**2. Pros and cons of continuous production versus batch process**


#### **Table 2.**

*Continuous brewing processes versus batch processes—the advantages.*

#### **3. Continuous malting**

As malting needs lots of water and energy and only a few malts are produced in big amounts, continuous or semi continuous production is used more often than in brewing (**Table 2**). This means steeping, germination and kilning during the continuous transportation of the grains [3].

In 1960 the Domalt system was built in Toronto (Toronto malting). Barley was transported by water with a pump into a slope malt conditioning screw. The barley is slowly transported upward against rinsing water. Then the barley fell onto an endless filter belt [4]. Water was sprayed on the barley and aerated, and the degree of steeping was adjusted. It fell on a conveyer situated below for the germination. The belt is moved

**69**

*Continuous Beer Production*

**4. Continuous brewhouse**

electricity, steam and water consumption peaks.

means more yield but less blank worts.

intake to filtered beer during the daytime [1].

regular continuous filtration process [1].

ment as much as possible.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86929*

at 0.7 m/h, the green malt being 0.9 m high. Stationary turning machines homogenised the germinating grains. Withering and kilning were also conducted on conveyers by tempered air blowing through the debris. Finally the malt was cooled down by air. Only one person controlled the process. Yields were 1–1.5% above per batch systems. Energy and water were saved [3]. Production size was 11,600 t/a. The steeping and germination time was 100–110 h for two rowed and 70–80 h with multi-rowed barley [4]. Advantages were the quick pregermination at less moisture, the better cytolysis, the shorter time, a bigger kernel volume after the kilning [4], less work labour, better

A Soviet system called Bartnew worked with rotating slanted 1–2° slope long drums.

The process could be regulated, 40–70 h for the steeping, 70–200 h for germination and 6–20 h for the kilning [3]. The German Democratic Republic (GDR) continuous malting needed a total of 73–105 h, producing 10,000 t/a. The water

The grains moved 20–60 mm per turn of the drum. In the end the grain had passed every germination stage and was kilned in a vertical kiln with conical chutes [3].

Moving pile systems by Ostertag, Seeger and Lausmann were turning and moving the malt under spraying or aeration with tempered air. Today tower malting is a semi continuous malt production. The steps on the floors take 9–24 h [4]. The batches are synchronised to the lorry sizes which fetch the malt to the breweries, the production speed is in a weekly rhythm, the silos buffer the amount of the barley harvest, and the demand of malt is by the annual variability of beer production.

The important utilities consumed in the brewhouse are malt grist, hot water for mashing and lautering, steam and water as a cooling liquid. In a batch brewhouse, different batches are processed at the same time and consequently lead to crucial

**Milling:** usually milling is a continuous process, no matter if wet mill, roller or a hammer mill is used. The malt silo and the milling body are the buffers before and after the milling. Capacities can be reduced, if the mashing process is continuous and not needing the tons per brew in less than 20 min to assure equal treatment of the grains. The comminution degree is dependent on the lautering process following. If continuous the husks do not need to be maintained, like for lautering. This

**Mashing:** infusion mashing is easily to be performed continuously. Plate or tube heat exchangers vary temperature and speed of the mash. Plate heat exchangers have limited applications for products with particles and/or fibres, while tube heat exchangers have the lower energy recovery rates [5]. Mash cannot run against mash like in a plate heat exchanger. An intermedia water circuit is necessary to recuperate energy in the casing pipe. Mixing while heating has to assure equality of the treat-

In 1998, Meura started the development of the continuous brewing concept. A complete pilot plant was installed in 1999. The first operation of the Meurabrew on an industrial scale of 200 hl/h wort (up to 20°P) took place in 2007. A similar order for a plant in Fuzhou, China, was obtained. The entire operation is managed by 45 people, with just 2 men per shift to run the brewing operation from raw material

Different mash vessels are keeping mash at constant temperature with a specific holding time. A continuous flow passes these vessels. Three parallel filters assure a

automatisation and less water consumption at higher investment costs.

was reused for steeping with an addition of 0.2% caustic soda [3].

#### *Continuous Beer Production DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86929*

*New Advances on Fermentation Processes*

**Steps in beer production**

Filling Avoiding

**2. Pros and cons of continuous production versus batch process**

**Process Aims Batch Continuous** Steeping Mixing Steep tank Screw conveyers Germination Mixing Malting box, tower malting Worm conveyers Kilning Mixing Floor kiln Air conveyers Milling Mixing All mills

Mashing Mixing Mash tun Tube heat exchanger Lautering Separation Lauter tun, mash filter Centrifuge, decanter, Nessie

Wort boiling Mixing Copper Heat exchanger Wort clarification Separation Whirlpool, flotation Decanter, centrifuge Wort aeration Mixing Flotation Inline nozzle Fermentation Mixing Fermentation tub or tank Immobilised yeast Maturation Separation Storage tank Centrifuge Filtration Separation Dead-end cave filtration Crossflow filter

• Reduced peak consumption of utilities [1] • Quantity demands can be respected

**Continuous process advantages Batch process: advantages** • Less volume, limited space requirements [1] • Are easier to control

*Main processes in beer making, their aims and the batchwise and continuous machines.*

contaminations and oxygen

As malting needs lots of water and energy and only a few malts are produced in big amounts, continuous or semi continuous production is used more often than in brewing (**Table 2**). This means steeping, germination and kilning during the

(and yeasts)

• Less energy and water consumption • Are easier to change, if other beer varieties are needed

Tank lorries, kegs, stationary fillers

Rotary-type machines for kegs

and bottles

• Reduced extract losses [1] • Containers are better and more often to be cleaned • Reduced waste disposal [1] • Processes are less automised and complicated • Higher yields • Machinery has less moving parts and less ware parts • Higher degree of automatisation • If things go wrong, it means less stress for the brewers

In 1960 the Domalt system was built in Toronto (Toronto malting). Barley was transported by water with a pump into a slope malt conditioning screw. The barley is slowly transported upward against rinsing water. Then the barley fell onto an endless filter belt [4]. Water was sprayed on the barley and aerated, and the degree of steeping was adjusted. It fell on a conveyer situated below for the germination. The belt is moved

**68**

**Table 2.**

**Table 1.**

**3. Continuous malting**

continuous transportation of the grains [3].

*Continuous brewing processes versus batch processes—the advantages.*

at 0.7 m/h, the green malt being 0.9 m high. Stationary turning machines homogenised the germinating grains. Withering and kilning were also conducted on conveyers by tempered air blowing through the debris. Finally the malt was cooled down by air. Only one person controlled the process. Yields were 1–1.5% above per batch systems. Energy and water were saved [3]. Production size was 11,600 t/a. The steeping and germination time was 100–110 h for two rowed and 70–80 h with multi-rowed barley [4]. Advantages were the quick pregermination at less moisture, the better cytolysis, the shorter time, a bigger kernel volume after the kilning [4], less work labour, better automatisation and less water consumption at higher investment costs.

A Soviet system called Bartnew worked with rotating slanted 1–2° slope long drums. The grains moved 20–60 mm per turn of the drum. In the end the grain had passed every germination stage and was kilned in a vertical kiln with conical chutes [3].

The process could be regulated, 40–70 h for the steeping, 70–200 h for germination and 6–20 h for the kilning [3]. The German Democratic Republic (GDR) continuous malting needed a total of 73–105 h, producing 10,000 t/a. The water was reused for steeping with an addition of 0.2% caustic soda [3].

Moving pile systems by Ostertag, Seeger and Lausmann were turning and moving the malt under spraying or aeration with tempered air. Today tower malting is a semi continuous malt production. The steps on the floors take 9–24 h [4]. The batches are synchronised to the lorry sizes which fetch the malt to the breweries, the production speed is in a weekly rhythm, the silos buffer the amount of the barley harvest, and the demand of malt is by the annual variability of beer production.
