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Removal of condensation from Maheen 6 head filler

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  • Removal of condensation from Maheen 6 head filler

    Hi Guys,

    Just wondering if anyone had any tips/tricks on removing condensation following bottling through the Maheen system.

    We currently pre label bottles before filling on the maheen and then accumulate filled bottles onto tables before packing into cartons. We are experiencing some serious condensation issues in cartons down the track however,
    this is probably a result of the warmer climate in Australia. So far I've been told that the only solution would be a bottle warmer, this is very bulky and expensive and not sure if it would be a long term solution.

    Any help would be awesome.

    Cheers
    Tommy

  • #2
    Heat AND humidity are your problems. About the only way I can think of to reduce both would be to air-condition your bottling room. This would reduce both the temperature and humidity. Might even make your bottling crew happy, too.

    Cheers!
    Timm Turrentine

    Brewerywright,
    Terminal Gravity Brewing,
    Enterprise. Oregon.

    Comment


    • #3
      As noted before "Heat AND humidity are your problems." The basic problem is that in order to get CO2 to stay in solution whilst you are bottling you have probably cooled the beer to 4 C or less, which, unless you live in a desert region will normally be below the condensation temperature for the humidity. Unfortunately, any bottles filled at less than ambient temperature are likely to suffer condensation. We used to have dreadful problems labelling Guinness, (post filling) which at that site contained yeast and was not pasteurised - so a warming system is likely to be the only solution if packing into cardboard cartons. We happened to get away with it because we packed into plastic crates (returnable bottles).

      You could try transferring the packed cartons into a dehumidified room to warm up immediately they have been filled - but that is probably similar in cost to a warming cabinet system. Depending on your CO2 level in package, you might be able to not chill the beer as cold - check the Meheen site (and others) for the carbonation / temperature / pressure charts to see how high the temperature is that you could get away with.
      dick

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      • #4
        We used to use a "cattle dryer" blower to remove water from our bottles after the Meheen. It won't stop all the condensation but will help. Google "cattle dryer" and I'm sure an Ag supply house in Australia could hook you up.
        Linus Hall
        Yazoo Brewing
        Nashville, TN
        www.yazoobrew.com

        Comment


        • #5
          From a Carrier website:

          "The Role of Dew Point in Managing Environmental Conditions
          When most people think about modifying and controlling indoor environmental conditions they typically consider temperature and humidity as the principle factors to adjust. Important as temperature and humidity are, a critical variable is often overlooked: dew point. A better understanding of the dew point concept itself—what it is and how it relates to other environmental measures—will help clarify its key role in the management of indoor environments.

          What is Dew Point?

          In practical terms, dew point, expressed as a temperature, is the point where the air can no longer retain all of the water vapor within a given unit volume. When the dew point is met, some of the vapor must be expressed as liquid water. That liquid water is usually expressed outside in the form of dew on grass or plants, fog, clouds and so forth.

          Dew point is occasionally confused with relative humidity, a more widely reported measure of air moisture. Befitting its name, relative humidity is in fact relative; warmer air is capable of retaining more moisture than cooler air, so relative humidity changes as temperatures rise or fall even as the amount
          of moisture per unit of air remains constant. Dew point, on the other hand, is an absolute measure. Assuming constant barometric pressure, the dew point is a function of the actual mass of water vapor per unit of air.

          Controlling Dew Points in Indoor Environments

          Managing moisture levels, along with temperature, is a key to obtaining appropriate conditions for all sorts of materials that require protection for preservation purposes. As a general rule, it’s far easier for climate control systems to regulate temperature than moisture.

          This is where controlling the dew point plays a role. Based on the way mechanical heating and cooling systems typically work—circulating outside air through the system and heating and cooling that air as needed—adjusting the inside dew point to the desired level can be a real challenge.

          For example, in temperate climates, winter dew points are often below freezing. When the heating system circulates that air in an indoor environment after warming it, the air is extremely dry and, unmodified, would produce humidity levels that would be extremely uncomfortable for people and all kinds of problems. The dew point of this circulated and warmed air must be raised significantly to reach desired levels.

          In the summer, the problem is reversed; dew points are naturally higher in the summertime. This moist air is circulated by cooling systems and dew points will be far too high when pumped into internal environments after being cooled. The system’s challenge in this instance is to lower the dew point to an appropriate level, since high dew point levels can promote the growth of mold."

          I have seen dehumidifiers used as well as air knives to remove surface water (which does nothing for condensation) and also once saw a room with an air conditioner with a Meheen filler in it.

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