Filtering and treatment - challenges and solutions

Filtration, treatment and pre-packaging

The two main technologies for final beer filtration are Kieselguhr and cross-flow membrane filtration. Spoilage, clogging and waste management are some of the challenges faced by brewers. 

The production of differentiated products, from non-alcoholic and strong beers to flavour-infused derivatives, are on the increase. Our portfolio of blending, carbonation and de-alcoholization modules provide effective ways to reliably and flexibly produce new and unique products for your current and future customers.

Before packaging, pasteurization or sterile filtration eliminates any micro-organisms to enhance shelf-life, product taste, and safety. We offer solutions to do so effectively in a more sustainable way. 

• Kieselguhr filter clogging during filtration
• High Kieselguhr usage
• Short filtration cycles on crossflow filters

• Alfa Laval BREW series separators

• Stable and low solid content on the separator outlet
• Removal of solids by centrifugation reduces overall Kieselguhr usage and decreases the load during filtration
• Minimizes micronization of particulates in beer, reducing filter clogging and allowing longer filtration cycles

• Short product shelf life
• Reinfection

• Filter systems featuring Alfa Laval Project systems, Pall / Sartorius Stedim Biotech®

• Complete removal of micro-organisms

• Oxidation during filtration

• Alfa Laval Aldox water deaeration modules

• Deaerated water in transfer lines between brews prevents oxidation

• High waste management cost

• Alfa Laval Decanters

• Easier waste management of Kieselguhr with liquid removed, making it drier and lighter

• Getting the beer within specification

• Alfa Laval blending modules:
  
  • Alfa Laval Alfadose
  • Alfa Laval Carboblend
• Alfa Laval Rotary jet mixer

• Assured accuracy in blending, dosing, and carbonation

• Need to produce low-alcohol beer 

• Alfa Laval Lowal dealcoholizer (based on RO/NF cross-flow filtration)

• No thermal impact on product
• Production of low alcoholic beer (<0.5% v/v)

• Need to produce non-alcoholic beer

• Alfa Laval Dealcoholization module (based on steam stripping under partial vacuum)

• Production of non-alcoholic beer (<0.05% v/v)
• Consistency of output
• Stripped alcohol can be reused as ingredient in other applications

• Maintaining required shelf life and risk of re-infection 
• High energy usage

• Alfa Laval Beer Sterile Filtration module
• Alfa Laval Flexitherm Beer Pasteurization module

• Micro-organisms eliminated in beer
• Increased product shelf life
• With Flexitherm, up to 95% energy recovery, reduced operating costs (by up to 80%) compared to a traditional tunnel pasteurizer
• With Beer Sterile Filtration module, cold process requiring a minimal amount of energy