Brewery Boiler Maintenance Tips

At the heart of most breweries and wineries is the steam boiler. The steam boiler is a critical component in the brewing process. Brewery boilers must be properly maintained and monitored to maintain optimal performance, and you need to learn how to troubleshoot common boiler problems. Here are some brewery boiler maintenance tips.

Choosing the Right Steam Boiler for Your Brewery

When a new brewery or distillery is purchased, it is common to ask a brewery equipment supplier to install the boiler. But don’t be fooled into thinking that just any boiler will meet your long-term needs. Since breweries and distilleries typically operate 24/7, selecting, commissioning, and designing the right boiler can avoid premature and unnecessary system downtime.

Create a Maintenance Schedule

Lack of regular maintenance is one of the most common reasons for boiler failure. As boilers operate, parts wear out. Therefore, identifying and addressing problems while they are still small can prevent more serious issues that could cause injury or catastrophic failure. If your boiler does not receive the necessary maintenance, it can have devastating consequences, including dangerous or even deadly boiler explosions!

Common boiler problems in breweries and distilleries include:

• Material leaks or improper feeding

• Boiler leaks

• Boiler fires

• Improper setup

Major boiler failures are not only costly but also dangerous and can even shut down your brewery. This can be avoided by scheduling brewery boiler maintenance regularly throughout the year and identifying problems promptly.

Checking for Traps

In boilers, it is common for steam to condense because the insulation around the steam pipes is not 100% effective. The boiler system must have a way to separate the condensate from the steam to maintain pressure and keep the steam flowing down the pipes. Steam traps accomplish this separation process.

Sometimes steam traps leak, allowing steam to enter the condensate return line. When this happens, the steam system is short-circuited. The boiler must produce more steam to meet the same demand. This overworking increases fuel consumption, water consumption, and wear and tear on equipment.

Weekly Blowdown

In boilers, minerals in the water can form scale on boiler surfaces. Scale can impede heat transfer, affect water flow, cause inefficiencies and increase wear. Inhibiting scale buildup helps prevent these problems. Blow water away from the boiler to limit mineral concentrations. Water added to the boiler to replace blowdown has a lower mineral concentration and helps prevent scaling.

Detecting Pressure Loss

Due to the closed design of the boiler and the expansion of water as it turns to steam, the boiler is under a lot of pressure. A loss of pressure usually indicates a leak somewhere in the boiler system. You can check for pressure loss by monitoring the boiler pressure gauge - the needle should be in the green zone, with the red zone indicating an emergency.

If you are experiencing a loss of pressure in your boiler system, you will need to check the valves for leaks. You will also want to check the outside of the tank as this is another common area for leaks.

Measuring Instrument Performance

To monitor your boiler system, you must ensure that your instrumentation is functioning properly. If your old gauge reads low but the system appears to be operating, the gauge may be outdated. Most modern boiler systems have lower output pressures than traditional systems, so the gauge may need to be configured to the new system.

Keep Maintenance Records

It is easy to let maintenance fall by the wayside if you don’t keep track of it. To avoid missing maintenance needs, keep a logbook that details the maintenance you’ve done to your boiler. The logbook can be used to track these needs and the intervals between maintenance appointments.

Boiler Maintenance Increases Productivity

Designing your steam boiler system to precise specifications and knowing the proper oxygen and combustion settings will maximize system efficiency. This can often mean the difference between producing 30 batches per day and only 10 batches per day.

If the boiler is not running properly, you may get incorrect temperatures, which will not only increase cooking time, but also give you an unpredictable end product.

• Bad drinks

• Bitter

• Reduced carbonation

• Rough texture