How to reduce water usage at the place of beer production

Good beer starts from quality water. A brewer cannot afford to be dependent on local natural conditions, which is why every production facility always has a water conditioning site.

The liquid goes through several stages:

• coarse mechanical filtration, where all insoluble impurities up to 0.03 mm are removed;
• deferrization;
• ion exchange for softening or desalination

The number of water conditioning stages depends on the composition of natural raw materials from the water intake, as well as the ability of the brewer to purchase equipment. The purest water is obtained by using reverse osmosis — membrane separation, which removes up to 99% of all salts, bacteria and pyrogenes.

Losses in the water conditioning site constitute up to 30% of the total water usage of the brewery. This is the consumption for periodic washing of the filters themselves, contaminants removing membranes. The losses of raw materials in water conditioning are so significant that some manufacturers are willing to invest in equipment replacement in order to reduce wasting. Such a situation, for example, happened with one Viravix Engineering client, but Viravix experts managed to offer him less expensive procedures.

One of the solutions is the recovery of water in production. This is the reuse of liquid in technological processes. After washing filters, membranes water can be collected and used for other purposes. For example, it is used for washing floors and walls.

If the existing equipment does not allow installation of recovery tanks, then it will be upgraded. And then the water is collected for reuse.

Water costs can be reduced if all leaks are eliminated. One of the best practices used by the brewing giants is the Day of Silence. All production is stopped for a day, and specialists are looking for all non tight places where air, water, CO 2 leaks occur. This procedure can be used to save raw materials in all brewery sites, not just water conditioning.

Optimization of water consumption at the place of beer production means not a direct saving of the resource, but its reasonable usage.

Food companies always need a balance between energy saving and microbiological safety of the product.

When the hopped wort is cooled, an excess of hot water is created. Some manufacturers simply dump it down the drain because they don’t have refrigeration units at this stage. Reasonable water users install containers for collecting and storing hot water, which can further be used in production.

Viravix engineering experts develop a set of procedures for recovery in production, based on individual conditions at a particular brewery:

• how much hot water remains after cooling the hopped wort;
• what is the quality of this raw material;
• how many and what volume of tanks can be installed;
• which process is easier to send liquid to — mash tun kettle or shower devices.

Cooling units consume a lot of electricity and not all brewers can afford them.

SIP water saving or reduction is an important step towards sustainable and cost-effective operations in many industries. In particular, the use of Clean-In-Place (CIP) is a major contributor to water consumption in the manufacturing sector.

In the production of beer, there are always several circuits for equipment washing. CIP stations are another place where recuperation can be applied in the enterprise. The main thing at the same time is to understand where it is possible to collect the solution from, how many vessels can be placed and where to use it later.

The Viravix Engineering Company is engaged in the design, installation and service support of CIP-stations. We initially offer the customer energy saving procedures, but we can also help at existing stations.

Clean water during CIP cleaning is available at:

• intermediate washings — after cleaning with an alkaline or acid solution;
• final rinse;
• pipelines’ disinfection stage.

The best option for reduction cip and water costs in the enterprise is reasonable consumption and return to production.

If the CIP station is not designed for the installation of recovery tanks, then it can first be upgraded, and after it the technology of collecting water for reuse can be applied.

Another strategy for reducing water consumption is to recycle water where possible when washing with caustic. For example, the reuse of rinse water in the CIP process or the installation of a water recovery system in the CIP process can result in reduced water consumption and related costs.

Overall, reducing water consumption during caustic or alkaline washing in CIP operations is an important step towards sustainable and cost-effective operations. By implementing strategies to reduce water usage, manufacturers can reduce their water costs while still maintaining high levels of cleanliness and hygiene. With reduced SIP water costs and consumption, businesses can improve their bottom line and reduce their impact on the environment

Packaging processes are significant consumer of water in brewing.

A lot of raw materials are used for washing conveyors and transporters. Often they are cleaned by hand, watering from hoses.

Automation reduces consumption because it eliminates the human factor. An additional benefit of machine cleaning is the improved quality of the process.

Viravix Engineering specialists will design, install and service automatic washers for transporters.

They are available at any brewery for manual cleaning of equipment, floors, and walls.

To reduce water consumption, we suggest using special nozzles with a smaller diameter. They abate splashing and increase jet stream distance.

These are the most significant water consumers in packaging processes.

The principle of operation of the bottle-washing machine is based on the constant flow of liquid through the bathtubs for:

• presteeping;
• first, sometimes second alkaline cleaning;
• post-alkaline rinses;
• fresh water;
• final rinse.

Reduced water consumption in the bottle washer can also be affected by a particular model. Here we offer the same recovery to reducing water costs in a bottle washer — to direct raw materials in the reverse order: from clean processes to dirty ones. That is, from the final rinse to presteeping.

Another solution for reducing water consumption in a bottle washer is the upgrade of syringes for rinsing bottles. Here you can control the liquid pressure: the lower it is, the lower the consumption.

Bottle-washing machines have a cutout valve to stop the water supply when the equipment stops. Not all brewers pay attention to its good condition, and it can leak. This is not noticeable because the area around the bottle-washing machine is always wet. Regular checking of the cutout valve correct operation also saves raw materials.

The equipment is used for pasteurization of cans and bottles with beer. As businesses in the beer industry strive towards a more sustainable operation, the importance of water saving techniques in tunnel pasteurizer cannot be overstated. The container slowly moves through the tunnel and is pasteurized for 30−40 minutes, and then cooled for 30−40 minutes.

During normal operation of the line, liquid of the same temperature circulates between the bathtubs in the heating area and the cooling zone, and everything is compensated. If the line stops, then to avoid overpasteurization, the hot bathtubs are cooled with cold water to 50 °C. The excess liquid is drained into the sewer.

Through the implementation of strategies aimed at reduced water consumption in tunnel pasteurizer, such as the installation of a recovery tank and a heat exchanger, businesses can enjoy the benefits of a more sustainable and cost-effective operation.

The cost of this upgrade is estimated at 15 — 20 thousand euros, but it can be quickly recovered due to the reduced pasteurizer’s water consumption. In large tunnel pasteurizers, with unstable line operation, the savings amount to hundreds of cubic meters of water per shift.

Furthermore, by using a water reduction tunnel pasteurizer, companies can cut down their overall water consumption and costs, as the technology employs state-of-the-art processes to minimize the amount of water needed for the pasteurization process.

If recovery tanks cannot be installed on existing pasteurizers, upgrading the equipment is another option for reducing water consumption in tunnel pasteurizer, business can enjoy the benefits of a more sustainable and cost-effective operation.

On all PET lines, can lines and where a new glass bottle is used rinsers are installed.

Rinsers can also be equipped with recovery tanks. Initially, equipment manufacturers offer this option, but not all brewers understand its purpose and refuse such expenditures.

Meanwhile, reusing water from the rinser significantly reduces consumption. This does not mean that the brewer will be able to completely abandon the use of fresh water. But renewing water in the rinser will become less frequent.

Viravix Engineering specialists can offer other solutions to reduce water consumption at the brewery. It all depends on the specific conditions of production.

Somewhere it is possible to use drainage water from sewage treatment plants; somewhere – to install containers for collecting rainwater.

A specific list of energy-saving procedures is determined on site. We repeat that in brewing it is important to strike a balance between the economy of raw materials and the quality of beer.