When designing and building a brewery, or even later when production is in full swing, utilities, especially steam, are forgotten and taken for granted. This lecture goes over some of the basic concepts for the design of steam systems (i.e. steam supply and condensate return) and what some of the common mistakes that are made when systems are installed. The understanding of those fundamental principles could prevent some of the most common design flaws that can cause equipment damage and potential risk to people’s safety.
Read moreCooling in a modern brewery is generally provided by glycol whereas in older breweries ammonia was the refrigerant of choice. Its use is now very uncommon due to the significant safety risks associated with it. Therefore this lecture focuses on the basic concepts and practicalities of glycol cooling in the brewery.
Read moreThis lecture primarily focus on the process related materials such as types and associated properties of stainless steel, how corrosion occurs, and the suitable options for various piping systems. Also, a brief review of different materials available when building and "dressing up" a brewery; selecting the wrong material for a specific application can have serious negative consequences on both the equipment life and the beer quality.
Read moreSustained success outgrew your current capacity to produce without overtaxing your work force, and your ability to achieve the highest degree of consistency is in jeopardy. One possible avenue is through automation. Process Control and Automation is a wide reaching topic, but it is important to understand the key elements and how they can be applied to your brewery in a systematic manner in order to incrementally increase the level of automation over time.
Read moreTo wrap up on the overarching topic of Barley and Malt, this lecture addresses Specialty Malts. They are used by the brewers to impart various positive attributes of taste and aroma, to their creations. Specialty malts are basically defined as anything that is NOT standard base malt. Learn more about how they are produced and classified, and how they can, and sometimes must, be used to achieve the desired and expected flavor profile of specific styles.
Read moreThis is the first installment of a three-part "Speaker Series". Here Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster at Firestone Walker, is discussing the Craft Brewers' Perspective on getting more hop flavor and hop aroma into the finished products.
Read moreThis is the second installment of a three-part "Speaker Series". Here Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster at Firestone Walker, is addressing hop additions on the Hot Side of the beer production process. Matt is focusing our attention to different techniques and applications with their associated flavor contributions, and aroma impact. Less traditional, or non-conventional techniques are also discussed.
Read moreBrewers are well aware, or should be well aware, of the importance of providing sufficient nutrients to the brewing yeast to carry out fermentation. However brewers are NOT in the business of making yeast; they are in the business of making beer, obviously! Excess yeast growth represents an actual brewing loss. Therefore the brewers are left with the difficult task of fine-tuning the amount and quality of nutrients. But what are those important nutrients? This lecture covers the various brewing yeast growth requirements and how some, like glucose concentration, can affect the overall yeast metabolism.
Read moreWhat is the difference between Respiration and Fermentation? How is yeast metabolism influenced? This lecture answers those questions and more. A brief overview of the overall concept of "taking up wort nutrients, assimilating these nutrients and leading to either new biomass or beer production" is discussed before digging into biochemical carbohydrate pathways. It is intended for you to have a clear understanding of the important balancing act between energy coupling and REDOX reactions.
Read moreThis is the third and final installment of a three part "Speaker Series". Here Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster at Firestone Walker, is discussing the advantages and the benefits of adding hops during either fermentation, maturation, and finishing.
Read moreFor many consumers, foam is one of the most important quality criteria of a beer. Foam is truly a defining quality parameter, but how can it be consistently achieved? The theory behind the formation and stabilization of foam in beer is discussed before describing the factors that can impact foam and how the brewers may be able to influence the final performance.
Read moreCleaning and sanitizing are often considered an afterthought. However, understanding sound cleaning principles will provide the proper environment to produce the beers you intended to offer of the highest quality. Cleaning is not the last step in beer production, it is the ultimate and most important step. You must first clean!
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