Glycol in the brewery - how to get a right piping work
The brewery is often referred to as the heart of the brewery. If this is the case-ethylene glycol is blood. It is what keeps your beer alive.
For such an important job-you need to set the glycol correctly.
This is not just about deciding on the correct brewery equipment. You need to consider the percentage that the system needs, how much, and the type of pipes that will be used—and of course the layout.
With this in mind, Tiantai has compiled this article to ensure that you have all the information about ethylene glycol.
Chiller size or capacity
The first step is to purchase your equipment-but it is not an easy step!
You want to ensure that you have the correct size glycol chiller-not only for your original wine cellar, but also for the future.
This is because future new chillers are not only costly, but your utilities may not be able to handle electrical loads.
Another method is to buy a chiller-and plan to add another to help handle the load-but it can also be used as a safety measure in case it fails.
(We use off-the-shelf tools, such as the good glycol cooler selection tool provided by Advantage Engineering, Inc.)
Now let's talk about the chiller! We met all kinds of good ones there. When making a choice, we will ask the customer the following points:
1. Is it indoor or outdoor?
2. Do you have a vehicle-mounted liquid storage tank or a special glycol tank?
3. What can your electrical load handle?
All of this will help determine where to place these noisy and hot beasts in the brewery.
Pro tip: HVAC on speed dial
Make sure that you can get a licensed technician from the supplier or a very skilled HVAC technician at any time. Glycol coolers are beautiful air conditioning units, so most HVAC personnel will know their stuff.
Pipeline conundrum
Once you have determined the size of the cooler and are ready, it's time to start thinking about how ethylene glycol will run around the brewery.
We recommend making your main line bigger than your branch to the jacket. We also recommend installing more ball valves than you need.
Every storage tank should have a valve outside the main circuit-for supply and return-and then a valve before the jacket inlet. If you freeze on the jacket, it can help reduce the flow.
This is the key-the fluid will always follow the path of least resistance. Therefore, the first container hit by your glycol circuit will get the most attention-which means the last container will get the least flow.
This is where the valve comes in. You can reduce the flow into the first container and then into the last container, which will most likely be fully opened.
At TIANTAI BrewTech, we provide the glycol branch for the tank, and the glycol port is completed before shipment-including components. This saves time and money because it is very plug and play.
Ethylene glycol piping material
Stainless steel is the most beautiful-especially if you have an installer who can straighten the pipe. This provides a truly premium appearance for the brewery.
As we all know, the aesthetics of the brewery is very important, especially the higher price beer bar.
You can also use PVC or PPR pipes-they work well-but be aware that if they are not well supported, they will sag over time.
Flexible hose is another option-and the most economical option. However, it may not look so pretty.
After the pipeline is completed, you need to insulate everything. This will save you money because you will reduce heat escape-your glycol cooler will love you!
If you really want to make everything pop, you can clad the pipes with aluminum or stainless steel. This helps to match the stainless steel of the container-it will look sensational.
After you have the now insulated pipe (and possibly the cladding), your final diameter will be much larger than before. Therefore, you should consider the spacing of whipping pipes around the brewery.
Connection to your brewery equipment
Neither the location of the glycol sheath nor the connection type is standardized. Therefore, make sure to specify the best location for them to the manufacturer.
We usually use NPT connections in the US market and BSP elsewhere. We also used three-clamp connections, but most plumbers are not familiar with them and require the use of adapters.
Pro tip: use the space
You can place the glycol inlet and outlet at a 45-degree angle to the back. This will allow you to use the empty spaces between the tanks and lean them directly against a wall or another row of containers. You can also lay glycol pipes in the insulation and terminate at the top of the container.
Double professional tip: have some tape on hand
Plumber’s tape is usually able to withstand the temperature and pressure of a glycol system. However, we usually recommend that customers use thread sealants for some additional safety.
Debugging
So today is debugging day! First-run it for a few hours without ethylene glycol (around 10C). In this way, you can check for leaks and fix them if needed. (Do not set the cooler too low during this time because the water will freeze.)
Secondly-ethylene glycol is expensive! So you don't want to leak money to your brewery before you go. When you first start sending water into the pipe, the goal is to submerge the jacket and expel all the air in the system.
Air pockets sometimes form. If the tank is not cooled, it may be due to cavitation that causes uneven flow of glycol.
The Tiantai BrewTech
As an experienced brewery equipment manufacturer, Tiantai has set up more than 2100 brewery systems all over the world and more than 130 breweries in Australia. We are able to design the whole space plan for your brewery. Any plan or idea of starting a brewery, - get in touch with us. Email: [email protected] or WhatsApp: +86 18769764568
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