48 HL/HL

 DISTILLERIES AND BREWERIES LTD ETP FLOW - DIAGRAM

Initial Pit 345 KL Primary

Screen Chamber Pit Transfer Pit Equilisation Tank
Clarifier

100 KL
Secondary
Aeration Tank -II Aeration Tank -I Digester
Clarifier -I Buffer
Tank

Secondary Treated Water Collection

Clarifier -II Tank MGF ACF

Treated Water Final Pit

The Defects of Beer

• Band-Aid (chlorophenol): You just know something is out of whack when your beer smells of
adhesive bandages. This aroma also may remind you of disinfectant or diaper aromas. It’s the
artificial quality that really stands out in this defect, which usually is caused by a problem with
sanitizers or yeast.
• Butter or butterscotch (diacetyl): Think of that artificial butter aroma and flavor from movie-
theater popcorn, and you’ve got the diacetyl character in some beers. At low levels, this can be an
enjoyable flavor component. But just like popcorn that’s swimming in butter, too much can make
for an unpleasant experience. Beers with too much diacetyl often are called “butter bombs,” and
the cause is often a problem with the yeast and amino acids.
• Cardboard (oxidized): The aroma usually will remind you of wet cardboard or wet paper, like
if you left a box out in the rain and then took a whiff of it. Sometimes, it may seem leathery. It can
be a sign of boiling too long, but more often it’s simply stale beer that’s too old or been stored
improperly.
• Cheesy (isovaleric acid): If you get a whiff of bad cheese or stinky feet, use your own to run
away. It’s a doozy. It can have a benign origin, such as the poor storage of hops, or it could be a
bacterial infection.
• Cooked corn or cabbage (dimethylsulfide): Often called DMS, if this is in your beer’s nose,
it’s probably a sign of something gone awry, especially in ales. It also may have an asparagus or
vegetal smell. In dark beer, the aroma may remind you of tomato soup. Its cause is commonly a
grain infection or brewhouse problem, which usually occurs in the boil.
• Green apples (acetaldehyde): If you smell green apples or green leaves, it’s most likely a sign
that the beer was released too soon, or that there was a yeast metabolic problem. Like its aroma,
the beer is a little green. While usually evidence of a defect, it’s not as unpleasant a problem as
many others.
• Lightstruck (methyl mercaptan or isopentyl mercaptan): A beer can become light struck,
causing it to smell like a skunk; it happens almost instantaneously when it encounters light,
especially UV rays. Fluorescent lights and bright sunlight are common culprits. Since both clear
and green glass offer much less protection, many popular brands of beer are very susceptible to
this problem. Brown glass, while not perfect, offers the most protection of any common glass
color, which is why most brewers use this for their bottles.
• Metallic (lacquer like, metallic): It’s important to note that this would hardly ever come from
canned beer. The metal turbidity that once caused metallic flavors to leach into canned beer has
been virtually eliminated. Today, can manufacturers spray an organic polymer inside the can so
that the beer literally never touches the aluminum. Metal flavors in beer are usually bitter, and
they’re always bad, caused primarily by iron, copper or other metals in the water.
• Plastic (phenolic): The aromas in your beer should never seem artificial, and that’s what
phenolics smell like. They have an artificial aroma that can take the form of something medicinal,
mouthwash or plastic, and they’re cause is often a problem with the water, yeast or sparging
• Rotten eggs (sulfitic): Rotten eggs can be a sign of a serious problem of contamination,
especially when the smell is overwhelming. By contrast, it can be highly desirable when it’s just a
very faint or subtle whiff, more like a burned match. Many ales that were originally brewed in
Burton-on-Trent in the United Kingdom famously had this character. If it’s overpowering, it most
likely signals a yeast problem, or sometimes it’s a sign that a beer is too green.
Dr Seema Paroha
NSI, Kanpur.