Bespoke Automation

V-Brew worked with the distiller to design and install a touchscreen control system, with remote access for process oversight and for software changes. The system included an allowance for ATEX instrumentation, motors and heaters suitable for the ATEX zones supplied as the outcome of a full DSEAR assessment. The system also distributes and interlocks power around the process – allowing maximum amp input into the distilling.

V Brew helps control and monitor;

• Critical process temperatures
• Critical safety temperatures
• Health of the ATEX vent – no flow, no run.
• Pot pressure
• Waterbath levels
• Heat power – through thyristor
• CIP
• Molasses pump
• Fermentation control – through a chilling jacket.
• Heating and blending tank.

V-Brew are specialists in brewhouse control. In this case, V-Brew worked with the customer to use a limited electrical supply most effectively, by interlocking power to other non-critical areas while the kettle is running. Critical areas – like the chilling system remain in operation.

V-Brew helps control and monitor;

• Hot water tank – using a timer for cheap overnight energy use.
• Kettle  – with auto boil ramp down.
• Timers with alarm for hop additions
• Control of grain delivery, with auto batching of hot liquor
• FV timers – tracking gyle fermentation tim
• Auto ramp up on chilling system
• Temperature and monitoring – including remote monitoring- for 5 FVs and 1 mini CLT.
• Safe empty of grain.
• CIP
• Data logging of mash and fermentation  temperature profile.

V-Brew worked with a soft drinks company to expand its range and output of soda. V-Brew worked to integrate bespoke carbonation tanks, and mixing tanks as well a one of a kind “Soda” brewhouse – and also installed a bespoke touchscreen control system with remote access.

V-Brew helps to monitor and control;

• Fast cooling of “mash tun” using a chilling jacket and Heat Exchanger recirculation.
• Monitoring of flow and temp in the product side of the heat exchanger – no freeze!
• Monitoring and control of temperatures across bespoke blending skid.
• Monitor and control of cold water tank. With auto batching of cold water where needed.
• Monitoring of chiller, incorporating “eco” mode.
• Interlocking of equipment, to prevent overuse of amps – lock pasteurisers when the brewhouse is running.
• Auto “Fast Carbonation” in BBT, monitoring pressure and dosing CO2 where needed.
• Auto “Stable Package” dose CO2 at a high flow rate to keep packing head pressure constant.
• Temp control of Carbonation tanks.
• Remote overview.

V-Brew generally incorporates control of fermentation and conditioning / Storage vessels within its brewhouse control system. But sometimes there is a need for a stand-alone system, particularly receiving vessels for contract packers. 

V- Brew helps to monitor and control;

• Individual tank temperature
• Individual tank pressure
• Feedback from valves – proof of position.
• Chiller status, with Modbus connection
• Temperature in glycol loop
• Text message if out of spec.
• Pump speed control, linked to glycol line pressure, and PID control is possible.

V-Brew worked with a drinks producer that had been relying on bath pasteurisation for Bag in Box and had suffered with unpredictable shelf like in kegs. They wanted to integrate Velcorin into their processing line but had the problem that the Velcoring Doser had a minimum flow rate far higher than the maximum flow rate of the Bag in box or keg filler.

V-Brew designed and built a buffer system, allowing the Velcorin doser to run at its normal flow rate for short periods, and allowing the bag in box filler and the keg filler to draw from the buffer tank. Velcorin has a minimum temperature – below which it can freeze, and a maximum temperature – above which its half life is too short. Its residence in the buffer tank also must not exceed a maximum time, or the half life of the chemical causes it to decompose below a useful concentration.

V-Brew monitors all of these factors, and allows the doser to be effectively integrated into the existing packing line. These important parameters, over time, are data stored and can be downloaded and checked.

V-Brew designed and built an intermediary pasteurisation system to help producers of drinks at risk of fast spoilage – like cider, soda and N and Low alcohol beer – where a tunnel pasteuriser is too large and expensive but the production volume is substantial. The system can easily be herringboned to include multiple pasteurisers so that this batch system approaches something close to continuous.  This product is part of the V-Brew standard range and is often available from Stock.

Bolted onto the robust, simple and cost-effective hardware, is a bespoke piece of automation from V-Brew.  The instrumentation is simple, including temperature sensors, level sensors and immersion heating elements but it is the automation that makes the VitiBath sing. It boasts;

• Display and data logging of approximate accumulated PUs (pasteurisation Units)

• Display and data logging of approximate “post-pasteurisation PUs” – PUs after removal.

• Minimisation of Over pasteurisation.

• Remote access

• Energy cost tracking per cycle

• “In bottle” temperature probe for calibration.

• Alarm, at cycle end.