Distributed Brewing Layout With Remote Fermentation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Establishing a craft or microbrewery faces challenges such as capital constraints for equipment, technical and logistical issues, licensing hurdles, regulatory complexities, and the need for skilled brewers.
Innovation Solution
A brewing arrangement comprising a brewhouse assembly for producing wort, remotely located fermentation assemblies at hospitality establishments, and a monitoring and control system for centralized wort production and distributed beer production, allowing remote monitoring and control of brewing processes without requiring a liquor license at the brewhouse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a brewhouse produces wort on-site at each hospitality establishment, then beer production quality and freshness are improved, but capital costs, space requirements, and operational complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The brewing process is segmented into two distinct stages: wort production at a centralized brewhouse and fermentation at distributed fermentation assemblies. This segmentation allows the complex brewhouse operations to be consolidated while maintaining quality control, and enables simpler fermentation units to be distributed to multiple hospitality establishments.
Solution Approach 2:
Wort is used as an intermediary substance that can be produced centrally, transported, and then fermented locally. This intermediary approach allows separation of the complex wort production process from the simpler fermentation process, enabling quality control at the brewhouse while reducing complexity at individual establishments.
2Ease of manufacture
If a brewhouse is located remotely from fermentation assemblies, then licensing requirements and regulatory hurdles are reduced, but supply chain logistics and transport requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Wort is produced in advance at the brewhouse and stored in transport containers before being delivered to fermentation assemblies. This preliminary production allows the brewhouse to operate independently of liquor licensing requirements while ensuring fresh wort is available for fermentation at remote locations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fermentation assemblies are distributed across multiple hospitality establishments, then market reach and brand presence are improved, but monitoring and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized monitoring and control system continuously receives feedback from sensors at multiple fermentation assemblies and automatically adjusts operating parameters. This feedback mechanism enables remote management of distributed fermentation units, maintaining consistent beer quality across all locations while simplifying operator tasks through automated control.
4Ease of operation
If a monitoring and control system remotely manages brewing processes, then operational flexibility and remote management capability are improved, but system reliability and control precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fermentation assemblies are equipped with automated control systems that can independently adjust temperature, pressure, and other critical parameters based on pre-programmed recipes and real-time sensor feedback. This self-service capability ensures consistent, reliable operation even when remotely managed, reducing the burden on operators while maintaining high control precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution decouples alcohol production from the brewhouse, reducing licensing requirements and enabling cost-effective, space-efficient craft beer production across multiple locations, addressing logistical and supply chain challenges while improving the hospitality experience.
Implementation Method 1
a brewhouse assembly having a mash tun, a kettle and a wort chiller arranged in fluid communication
Implementation Method 2
each fermenter suppliable with wort from the transport container and configured to operatively produce beer
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a brewing system (10) comprising a brewhouse assembly (12) having a mash tun (14), a kettle (16), a filter (18) and wort chiller (20) arranged in fluid communication for brewing purposes. The brewhouse assembly (12) is configured to operatively produce wort from mash liquor. Wort produced by the brewhouse assembly (12) is generally stored in a transport container (22). The brewing system 10 further includes a plurality of fermentation assemblies (24) each arranged remotely from the brewhouse assembly (12). Each fermentation assembly (24) includes at least one fermenter (26) which is arranged in fluid communication with a plurality of bright beer tanks (28). Each fermenter (26) is operatively suppliable with wort from the transport container (22) and is configured to produce beer from the wort for subsequent storage in a bright beer tank (28). The brewing system (10) also includes a monitoring and control system (30) which comprises a plurality of sensors (32) for sensing brewhouse and fermentation assembly operating characteristics, a plurality of actuators (34) configured to remotely control the brewhouse and fermentation assemblies (12) and (24) to influence these respective operating characteristics, and some manner of remote interface (100) for receiving the sensed operating characteristics and instructing the actuators (34).