Solution for increasing wort yield

AT PRESENT, a large number of breweries are rebuilding and expanding, and most of them consider mash plants as first step in this process. Nanchang Asia Brewery Co, Ltd, for instance, regarded the increase of wort yield as the priority in their new brewery construction project. Eventually, AB Nanchang decided to install wort filter instead of traditional lauter tun because of its processing performance, smaller installation space, economical investment and higher wort yield.

Formed in 1994, AB Nanchang is located in the city of Nanchang in Jiangxi province. After decade of development, it has become the leading brewery in Jiangxi with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons with three main brands: Nanchang, Nanchang Green Label and Ranchos, which have all won awards from provincial and municipal authorities.

Improving efficiency and material recovery
To solve the question of how to improve wort yield, AB Nanchang decided to equip its new brewery with a wort filter. The Jiangxi brewery chose HDGL-1800 wort filter manufactured by Hande Equipment in order to ensure to better material recovery and filter efficiency, and to get clear wort as much as possible. Moreover, the newly installed wort filter equipment allowed AB Nanchang to double mash production whilst saving at least 50% on the purchase price compared to the installation a new mash system.

The HDGL-1800 wort filter satisfied with 12 brews and more within 24 hours. The hammer mill was adopted to crush the malt; this crushing method was convenient and economical. In the crushed malt, shells were 5-10 per cent; rough malt, 3-6 per cent; fine malt, 40-60; and fine powder at 25-30 per cent.

The filtering period for each brew was less than two hours, yet the separation of soluble materials and the wort yield greatly improved (> 99%).

Control system
In the aspect of control system, AB Nanchang hoped to set up independent programmes according to their processes. So as to achieve different processes, they required a control system of a high reliability that could be easily expanded.

The control system of HDGL-1800 wort filter is composed of Siemens PLC, industrial computer and other auto control elements. An industrial computer is used at the upper control level and accomplishes real- time display, data store, enquiry and control, and amends each technical process parameters on colourful CRT.

HDGL-1800 wort filter pc interface

Siemens SIMATIC S7-300PLC is used as the lower control level, which is an ideal universal automation system for centralised and decentralised configurations. PROFIBUS-DP bus in DIN Standard, also from Siemens, was adopted for the communication of computer and PLC.

Service as important as facilities
In order to facilitate training and daily maintenance, AB Nanchang established a full set of service schedules. Besides training and files transmitted online during the commissioning onsite, brewery staff learned the key points of maintenance. Hande also ensured AB Nanchang of working order by offering solution feedback within two hours and/or service arriving at the plant within 48 hours.

Since the debut of the first Hande wort filter in 1998, more than 30 sets have been installed in the major breweries, such as CRC, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Yanjing and Tsingtao. In 2008, the breweries in northeast of China affiliated with AB InBev ordered nine sets of Hande wort filter equipments in a single order.