Thursday, September 25, 2008
2008 R&D 100 Winner
Wort boiling has the highest energy requirement of any of the brewing processes. It can account for up to 60% of the total steam demand of a brewery. Such high demand led John Heathcote at Pursuit Dynamics PLC, Cambridgeshire, UK, to develop the PDX Wort Heater, an external wort boiler, an alternative to an internal heater that delivers energy savings of up to 50% for the intensive wort boiling process. The PDX Wort Heater uses direct steam at supersonic speeds to atomize wort components stripping off volatiles and providing the necessary surface for the boiling reactions to take place. It delivers increased process controllability and reduced processing time without compromising on quality or flavor of the beer. The energy savings allow brewers to save up to 10% of their entire brew house energy costs, making their production processes and beer greener and cleaner. The PDX Wort Heater fits seamlessly into the traditional brew house with minimal disruption due to its small footprint and the ease of use of the system.
Technology
External wort boiler
Developer
Pursuit Dynamics PLC
