Microbiologically instable beers are "ticking time bombs" for every brewery. The reason is those trace infections and cross contamination of micro-organisms transmitted from the production process can only be detected after a considerable delay.
This enormous risk can be avoided. GEA Brewery Systems has developed a safe and cost-effective method to optimize the biological preservation by pasteurization. Thanks to the recuperative design of the flash pasteurizer system, as much as 96 percent of the heat input can be recovered. This makes flash pasteurization the most cost-effective of all heat treatments used today.
Flash pasteurization makes a quality beer
The best way to achieve stable beer quality and full taste is flash pasteurization. Thermal inactivation helps the brewer to define the microbiological properties of his beer. Micro-organisms that could spoil the beer are destroyed fast without harming the product. The beer is gently pasteurized in-line immediately prior to filling. This process step enables breweries to ensure the sustained quality of their product.
As with all methods for the reduction of microorganisms, however, the success is dependent on the initial organism count in the beverage. A positive side effect of flash pasteurization is the inactivation of foam-negative proteinases excreted by the yeast. If enzymes are added to the process, heat treatment is indispensable, because an uncontrolled enzymatic reaction in the filled bottle must strictly be prevented.
Accurate temperature control
The exact adjustment of the flash pasteurizer’s temperature control system is also indispensable for operational safety. The pasteurization effect and the beer quality will only be reliably guaranteed if the temperature is adjusted within a specified range. The control system of a flash pasteurizer system therefore has two essential functions:
• Temperature control must be highly accurate in order to achieve the required pasteurization units
• The filling level in the buffer tank must be controlled in accordance with the amount drawn off. This ensures uninterrupted operation and keeps the number of flush-outs as low as possible
GEA Brewery Systems offers a technologically mature solution, which is an
integral part of the process software. This solution ensures the perfect interaction
between the different control loops and achieves a PU control accuracy of +/- 0.1 PU!
To achieve this precision and consistent performance, the flash pasteurizer system
must be exactly tailored to the beer/product to be treated.