Air

[DeltaMike]

Please tell me how you calculate the size for your air compressor
What is needed pdr bbl, or for 10. 20, 30 bbl brewhouse operation
Thank

In most breweries, from startup nano sized up to major production breweries, clean and dry air is needed. The typical uses of compressed air around a brewery falls into these categories:

- Keg washing
- Canning/bottling lines
- Pneumatic controls on a brewhouse
- Sterile air for yeast brink agitation
- General shop air around the brewer

The air compressor itself is sized typically to handle the largest application plus some extra. In most small breweries you dont keg wash at the same time as brewing and as the keg washer is typically the largest consumer of air, we size for that. I am in the compressed air business and have worked with a lot of breweries from nano up to regional. A brewhouse actually uses very little air on average as it is mostly for pneumatic controls. What kind of equipment are you thinking of adding?

[Ted Briggs]

And there is an entire book on this "Compressed Air in Breweries"
https://my.mbaa.com/ItemDetail?iProductCode=51946

[UnFermentable]

Unfortunately it is not that simple. Your 30bbl manual brewery may need less supply of compressed air than my pneumatic automated 15bbl brewery.

You will need to calculate your needed supply by adding all air requiring components. For a small pub with serving vessels and mixed gas dispense, you may not need one at all...? For a production facility with pneumatic grain delivery, pneumatic Brewhouse solenoids, pneumatic glycol solenoids, air operated beer pumps and a keg washer, you may need quite a large commercial compressor and resivoir. Any component should give you the required amount of air for its proper operation. IE - 5 standard cubic feet (or liters) per min at 90 psi (6.2 bar). 5 sfcm @ 90 psi.

There are many types of compressors available, but you should invest wisely. A commercial air dryer is also a wise investment. There are many threads on here about compressors. CAGI.org I believe is a good resource as well.

[Fred]

Please tell me how you calculate the size for your air compressor
What is needed pdr bbl, or for 10. 20, 30 bbl brewhouse operation
Thank