The use of cold water tanks in beer equipment

What is cold water tank for brewery equipment?

The CLT in a brewery is typically a stainless steel water tank with cooling jackets, you can regard it as a fermenter. The CLT is filled with city water that is chilled between brewing cycles to a temperature around 2℃. This cold water is then pumped through the wort exchanger at a 1:1 ratio, cooling the wort from post boil temperature to the desired fermentation temperature. The exiting water, around 70℃ is transferred to the hot liquor tank to be utilized for the next batch of beer brewing. The CLT is often sized to hold enough cold water to service a typical 24-hour brewing cycle. For example, if you have a 15 Bbl brewhouse, and will typically brew three times per day, the CLT would be sized at 45 Bbl.

How does it work with glycol water tank only without cold water tank in a brewery?

In this situation, we normally work with a two stage heat exchanger.

Two-stage brewery equipment wort exchanger cools the wort in two steps:

• Utilizes city water at a 1:1 ratio, removing as much heat as possible. Depending on heat exchanger efficiency, the hot wort will be cooled down to around 30℃.

• Transfers the remaining heat to chilled glycol and exits at desired fermentation temperature.

Besides, the glycol also will be used to cool fermentation tanks, bright tank. The glycol water tank will under higher pressure in beer brewing process. To assure enough cooling content, the glycol water tank around 2 - 3 times of brewhouse.

How about with a cold water tank in a brewery?

With a cold water tank in a brewery, we will work with a single stage heat exchanger. The cold water will be used cool hot wort only, which down to fermentation temperature directly. The glycol will be used to cool fermentation tanks, bright tank only. So the cooling process in separated by different medium. It certainly helps releasing glycol water pressure. It is a good thing for brewery in the long run.

In previous, most suppliers only supply a glycol water tank without cold water tank.

As you know, the glycol water after heat exchanging with hot wort etc, it will be recycled back to glycol water tank. The recycled glycol water temperature will rise. Thus it may cause glycol water tank temperature rise. Under busy brewing days. there may have several fermentation tanks need to be cooled, the rised glycol water may has influence to fermentation tank cooling. To avoid the risk, it is better to have a cold water tank. We don’t have to worry about brewery expanding in the future. Of course, with a cold water tank, the glycol tank size can be smaller as well.