According to the Brewers Association (BA), US small and independent brewers rebounded from pandemic lows with 8% growth last year, and the number of craft breweries reached an all-time high. If you’re one of the many new or growth-oriented breweries hunting for a chiller to keep your brewing processes cool, this article is for you. We’ll explain the importance of scalability in your purchasing decision and highlight a few brewery chiller features that can accommodate your future expansion plans.
Why is scalability important when choosing a brewery chiller?
From startup microbreweries to established players, expansion is often at the top of every brewer’s mind. If it’s part of your vision, consider these plans when selecting a brewery chiller. Whether you’re planning to grow a little or a lot, your expansion goals can ensure you choose a system designed for scalability.
Choosing a brewery chiller system for scalability is important because it gives you the infrastructure to facilitate future growth as your operation requires more process cooling capabilities.
A scalable brewery chiller makes it easier to grow your operation, allowing you to:
- Avoid costly system upgrades
- Quickly ramp up brewing production
- Maintain consistent quality brew, even during transition phases
- Gain an edge over the competition
- Promote company longevity
So, what should you look for in a scalable chiller? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about buying a brewery chiller designed for your future growth.
Brewery chiller scalability features
If you plan to expand your brewing operations in the foreseeable future, consider this anticipated growth in your chiller selection by focusing on the following scalability features:
Dual or multiple refrigeration circuits
When choosing a growth-ready brewery chiller, ensure that your system installation includes dual or multiple refrigeration circuits to ensure you have the redundancy options required to accommodate your growing operation.
Glycol volume and tank size
Your brewery’s expansion plans also determine the best glycol volume and tank size. A growing operation will require higher glycol volumes and larger tanks to sustain a larger production capacity.
Microcontrollers
Microcontrollers allow you to easily manage multiple brewing functions with the ability to monitor and adjust settings. As your brewery grows, these intelligent technology systems will enable you to maintain tight control over your processes, even as production volume or pieces of equipment increase.
Energy-efficiency options
Energy consumption will invariably increase as your brewing operation grows, making energy conservation essential for keeping costs down. Energy-efficient options, such as electronic expansion valves (EEVs) and pump variable frequency drive (VFD), translate to measurable energy and cost savings.
Are you interested in learning what our scalable brewery chillers can achieve? Check out how our custom solutions helped Chestnut Hill Brewing Co. double its operations.
For more factors to consider in your brewery chiller design, check out our blog or contact our team to begin customizing your scalable brewery chiller. We have over 50 years of experience providing a robust line of engineered solutions for brewers of all sizes. Trust our industry-leading expertise and exceptional after-the-sale support to supply the ideal solution for today – and tomorrow. Request a quote for your scalable brewery chiller today.