HEAT EXCHANGER

What is a Heat Exchanger or PHE (Plate Heat Exchanger) for in a Brewery?

A plate heat exchanger is used to lower or raise the temperature of the beer liquid or wort as part of the beer making process. Because this equipment is fabricated as a series of plates, it can be referred to a heat exchanger or PHE.

The exchange of heat occurs on one side of the plate, and the chilled liquid flows out along the alternate side. The temperature exchange takes place from one plate to the other. A PHE is the preferred equipment used for heating and chilling processes in a brewhouse.

Hot wort (approximately 95°C/200°F) is run through a heat exchanger. The wort is cooled down by a refrigerant/cold water/mix of both refrigerant and cold water that enters the reverse side of the plate from the opposite direction. When the wort becomes cooler (around 12°C/50°F) it is ready for fermentation. The cold water that has been heated by the process is returned to a hot water tank where it can be utilized elsewhere in the brewery.

Heat exchangers must be the correct size in correlation to the contents of the kettle. A PHE must have the capacity to cool a kettle batch down to fermentation temperature levels in around three quarters of an hour or less.

The heat that was originally used to boil the wort is reused to heat up cold water elsewhere in the brewery. This is an extremely efficient method of recycling energy. By using refrigerants like glycol (alcohol compound used as a coolant), PDEs can be used to chill beer to lower temperatures after fermentation and for cold maturation (12°C/50°F to -1°C/30°F).

Plate heat exchangers are used in many areas of the brewery to heat up and cool down the beer liquid and also to chill/heat water. Heat exchangers are used in many food production processes where flash pasteurization is required. In a brewery, the beer is heated up quickly to pasteurize it, then it is held for a short period as it makes the journey through a network of pipes. Following this, the beer liquid temperature is rapidly decreased before it undergoes the next production stage.

Heat Exchanger

Heat exchangers are a vital piece of brewery equipment used to cool the wort. A PHE complete with compact structure, high heat exchange efficiency, convenient installation and the signature easy to clean YoLong capabilities is what your brewery needs. Our professional technical team offer you a selection of configurations according to your brewery requirements.

Single or Two-Stage Plate Heat Exchanger

• Plate material: SS 304 construction
• Frame & Cover: SS 304 or carbon steel
• Wort temperature: cooling wort from 98°C/208°F to 10°C/50°F
• Glycol temperature: raises temperature from 5°C/41°F to 80°C/176°F
• Customizable to individual requirements

Tube Heat Exchanger

• Tube material: SS 304 construction
• Heats the wort for the calandria