Compressed air in the brewing industry

In the brewing industry, achieving the highest quality beer starts with the quality of your compressed air. At Chicago Pneumatic, we guarantee a continuous supply of clean, reliable air with the highest performance, meeting the needs of the brewing industry.

Compressed air is needed at almost every stage of the brewing process to ensure quality and consistency. Whatever the size of your brewery, our compressors offer you tailor-made solutions: from fermentation and aeration to bottling and carbonation, we can tailor our products specifically to the needs of the brewery according to your energy requirements, size and noise.

Choose a CP oil-injected screw compressor in combination with a refrigerant dryer and a comprehensive filtration system. This combination includes oil filters, dust filters, and a water separator within the dryer, all of which collectively define your purity class. Moreover, the integration of carbon-activated towers plays a pivotal role in eliminating oil vapors from your compressed air supply.

Investing in variable speed drive (VSD) compressors holds the key to achieving the most cost-effective and energy-efficient compressed air system. Unlike traditional solutions, VSD compressors adapt their speed to match the demand, eliminating unload losses and reducing the energy costs associated with pressure loss.

To maintain this efficiency and minimize overall costs, regular monitoring and maintenance are paramount. With proactive care, you can ensure that your VSD compressors operate at their peak performance, further driving down operational expenses and enhancing energy savings.

Bottling/Canning: Compressed air is used to move beer from the conditioning tank to the bottle, as well as to keep the lines clean. Using proper air treatment and filters ensure that lines and deposits are not contaminated during the process.

CO₂ recovery: It is possible to recover the CO2 generated during the fermentation process and use it to carbonate your products, or store it for later sale.

Air for cleaning: Compressed air is used to clean bottles and containers before filling. Air pollution can alter taste, smell and foam, as well as being a health hazard.

Fermentation: Compressed air supplies oxygen to bacteria during the fermentation process (aeration). This converts carbohydrates into alcohol by the action of microorganisms. During the process, it is important to supply the exact amount of compressed air and maintain the correct oxygen level to determine the quality of the yeast.

Packaging/labelling: Compressed air is used to control valves and actuators in automated packaging, labeling, etc. lines. Clean compressed air prevents automation components from clogging, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

In both large-scale operations and small craft breweries, a dependable compressor is just as vital as the blend of malt, water, and hops in brewing a pale ale. In this eBook, you will discover the role of compressed air and air treatment solutions in brewing:

1. Brewing and compressed air
2. The process of brewing beer
3. The role of compressed air in beer brewing
4. The importance of sustainability in beer production
5. What does a brewery's compressed air system look like?
6. Identifying your air quality needs
7. Improving efficiency with variable speed compressors
8. Maintaining quality through monitoring and maintenance

Commercial and craft breweries depend on compressed air for powering continuous-duty machines (like Meheen) for bottling, labeling, filling, and carbonating. These machines require a very precise amount of clean air to accomplish the following items:

Aeration: Aeration is an essential process of introducing oxygen to the yeast cultures throughout the fermentation process. 

Bottling: Bottling is one of the most common uses for air compressors in breweries and smaller commercial operations. Pressurized air is vital for moving beer from the conditioning tank to the bottle, and for keeping lines clean and free of water. Bottling uses a lot of air, so getting the right unit is critical. If you select an undersized or non-continuous rated unit, it will most likely get hot and start "spitting" oil into the lines. Even with a water trap, oil filters, and water filters, contamination will still get through pneumatic lines and wreak chaos on your equipment.

Cleaning & Maintenance: You spend countless hours investigating decisions like what malts, hops, and yeast strains to use in your next award-winning Lager and nothing can be worse than to find the entire batch is destroyed from contamination. Cleaning brew kettles, fermentation tanks, bottles, and kegs are all necessary chores. It's how you clean that makes a difference. To avoid spoilage, you want to avoid using contaminated air at all costs. Air compressors can be used to power cleaning tools such as pressure washers which are essential for maintaining a clean and sanitary operation. Many breweries will also use air-powered tools for regular maintenance and installation of new equipment.

Clean Air = Clean Beer: To ensure the highest quality beer production, choose a Chicago Pneumatic oil-injected screw compressor, paired with a refrigerant dryer and a comprehensive filtration system. This complete setup includes oil filters, dust filters, and a dryer-embedded water separator, collectively defining your air purity class. Incorporate carbon-activated towers to effectively eliminate oil vapors. For cleaner and better-tasting beer, choose this ideal compressed air solution.

Look to our team of compressed air experts as your reliable partner, extending a range of solutions to provide you with clean, dependable air and energy-conserving alternatives. Investigate our energy recovery feature, which can regenerate over 90% of the energy expended in the compression of air.

Leverage the capabilities of AIRchitect, our state-of-the-art software solution tailored for energy optimization. This software empowers you to access unmatched perspectives and enhancements, enabling you to reduce energy expenses. AIRchitect equips you with the resources needed to assume command of your energy management and steer your business toward a sustainable, economically efficient future.

Whether you are a large-scale craft brewery or a microbrewery, choosing the right air compressor and accessories will go a long way to protect your investment and the award-winning beer you create.