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Equipment in your brewery you couldn't do without? Biggest 'treadmill'?

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  • Equipment in your brewery you couldn't do without? Biggest 'treadmill'?

    Hey brewers,
    We are a small microbrewery getting ready to open and we've received a lot of quotes for equipment. Frankly it's been an eye-opener and a bit overwhelming.
    Curious from those that have been around a bit, two simple questions.
    1 - Outside of the actual brewhouse, what's the one piece of equipment you absolutely couldn't live without?
    2 - What's the one piece of equipment you bought that you thought you would need but ended up being a big waste of money? (think treadmill - great intentions, but ends up being a glorified and overpriced laundry rack).
    Thanks,
    Marc

  • #2
    Crucial parts and treadmills

    1. Definitely a Zahm & Nagel carbonation tester, gets used every day. Don't ever guess at carbonation levels, know them.

    2. Refractometer choose a method of measuring gravity that can be used during all stages of beer production.

    Best of Luck in your endeavours,
    Todd Crowell
    Head Brewer
    Kettlehouse Brewing
    Missoula, MT

    Comment


    • #3
      1. On demand water heater gets used a lot to heat sanitize cellar and packaging equipment with its 185 degree water. Also a stainless prep table we got for canning is now used as our main work surface during brewing and cellar work too.

      2. 1/6th Bbl kegs, we got too many thinking we'd use them. We only really use them for festivals now, as most accounts prefer 1/2 bbl.

      Comment


      • #4
        Another vote for the Zahm and Nagel carbonation tester. There are other brands out there, but the Z&N is the standard, for good reason. They are as nearly indestructible as any piece of kit in the brewery (and our brewers are adept at destroying kit). We now have two. This is not a place to cut corners--you will have continuous problems, both at your end and at the consumers, if you don't actually measure and monitor your carb levels.

        A good test rig for both pressure gauges and thermometers is as important as any other piece of brewery equipment. If you don't know exactly what your pressures and temperatures are, you don't know Jack. Even the best pressure gauges out there need calibration. We use the Z&N brand gauges, as they're made to be calibrated, and test them frequently. Same for thermos--especially the bi-metal dial kind. These go out of calibration rapidly, so keep testing them against a reliable, certified mercury-in-glass thermometer. Calibrate all gauges and thermos in the ranges in which they will be used. A thermo calibrated at freezing and boiling is not calibrated at 150F, and boiling point changes with elevation.

        The best hoses you can possibly afford are the best investment you can make in product-contact gear. One bad hose can break the bank. We gave up on banded hose-barb ends after dumping a ridiculous and heart-breaking amount of finished product due to contamination from a bad hose end. We now use factory-fabricated hoses made up with internally expanded hose ends.

        The most useless piece of kit? That would take some serious thinking. We've been in operation for about twenty years now, so anything useless has pretty much gone away.
        Last edited by TGTimm; 07-26-2016, 09:28 AM.
        Timm Turrentine

        Brewerywright,
        Terminal Gravity Brewing,
        Enterprise. Oregon.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by TGTimm View Post
          Another vote for the Zahm and Nagel carbonation tester. There are other brands out there, but the Z&N is the standard, for good reason. They are as nearly indestructible as any piece of kit in the brewery (and our brewers are adept at destroying kit). We now have two. This is not a place to cut corners--you will have continuous problems, both at your end and at the consumers, if you don't actually measure and monitor your carb levels.

          A good test rig for both pressure gauges and thermometers is as important as any other piece of brewery equipment. If you don't know exactly what your pressures and temperatures are, you don't know Jack. Even the best pressure gauges out there need calibration. We use the Z&N brand gauges, as they're made to be calibrated, and test them frequently. Same for thermos--especially the bi-metal dial kind. These go out of calibration rapidly, so keep testing them against a reliable, certified mercury-in-glass thermometer. Calibrate all gauges and thermos in the ranges in which they will be used. A thermo calibrated at freezing and boiling is not calibrated at 150F, and boiling point changes with elevation.

          The best hoses you can possibly afford are the best investment you can make in product-contact gear. One bad hose can break the bank. We gave up on banded hose-barb ends after dumping a ridiculous and heart-breaking amount of finished product due to contamination from a bad hose end. We now use factory-fabricated hoses made up with internally expanded hose ends.

          The most useless piece of kit? That would take some serious thinking. We've been in operation for about twenty years now, so anything useless has pretty much gone away.
          Who makes those hoses?

          Comment


          • #6
            Goodyear Vintner Hose

            We actually have very good quality hose assemblies on sale right now.

            Click here for more info: Hose Assemblies
            Your CPE Systems Team!
            CPE Systems Inc.
            800-668-2268
            CPEsystems.com
            Thinkpumps.com
            sales@cpesystems.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Really? A Zahm & Nagel carbonation tester? Can't live without? We went years without one and got by just fine. Added it a few years back for extra added QC but it really didn't change much for us.


              I'd say that having a silo and grist case are pretty luxurious after seeing many breweries who have to load in and mill by hand. Pre-milled grain is also not preferable.

              Waste of money? We bought a slow bottler instead of a fast canner.....Doh!

              Comment


              • #8
                Great info so far - keep them coming!

                I was expecting some typical answers - canning line, filter, keg washer, etc. You are pointing out things we'd never would have considered from the outset.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jedi View Post
                  Who makes those hoses?
                  Most hose and brewery supply houses can make them up. CPE has very good prices on very good hose, but we went with Associated Hose Products out of Portland, OR to save the shipping--we just had our truck driver pick them up. Excellent quality, great support.

                  After consideration, the biggest "white elephant" in our shop is the Z&N bottle airs tester. I can never get any meaningful readings from this thing--it's all over the place no matter how careful I am--and very fragile and expensive (not to mention a little intimidating to use).

                  For every ten or so folks who wouldn't be without a carbonation tester, you will find one that says they never use one and never have problems. I drove a car with no fuel gauge for many years, and it worked fine--most of the time.
                  Last edited by TGTimm; 07-26-2016, 02:39 PM.
                  Timm Turrentine

                  Brewerywright,
                  Terminal Gravity Brewing,
                  Enterprise. Oregon.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by TGTimm View Post
                    For every ten or so folks who wouldn't be without a carbonation tester, you will find one that says they never use one and never have problems. I drove a car with no fuel gauge for many years, and it worked fine--most of the time.
                    Are you really so reliant on a CO2 tester that it is something that you "can't live without"?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      1. Sloped floor and center trench drain=good
                      2. Unnecessary industry memberships=not so much

                      Prost!
                      Dave
                      Glacier Brewing Company
                      406-883-2595
                      info@glacierbrewing.com

                      "who said what now?"

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Can't live without: Books, education, training, and time to invest in yourself. A solid QA program.
                        Could live without: Swag.
                        Definitely won't live with: Music in the brewery.
                        Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I'm not sure what I would add under the equipment that I can't live without.

                          As for the biggest treadmill - in my experience that ends up being anything where one tries to cut a corner, or going frankenbrew. I don't know how many headaches I've dealt with that could have been saved by doing it right the first time.
                          Manuel

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Can't think of a single thing that's particulary useful, so I'll name a few.

                            Hose free installation. No hoses, except for co2. Saves time, more sanitary and saves workers.
                            Flow meters are an amazing thing to have. We have 5 volumetric flow meters and two mass flow meters. Just could'nt imagine life without them now.
                            Dissolved oxygen meter have been invaluable to have when trying to increase shelf life.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by mikeyrb1 View Post
                              Are you really so reliant on a CO2 tester that it is something that you "can't live without"?
                              No, but I would feel very uncomfortable selling beer that hasn't got a known, measured CO2 content. I set up and maintain our draught beer system (among other things), so I know that one of the most important factors in getting a perfect pour is the carbonation level of the beer being served. Mouth feel and taste are also effected by carbonation, so eliminating a possible variable there is a wise move.

                              Carbonation has a strong influence on the performance of our bottling line. Knowing what it is for a particular style allows me to get the pressures on the line right the first try. Ditto for the automatic keg filler.

                              I started working here at Terminal Gravity 18 years ago, when it was still a very small brewery, and one of the pieces of equipment the brewery had at the time was a Zahm. Probably one of the most expensive pieces, as most of the brewery was fabbed by the owners.

                              Absolutely need it? Porbably not--but the two we own are in almost constant use throughout the day.
                              Timm Turrentine

                              Brewerywright,
                              Terminal Gravity Brewing,
                              Enterprise. Oregon.

                              Comment

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