EnglishViews: 24 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-12-31 Origin: Site
In beer brewing, wort quality plays a decisive role in the flavor, clarity, and stability of the final beer. After the mashing process, the sweet liquid—known as wort—must be separated from the spent grain. This crucial step is called wort filtration (lautering), and it is primarily carried out in a specialized vessel known as the Lauter Tun.
As a professional brewery equipment manufacturer, DEGONG designs and engineers Lauter Tuns to deliver efficient filtration, stable performance, and consistently high-quality wort for both craft and industrial breweries.
A Lauter Tun is a stainless-steel vessel used to separate liquid wort from solid grain particles after mashing. The grain bed itself acts as a natural filter, while the internal structure of the Lauter Tun ensures smooth and controlled wort flow.
Key structural features of a DEGONG Lauter Tun include:
Precision-engineered false bottom with fine slots
Optimized tank geometry to form a stable grain bed
Optional raking and lifting system to prevent channeling and improve efficiency
High-hygiene sanitary design and cleanable surfaces
These engineering features allow DEGONG Lauter Tuns to provide efficient filtration, reduced turbidity, and improved extraction yield.
The lautering process typically consists of three main stages:
After mashing, the mash is transferred into the Lauter Tun.
Wort flows downward through the grain bed, and the first run-off—known as first wort—is collected. This fraction usually contains the highest sugar concentration and the richest flavor compounds.
To extract remaining sugars, hot water is gently sprayed over the grain bed.
This step, known as sparging, must be carefully controlled in terms of:
Water temperature
Flow rate
Bed stability
Proper sparging helps increase extract efficiency while avoiding undesirable tannin extraction.
All clarified wort is collected and transferred to the boiling kettle, ready for the next stage of brewing.
A well-designed Lauter Tun has a direct impact on:
✔ Clarity and Appearance
Efficient filtration removes suspended grain particles and husk residues, resulting in a cleaner, brighter wort.
✔ Fermentation Performance
Pure wort provides a healthier environment for yeast, improving fermentation stability and consistency.
✔ Flavor and Mouthfeel
Reduced impurities help prevent harsh bitterness, astringency, or off-flavors, ensuring a smoother and more balanced beer profile.
DEGONG’s Lauter Tun solutions are engineered to maintain this balance between extraction efficiency and wort purity.
While some breweries use alternative systems such as plate filters or mash filter presses, the Lauter Tun remains the most widely adopted solution due to:
| Method | Key Advantages | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| DEGONG Lauter Tun | Natural filtration, stable operation, reliable quality control | Requires proper process control |
| Plate or Press Filter | Faster filtration, suitable for very large plants | Higher equipment cost, more complex maintenance |
For most breweries, the Lauter Tun offers an optimal balance of performance, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness.
DEGONG designs Lauter Tuns with:
High-precision false bottom plates
Uniform grain bed support structure
Optional rake and lifting system
CIP-friendly hygienic design
Customizable size and configuration for breweries of all scales
Our systems are widely used in craft breweries, microbreweries, and commercial brewing facilities worldwide.
Wort filtration is a key step in brewing, and the Lauter Tun plays a central role in ensuring clarity, flavor integrity, and overall beer quality. Through optimized engineering and process control, DEGONG Lauter Tuns deliver reliable filtration efficiency and high-grade wort output, helping brewers produce cleaner and more premium beer.
If you are planning to upgrade or design a brewhouse system, DEGONG can provide customized Lauter Tun and complete turnkey brewing solutions to meet your production requirements.
