In-line blender for high-gravity beer: the skid that doses deaerated water into strong filtered beer to hit the sales original gravity and alcohol

01

Coarse and fine water valves, two magnetic flowmeters and an extract analyser: how the water dose is set

Bucher Denwel's Inline Carboblender shows the control layout in one skid. An in-line alcohol and extract analyser continuously checks the standardized beer, and two water control valves of different sizes sit in parallel; the software moves both at once so that the coarse valve makes the large corrections and the fine valve never sits at an end stop, which the maker says gives fast regulation in one process step. Two electromagnetic flowmeters measure the high-gravity beer and the deaerated water, and if their ratio leaves the expected range the unit warns or stops. [1]

The same sheet states that the beer pump does the mixing, so no separate mixer is fitted, which avoids its pressure drop. [1] Pentair's high-gravity line at Crown Beers India controlled its Carbo Blender on the beer-to-water ratio instead of on a measured strength, because the state's alcohol tax depends on the alcohol content of the finished beer; the static mixers described in that line come after blending and serve to distribute and dissolve the CO₂. [3]

Where the blend is checked by density, Endress+Hauser describes a Promass 63 Coriolis meter with a special density calibration measuring the finished beer leaving a high-gravity unit, with an analog output set directly in °Plato over a 12–18 °Plato range, at up to 6 bar and 0–10 °C, in line sizes from 12 to 100 mm. [4]

KHS describes its Innopro HGB as blending beer and deaerated water under ratio control to the required original gravity, then trimming the beer to its final CO₂ content in the same unit. [2]

Ask whether the water dose is corrected on measured extract, alcohol or density, or held on a fixed beer-to-water ratio, which instrument does the measuring and on which side of the blend, what ratio deviation trips a warning or a stop, and whether a separate mixer is fitted or the pump does the mixing.

02

From DN 40 at 20 hl/h to 1,400 hl/h: flow range, measuring accuracy and operating window

Bucher Denwel lists nine Inline Carboblender sizes, each named by its top flow, with the line size growing from DN 40 to DN 150. [1]

The table shows five of Bucher's nine sizes; the others are DBC075A (DN 40, 30–75 hl/h), DBC150A (DN 65, 60–150 hl/h), DBC300A (DN 80, 120–300 hl/h) and DBC750A (DN 125, 300–750 hl/h). Editorial calculation: in every listed Bucher size the top flow is 2.5 times the bottom flow, so a skid sized for the peak filler demand covers down to 40 % of it. [1]

The same data sheet gives the measuring ranges and accuracies of the analyser: original gravity 0–20 °P at ±0.05 °P, and alcohol 0–10 %vol at ±0.03 %vol. It lists a blending ratio of up to 100 %, carbonation up to 6 g/l, operating pressure 2–5 barg, operating temperature 0–5 °C, CIP at 2–5 barg and up to 90 °C, tri-clamp connections, AISI 304 stainless steel with EPDM, PSU and PP, and a frame from 1.9 m high, 2.0 m wide and 0.6 m deep weighing from 250 kg. [1]

How much water the blender adds depends on how strong the beer was brewed. In the example of a 1977 patent on high-gravity brewing, a beer of original gravity 1.120 was diluted with de-aerated water to an original gravity of 1.052. [5] Editorial calculation, treating gravity points ((SG − 1) × 1000) as proportional to extract, which is an approximation: 120 / 52 ≈ 2.3, so each litre of that strong beer became about 2.3 litres, and the water was about 57 % of the blend.

Give the supplier the maximum and minimum blended flow, the line size at the filter outlet, the original gravity or alcohol of the high-gravity beer and of each sales brand, the accuracy the brand specification and tax authority require, and the temperature and pressure at the blending point.

03

Blending water under 10 ppb oxygen, cooled to beer temperature, and the capacity it frees

Pentair's case study lists the process steps of a high-gravity line as water deaeration, mixing the strong 'mother beer' with deaerated water, and carbonating the finished beer; hops or colour can be added during mixing. Pentair supplied a membrane water deaeration system type MDS, a plant type it characterises by residual oxygen below 10 ppb; in that step the water is also sterilized automatically and cooled to the blending temperature, and an in-line OGM oxygen meter was added at the brewery's request to monitor residual oxygen. [3]

The 1977 patent on high-gravity brewing prefers to dilute only after the beer has been stored cold and at least coarsely filtered. [5]

Crown Beers India used the high-gravity concept to lift annual capacity from 200,000 hl to 500,000 hl without enlarging the brewhouse, tank or filter capacity; deaeration, blending, carbonation, controls and cabling were built on one shared frame as an 'HGB unit'. [3] Editorial calculation: 500,000 / 200,000 = 2.5 times the earlier annual output.

State where the blending water is deaerated and to what residual oxygen, whether it is sterilized and cooled before the blender, whether an in-line oxygen meter is wanted on the water or the blend, and whether carbonation follows on the same frame.

04

Brewery data for an in-line high-gravity blender

Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.

Beer: [high-gravity original gravity or alcohol; brands and their sales strength]
Control: [measured extract, alcohol or density; or fixed ratio; required accuracy]
Flow: [maximum and minimum blended hl/h; line size]
Water: [deaerator type; residual O₂; temperature; pressure]
Operating window: [blend temperature; pressure; CIP temperature]
Additions: [colour or hop extract dosed during blending]
After blending: [carbonation on the same skid or separate]
Materials and connections: [stainless grade; seals; clamp or flange]

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