The production of beer is a complicated process, at least when quality, consistency, and optimal visual and taste appeal are central areas of concern. With new craft beers and locally sourced products used in the production of an increasing array of different types and flavors of beers, finding ways to remove the suspended solids and infusing the full flavor of the organics throughout the beer.
In the brewhouse, it is common to find a beer centrifuge located after the wort kettle. In traditional types of processes where a centrifuge is not used, the hops in the wort kettle float to the top, which is where the oil from the hops remains. Without the ability to use a centrifuge to remove the solids, the hops and the hops oil remains in the top layer and is literally thrown away after fermentation is completed.
The Centrifuge Advantage
With the use of a beer centrifuge, the liquid and the solids from the fermentation tank flow into the centrifuge. This then spins the mixture, and it pushes the heavier solids to the outside of the tank while holding the lighter materials, including the liquid and the oils, in the center to allow it to move forward in the process without the organic solids.
As a filtering system, the beer centrifuge is an investment in the quality of the beer produced. However, through the use of the centrifuge, slower and less efficient filtration methods can be eliminated entirely, which speeds up production while also maintaining beer quality. Fully automated centrifuges add the ability to set the process for the specific beer, reducing the risk of any type of human error.
With the choice of centrifuge technology over old filtration practices, it is also possible to almost completely eliminate the introduction of additional oxygen into the beer. This not only helps to improve the quality of the beer but limiting oxygen in the end product also increases the shelf-life of the beer.
