How to control the pressure of the beer storage tank

Controlling the pressure of the beer storage tank is one of the important contents to control the CO₂ content of beer. In the production of beer by traditional fermentation methods, the CO₂ contained in beer is mainly produced by the fermentation process (including main fermentation and post-fermentation), while the saturation of CO₂ mainly occurs in the beer storage process. Under the condition that the tank is closed, the CO₂ produced by fermentation depends on the adjustment of the tank pressure and the temperature of the fermentation liquid to achieve the purpose of controlling the CO₂ content. According to the law of gas dissolving in liquid, the higher the pressure, the lower the temperature, the greater the amount of dissolved gas, until it reaches saturation.

In order to ensure the CO₂ content of beer, the control of tank pressure should pay attention to the following aspects (take lager beer as an example)

1. The tank pressure must be controlled according to the actual needs of the CO₂ content, rather than the higher the better. At the same time, it must be noted that the allowable operating pressure of the beer storage tank should not be exceeded to prevent danger.

2. In traditional fermentation, the tank pressure control should be based on the room temperature of the post-fermentation. If the room temperature is high, the temperature of the fermentation broth is also high, and the tank pressure can be controlled to be higher, otherwise, it can be controlled to be lower. When the post-fermentation room temperature is higher than 3°C (but not more than 5°C), the tank pressure can be controlled at 0.118-0.137MPa; when the post-fermentation room temperature is lower than 3°C, the tank pressure can be controlled at 0.078-0.098MPa;

3. In traditional low-temperature fermentation, the post-fermentation tank should be pressed within 3 days after sealing, and it is best to reach 0.039-0.049MPa. The control pressure specified by the process must be reached within the next 3-5 days. Adjust the temperature, sugar level and sealing time appropriately. If the beer age is longer, the pressure increase rate can be slowed down appropriately, but it must reach the specified pressure within 10 days.

4. When the pressure exceeds the process specification, the small venting cock can be opened and part of it can be slowly discharged. Of course, it is most convenient to install an automatic safety valve on the equipment. When the pressure is controlled, it will automatically close to achieve the purpose of automatically controlling the tank pressure.

5. When the post-fermentation room temperature is low (such as -1~1℃), the tank pressure control should not be too high. Generally, 0.069~0.078MPa is suitable. A large amount of foam is generated during loading, or overflowing, which affects normal operation and causes the loss of beer.

Beer storage tanks 5bbl 7bbl 10bbl beer system

6. The pressure control of beer with a shorter age is 0.019-0.029MPa higher than that of a beer with a long age, because the amount of CO2 dissolved in the fermentation broth is also related to the storage time. The age of the beer is short, and the adsorption and dissolution of CO2 in the fermentation broth The degree of association is poor, and the CO₂ that is simply mixed (or pseudo-dissolved) can easily escape from the fermentation broth. Higher pressure control can be beneficial to the dissolution of CO₂.

7. The pressure of each beer storage tank should be recorded every day. When a large change in pressure is found, the reason should be found out and measures should be taken in time.