Modern technology for the brewing process

.... However, without pure water there is no tasty beer. Welde therefore uses water from its own well. The traditional brewery relies on chlorine dioxide to disinfect the brewing and process water. ....

Heidelberg, February 7, 2023: In the 18th century, in 1752 to be precise, the first draft beer was tapped - the year the brewery was born, then "Zum green foliage", since 1888 called Welde. Today the brewery produces numerous beers and mixed beer drinks under the name Weldebräu in Plankstadt. Without pure water, however, there is no delicious beer. Welde therefore uses water from its own well. The traditional brewery relies on chlorine dioxide to disinfect the brewing and process water. Water treatment, measurement and control technology, dosing technology and web-based solutions from ProMinent ensure efficient, trouble-free system operation.

A chlorine dioxide system Bello Zon CDVd is installed between the pipes and the tank at the in-house well, from which the water for the beverage production is drawn. They disinfect the well water with chlorine dioxide in proportion to the volume and are designed to treat 50 to 10,000 m3 of water. CIO2 sensors from the DULCOTEST product family monitor the correct concentrations of up to 0.4 ppm CIO2.

Welde also uses chlorine dioxide in the bottle washing machine. A measurement-dependent dosing of up to 2 ppm CIO2 ensures germ-free beer bottles. The exact chlorine dioxide content in the water bath of the bottle washing machine is continuously monitored by means of sensors. The measuring and control devices DULCOMETER diaLog DACb ensure the processing of the measured values and the control of the pumps. The waste water resulting from bottle cleaning is treated for reuse as washing water.

In the filling hall, the classic ProMinent gamma/ X magnetic diaphragm metering pumps are used for metering disinfectants and for belt lubrication. In the brewhouse, on the other hand, the sigma motor-driven diaphragm metering pumps meter 50 percent caustic soda into the cleaning-in-place systems, for example. Cleaning in place describes a cleaning process with which all system parts are cleaned on site without the system having to be dismantled.

Reliable cooling

Just like pure brewing water, breweries cannot do without reliable cooling. For maintaining the fermentation temperature up to the wort cooling - an appropriate temperature is required everywhere.

By dosing inhibitors and biocides into the cooling water and using filters, the Plankstadt brewery protects its cooling tower from corrosion, deposits and biological growth. To do this, the AEGIS measuring and control device continuously measures and controls the conductivity and controls the biocide dosing. Magnetic dosing pumps also ensure constant and precise dosing here.

Regional proximity - basis for ideal partnership

Due to its proximity to Plankstadt, the Heidelberg pump manufacturer is an ideal partner for Welde. The other way around, ProMinent is also in close contact with the brewery in order to quickly test new products in a real application. "As soon as we have something suitable, we approach Welde and present the product," says Thomas Eifel, Sales Manager at ProMinent Germany. "Together we look at the products in action, which is of course always better than just talking about it. This is very important for us, because breweries are a focus industry for our disinfection technology." Master brewer Stephan Dück adds: "So we always have the most modern solutions in use!"

Due to the long-standing partnership, Welde is happy to open the door when ProMinent offers something new. This also applies to networking the products with DULCONNEX. The brewery's chlorine dioxide systems and pumps are therefore smartly networked via DULCONNEX.

Distance on site and yet close: digital fluid management

The digital platform DULCONNEX enables efficient, trouble-free system operation at Welde. It can be accessed web-based from anywhere in the world. The brewery benefits from direct access to all information from the devices and systems installed on site.

The constant inspection rounds in the brewery to see if, for example, containers need to be refilled are no longer necessary. That saves a lot of time. In addition, reports no longer have to be created manually at Welde because DULCONNEX generates them automatically. Such reports are required by law. An example: The perfect quality of the well water must be ensured by the brewery and verified using specified measured values, including the chlorine dioxide value. With digital measuring, control and dosing technology from ProMinent, Welde can easily monitor the chlorine dioxide concentration at any time, change it if necessary and document it completely.

statement

Stephan Dück, master brewer and beer sommelier at Welde Braumanufaktur

“You can tell what a good partner ProMinent is by how rarely someone has to come from there. The products simply run perfectly reliably and require little maintenance.”

Thomas Eifel, Sales Manager at ProMinent Germany

“Because of the regional proximity, Welde is a great customer for us. Here we can test new products in practice with little effort. Then both benefit from it.”

key data

Company: Weldebräu GmbH & Co. KG in Plankstadt

Industry: regional brewery

Founded in 1752: Family-run brewery in the 9th generation

Sales: ten million euros (equivalent to around one million liters of beer, i.e. three million 0.33-liter bottles)

17 types of beer: Welde No.1, natural shandy, wheat, non-alcoholic wheat, various craft beers, etc.

Distance to ProMinent: 7.4 kilometers

ProMinent products in use: chlorine dioxide systems, measurement and control technology, dosing technology for belt lubrication