Optimization of the vaporization of flavour components during wort boiling in the brewery by implementing a rectification column

Abstract

Boiling the wort is an energy-intensive step during beer production. The central objective of the process is the evaporation of unwanted flavour components, above all the flavour component dimethyl sulphide (DMS). To reduce the required overall evaporation, a recent development involves the insertion of a stripping column into the vapour discharge vent of the wort kettle in which the wort is directed from the kettle against the ascending vapour. The calculation by means of procedural fundamentals and the validation of the process in a large brewery are the subject matter of this article. Process improvement in comparison with conventional boiling systems is documented. Copyright © 2017 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling.