Flash Pasteurization for kegged beer in Tropics

[Brewdigger]

I am going to be kegging beer in the tropics and am wondering whether flash pasteurization is going to be a must.

A lot of the bars here a very lax with keg storage - they sit in the gangway behind the bar or unchilled when transported to the resorts.

Is flash pastuerization the best option for improving resistance to heat and what costs will this add to my production?

[dick murton]

Resistance to heat is depenent on two major factors - oxygen content inthe beer post fermentation, particularly in final pack, and the residual micro after filtration. The higher the oxygen, the quicker the beer will deteriorate. The higher the bug count - ditto. Unfortunately if your oxygen levels are high, then pasteurisation may cause some rapid oxidisation flavours to develop. Pasteurisation will help to control the bug count, and the associated off flavours and hazes - so is worth seriously considering. Certainly under these conditions, I would consider it a must. Also consider rapid stock replenishment from cold stores, so the beer doesn't sit in the account unbroached for days on end - added expense, but added quality.


Don't forget that the kegs need to be clean and sterile, otherwise you are wasting your time doing almost anything

Sorry, no idea of costs. I assume someone else will be able to help here. The only comment is that I think the cost will be worth it.

Cheers

[gitchegumee]

I wonder why your beer isn't on refrigeration at these bars? We don't sell kegs until they're put on tap. We keep our beers refrigerated from crash cooling the fermentation onward to the customer's glass. Never stored warm. When our customer needs another keg, we deliver. If you can't do that, then your beer will suffer. There's no silver bullet cure for that one. On the other hand, we do have a few accounts that have on-demand "Japanese" style beer chillers that have our kegs in the warm. We don't have a microbiological problem with them, but I'd rather have the beer stored cold. The beer lasts longer and tastes better. I wouldn't consider pasteurization here as the costs are far too high for both the equipment and for the operating (energy) costs. Consider sterile filtration if you have a problem with bugs. Then again, sterile filtration tends to strip beer tastes, IMHO. I've found that shelf life and stability in beers is a very difficult piece of the brewing puzzle. Minerals, proteins, hygeine, recipes, and techniques are involved in a very complex dynamic. I guess the only advice I can give is in response to problems as they show up. If your beer can reasonably handle the abuse, then there's no problem. Oxidation is one issue; bugs are another. Flavor stability yet another. Tackle them as they present. Good luck & wish you the best! Cheers!
"The tropics" is a pretty big place! Where exactly are you?

[Brewdigger]

Gitchegummee,

One of the issues is that the kegs will be transported on barges in 30-40C plus heat out to resorts on islands. They could be on the jettys for hours either side before getting into a cool room at the resort.

Also few bars have been designed with draft in mind so no cool rooms in most hence the keg on the floor. We will be spending money to put proper draft systems in wherever possible.


(We haven't launched yet so just trying be vague on the destination so as not to tip off the competition :-)

[matt]

If you are worried about micro contamination then suggest sterile filtration or pasteurisation.( and always better hygene in the brewery) If you are worried about maintaining quality, flavour profile and overall shelf life, if the beer is sitting out in 30 degree C plus temp., for hours, days(?) I don't think you have much chance.(at least a losing battle )

As mentioned prioviously, try to maintain the temp. as low as possible.(beer deteriotes faster when it goes through heating and cooling cycles).
To get a higher turnover on the kegs, try smaller volume kegs. I seen small as 10 litre kegs with normal keg fittings.

Good luck

[Brewdigger]

Thanks Matt, we will definitely align Keg size to ensure turnover.

Anyone have experience with plastic insulated kegs as a way to maintain temperature?

http://www.pbstbeer.com/110-insulatedled.html

[Sulfur]

tropics

Well being in the "tropics" myself, I have had similar thoughts. I've found one of the reasons you find smaller bottles in the tropics is due to ensuring the customers' beer is always cold, i.e. it's finished before it has a chance to warm up. And the big breweries don't mind the smaller packaging, gives them more profit margin I imagine. I personally hate smaller packaging, and the propensity to serve beer at or near the freezing point...but that's what many people expect here. I am trying to educate them otherwise. Serving craft beer at this temp even sometime leads to chill haze.

The bottles come the same way as kegs come, so I imagine they are subject to the same temps, and kegs will have proportionately less oxygen in them so if you can ensure their coldbeing then it should be a better beer. Many places in the tropics have AC, so it may be easier than you think to keep the beer cold...or at least not at tropical temps. But the pier beer may be a problem....

Try a different approach. They have milk in the tropics right? Although it's pasteurized, it also has to be kept cold (the milk distribution chain ensures milk is always kept under 40deg F, at least that's what a milk industry specialist who stopped by here the other day told me - this guy supplies me with wonderful tank brushes). I'm not talking about the ultra pasteurized cartons with year long shelf life.

The point is that if milk can be ensured to be kept under 40F - even in the tropics, then so can beer.

[brewbonghm]

There's no silver bullet cure for that one.
I get it "Silver Bullet" the coldest tasting beer in the world!

[Larry Doyle]

This may be out of your price range but a Pall filtration system will give you high quality, micro free keg beer that can withstand shipping/storage without refrigeration.

[tarmadilo]

Perhaps you could do what they did back in the 19th Century when shipping beer from England to India in unrefrigerated ships: make it strong and use a whole lotta hops!

Cheers, Tim

[brewbonghm]

Whole lotta hops in the tropics;
It'd be cheaper to buy a pasteurizing unit!

[DancingCamel]

We deal with much the same issues out here where beer is almost always served through flash chillers. We deliver kegs to points every week and will only give them 2 weeks from delivery date, 3-4 days from date of tapping. We scrupulously clean the lines at bars every week which I'd like to think helps. We don't have beer sitting in port though - maybe you can rent a refrigerated container? We take the perspective that the colder on average we keep the beer once it leaves the brewery, the longer it will likely stay fresh at the tap. Let me know if you have any specific questions & I'll run you through some more details.

David