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Author Topic: mash filtration technology systems?  (Read 5993 times)

Offline bo

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Re: mash filtration technology systems?
« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2012, 10:41:09 am »
So, what's the point?  On a small scale, would you ever make back the money that it cost?  It won't make better beer.  It sounds like it might actually make worse beer... super high efficiency can come at the expense of flavor (which is not a problem for the large batch macro lager producers).

+1

Sounds like it really won't benefit the small pro-brewer. At least from a cost savings standpoint.

But isn't this the Pro Brewing area?

yeah, what's your point?

This isn't the Going Small Pro section.;)

If I was going pro I'd want to investigate all equipment, so I can brew the best possible beer. Seems like some are shooting the horse before it gets out of the gate.

This isn't the going large pro-brewing section either.  ;) This is all things pro-brewing.

Investigate until your heart's content. We will state our opinions here just as you've done.

WOW Not sure where that came from. I'm just trying to keep it open to all discussions. Sorry, I'll back out of the thread.

Offline bluesman

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Re: mash filtration technology systems?
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2012, 10:50:16 am »
So, what's the point?  On a small scale, would you ever make back the money that it cost?  It won't make better beer.  It sounds like it might actually make worse beer... super high efficiency can come at the expense of flavor (which is not a problem for the large batch macro lager producers).

+1

Sounds like it really won't benefit the small pro-brewer. At least from a cost savings standpoint.

But isn't this the Pro Brewing area?

yeah, what's your point?

This isn't the Going Small Pro section.;)

If I was going pro I'd want to investigate all equipment, so I can brew the best possible beer. Seems like some are shooting the horse before it gets out of the gate.

This isn't the going large pro-brewing section either.  ;) This is all things pro-brewing.

Investigate until your heart's content. We will state our opinions here just as you've done.

WOW Not sure where that came from. I'm just trying to keep it open to all discussions. Sorry, I'll back out of the thread.

No need for an apology Bo. We're just discussing mash filtration technology systems.  :)
Ron Price

Offline jjflash

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Re: mash filtration technology systems?
« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2012, 04:01:24 pm »
My additional two cents:

Alaskan Brewing Company has converted to it.
Full Sail has converted to it.
My personal prediction:
We will see more craft brewers convert to mash filtration technology systems.
This is cutting edge technology.
The new turnkey systems are 50hl and 100hl.
Pefectly sized for serious craft brewers.
Not for homebrewers!
For homebrewers dreaming about going pro!
---JJ---

I don't know half of you half as well as I should, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
- Bilbo Baggins

Offline wiley

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Re: mash filtration technology systems?
« Reply #18 on: March 06, 2012, 08:33:30 pm »
I listened to the guys from Alaskan Brewing Company speak about their mash filtration equipment at the last year's CBC. I was trying to find the presentations in the midst of the "Attendee Bag" schwag, but I'm not finding it. From what I recall, their justification was two-fold:

1) Efficiency (as stated)

2) The cost of shipping wet, spent grain became a huge factor. Being in Juneau, they had no local source to offload spent grain and had to ship it to the lower 48. With the mash filter, they were able to extract more wort from the "grain bed" thus reducing the residual moisture content of the spent grain and the resulting shipping costs.

The biggest cons they talked about were the change in milling and the lost ability to do small batches. As Tom mentioned, they had to invest in a new hammer mill, and there was a relatively narrow production band for mash sizes -- i.e. they couldn't produce huge beers, small beers or lower volume batches.

IMHO, I think wide adoption is going to be limited to the larger regional breweries with established brands who are looking expanding with new plant builds. Even then, I have a hard time seeing established breweries adopt the technology at the same time as a major expansion. Maintaining consistency throughout those kinds of changes seems like a huge undertaking.

I'm interested to see which way New Belgium and Sierra Nevada end up going with their Eastern US expansion plans -- speaking of, has anyone heard if mash filtration is in either's budgets?

I'll dig around a bit more and see if I can come up with the slides from the presentation or at least more info.