Yeast Propagation Management for Breweries
GEA YEAST-STAR® Yeast Propagation System
Yeast is the most important component in beer production; its properties have a decisive influence on the quality, flavor and filterability of the beer.
For ideal yeast propagation – and thus for a good beer – hygienic plant design is essential. Yeast quality is defined particularly by the preservation of yeast viability and by optimized yeast vitality. GEA offers everything for comprehensive yeast management.
Always the right solution
Features of YEAST-STAR®
- Vigorous, actively fermenting yeast
- Less equipment required
- Optimal aeration rates
- Gentle circulation loop
- Sterile air station with candle filter and product trap
- Optional: In-line alcohol measurement, automatic determination of yeast cell count, etc.
Your benefits at a glance
- Maximum microbiological process safety because the EHEDG guidelines are followed
- High constant beer quality due to especially vigorous and viable yeast cells
- Essential nutrients are preserved as additional wort treatment is avoided
- Little foam formation and homogeneous mixing
- Highest possible flexibility in the process
- Optimized concept in terms of space requirements and costs
Yeast Pitching
The Compensation of Variations in Yeast Consistency
The intelligent combination of a frequency-controlled pump and a controlled overflow valve allows the compensation of variations in yeast consistency and wort flow rate
The method GEA developed to determine the yeast cell count through differential turbidity measurement ensures accurate yeast pitching. Variations in the basic turbidity of the wort are compensated for. A static mixer developed especially for this application provides proper mixing of the yeast into the wort. As an alternative to differential turbidity measurement, the yeast volume can also be determined by a viable cell count.
Design
- Function-tested units preassembled on a compact base frame
- Use of VARIVENT® components for highest hygienic standard and best CIP ability
- Individual units can be upgraded from the simplest to the most powerful version welding and cutting work
- Capacity adjustment by exchanging parts with detachable connections within the range of nominal widths DN 50 - DN 125.
Technical data
- Integration of a serial interface for linking the line to a master control system
- Separation of wort and yeast pipe by VARIVENT® mixproof or normal shut-off valves
- Differential turbidity measurement, based on the correlation between turbidity and yeast cell count
- Control of the added viable cell count by measuring the electrical properties of intact cell membranes
- Sizes (wort pipe): DN 50 to DN 150 (6“)
- Wort flow velocity: 1.0 - 2.5 m/s
- Wort pressure: yeast pitching unit max. 6.0 bar
- Pressure drop in the wort pipe: yeast pitching unit < 0.5 bar
- Yeast pitching range: 5 - 50 million yeast cells / ml wort
- Nominal width of yeast pipe: DN 40 to DN 80
- Supply pressure of the pitching yeast:
> 0.5 bar above the CO² saturation pressure
> 0.5 bar under the wort pressure at the dosing
- Product flow rate: up to 1900 hl / h.
