Trade press release
GEA's new lauter tun generation yields 20% more wort in the brewhouse
November 22, 2024
With the new generation of lautering technology, the GEA LAUTERSTAR 2.0, GEA significantly increases efficiency and quality in the brewhouse. In practical tests at breweries in Austria and the Netherlands, the system shows impressive results: Net lautering times were reduced to 70 minutes, and extraction efficiency increased to 98.7%. In a new project, the LAUTERSTAR 2.0 achieves up to 14 brews per day; while for another customer, upgrading an existing lauter tun boosted production from five to 8.5 brews per day.
Lautering separates the solid components of the mash, the grains, from the dissolved substances of the malt kernel. Lauter tuns (here at Bushmills’ new Causeway Distillery, Northern Ireland) are considered bottlenecks for brewing productivity. GEA's latest lautering technology, GEA LAUTERSTAR 2.0, increases lautering quality and significantly reduces processing time. Source: GEA
Productivity in the brewhouse: the lauter tun as a bottleneck
In the brewhouse, the capacity of the lauter tun time and again proves to be a bottleneck for productivity and efficiency. Large international breweries in particular are looking for ways to unburden the lautering process: "Brewers have grown used to filtration taking a lot of time. We scrutinized these processes and found that we can lauter faster if the filter cake can be prevented from clogging. The GEA LAUTERSTAR 2.0 achieves a productivity increase of ten percent and an extract efficiency of 98.7%," explains Peter Sterk, Product Manager for Brewhouse Technology at GEA. Additionally, the new lauter tun is smaller, which results in material savings of ten percent.
Technical Innovations for faster lautering processes
To increase the efficiency of the LAUTERSTAR 2.0, GEA optimized the geometry and drainage points of the wort run-off cones. A larger distance between the false bottom and the lauter tun bottom ensures a more uniform wort flow and faster extraction. In addition, the new raking machine, equipped with special double-shoe knives, prevents compaction in the spent grain bed, thereby eliminating filter blockages. These compactions were previously responsible for two to three percent of wort losses.
Clear worts without solids, as produced in the GEA LAUTERSTAR 2.0, are particularly advantageous for energy-saving high-gravity brewing. With this method, higher concentrated worts are produced, which can be subsequently diluted. This allows breweries to increase their capacities without additional resources.
A crucial element of the LAUTERSTAR 2.0 is the raking machine, equipped with double-shoe knives that ensure low resistance in the grain bed and prevent channel formation caused by compactions. Source: GEA
Optimized lautering thanks to GEA Multifunctional Lautering Management (MLM)
Depending on the raw material quality, net lautering times of 70 minutes can now be achieved while maintaining high lauter tun yields. For continuous optimization, the MLM software monitors the lautering process in real-time. It automatically compensates for fluctuations in raw material quality and relieves the brewmaster from manual interventions. This software makes dynamic adjustments to the lautering process, ensuring constant production times and consistently high extraction efficiency.
For the ideal run-off geometry, GEA experts have fine-tuned the distance between the false bottom and the lauter tun bottom. The raking machine of the LAUTERSTAR 2.0 is lowered later to loosen the grain bed. This extends the vitality of the grain bed and avoids clogging and thus wort losses. Customer tests showed extract yields of up to 98.7 percent. Source: GEA
Upgrade of existing lauter tuns for cost efficiency
Another option is to upgrade existing lauter tuns to the LAUTERSTAR 2.0, which for many breweries makes economic sense. The investment pays for itself after just a few months, as demonstrated by the example of an Austrian brewery that was able to increase its production from five to 8.5 brews per day.
Fanny Foerster
About GEA
GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. For instance, every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA. In food, every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology.
With more than 18,000 employees, the group generated sales of about EUR 5.5 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2025 fiscal year. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers’ production. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: ”Engineering for a better world.”
GEA is listed on the German MDAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.
