In this post we focus on one of our newest SPX FLOW products: Seital centrifuges and how they can be used in your brewing process to increase productivity and optimize beer quality.
THE OPERATING PRINCIPLE OF THE SEITAL CENTRIFUGE
To begin with, let's take a look at how a Seital centrifuge works in a beer process - or really in any application. First, the liquid to be separated – in this case beer or wort- pumped into the centrifuge. It enters the centrifuge through the centrally located inlet (1). A so-called distributor (2) then directs the mixture to the separator area (3) of the system. The separator area consists of a cone containing a stack of tabs arranged discs. These discs rotate at a high speed. The short distance between the discs (coupled with centrifugal force) forces solids through the discs to the outside of the cone where they are discharged (4). The remaining valuable beer or wort rises up the disc stack to the top of the cone (5) and is pumped out of the system via the exhaust pipe (6) by means of a centrifugal pump.
APPLICATIONS OF AND CENTRIFUGE IN THE BREWERY
Now that we have an idea of how this works, let's see where and why we use a centrifuge to purify beer or wort. An application where we use centrifuges in the brewery is when you, as a brewer, need to remove the protein and hop solids, or trub, prior to fermentation. Many small breweries use traditional filter media or whirlpools to filter the trub. By using a Seital centrifuge we can separate the trub and hop solids with maximum efficiency and yield to get clear wort prior to cooling for fermentation.
Brewers have also confirmed that Seital centrifuges are gentler on beer than traditional filter media. The hermetically sealed sealing systems in the Seital separators minimize the oxygen uptake, which prevents the aroma, color and taste properties of the beer from changing. Filter media, such as cellulose or diatomaceous earth, can remove the flavor of the beer and have an impact on the environment. Why do you think there are so many unfiltered beers on the market today? When used as an alternative to traditional Kieselguhr or diatomaceous earth filtration, the Seital centrifuge allows us to get the same clear beer without removing the hop characteristics that make a craft beer so great. The compact Seital skids are suitable for any application where you want all the benefits of filtering without the need for a filter media.
THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF A CENTRIFUGE IN YOUR BREWING PROCESS
Seital separators that are used correctly in a brewery quickly pay for themselves. Good, salable beer is often trapped in the solids that collect at the bottom of fermenters. Seital separators allow more beer to be recovered from tank bottoms, allowing brewers to ship more beer with the same amount of ingredients. This return on investment helps quickly offset the initial cost of a separator.
Another advantage of using a separator is that you can increase production volumes without needing more hands. Seital centrifuges are delivered fully pre-assembled as a complete skid for direct use in the brewery. Combined with turbidity meters and other automation features, brewers can achieve greater reproducibility and higher quality standards without having to hire additional staff.To continue to improve the quality of beer, a brewer must be willing to refine its processing methods. Craft brewers across the country are all discovering new applications where Seital centrifuges can be used to improve the quality of their product and the efficiency of their process. By using them to replace traditional filter media, the automated processing will ensure maximum yield without compromising on quality.
