Transitioning Brewhouse
Operations to Automation
Fred Rizzo- Head Brewer
Riley Finnigan- Brewhouse Manager

Original Avery Brewing Facility
• 1993-2015
• 2 (eventually 3) Vessel Brewhouse
• 60 bbl Batch max, 16 bbl min.
• 2 Roller Dry Mill
• 24/7 Brewing Operations
• 25 ton wheat silo, 35 ton 2-row silo

Original Avery Facility

Original Avery Facility

Original Avery Facility

New Avery Brewing Facility
• Commissioned Jan. 2015
• 4 Vessel Krones Brewhouse (Combicube B)
• 125hl max, 55hl min Batches
• 2 Roller Wet Mill
• Kunzel Malt Handling
• 24/5 Brewing Operations (working towards
24/7)
• 35 ton Wheat Silo, 50 ton 2-row Silo

New Avery Facility

New Avery Facility

New Avery Facility

New Avery Facility

Original Avery Facility (just sayin’!)

Preparing for the Move
• Running ops at both locations/Brewers staying on the “old system”
• Become familiar with metric units
• Easing into automation: H2O, Silos on load cells, Ponndorf grain-out system, in-line O2 meter, mass-flow meter for yeast pitching

A Word On Artistry vs. Consistency
CONCERNS:
• Losing the “hands on” element
• Becoming “computer jockeys”
• Alienation from your labor
FINDINGS:
• Massive amounts of control over process
• Plenty of hands on work to be done outside the control room
• Quality, consistent wort
• Troubleshooting doesn’t get any easier! You won’t be bored

Flavor Matching vs. Improving Brands
• We are our own harshest critics
• There’s always room for improvement
• More efficient, consistent equipment = better quality beer
• Remove the human variable
• Eliminated “background noise” from our beers. True recipe shines through

Lab Support
• IBUs
• SRMs
• VDKs
• Micro/RLU Testing post heat-x
• Fermentation analysis
• Sensory Panel
– TTB Tests
– Anonymous responses w/out bias from staff

Ingredient Changes and Inventory
• Changes
– Lactic acid to Phosphoric
– Pellets to Extract for bittering
– Whole Spices to Powdered
– Big bag stations
• Deletions
– Rice Hulls
– Antifoam in Kettle
– Reduction/elimination of sugar usage
• Additions
– We didn’t add any new ingredients to our process

Ingredient Changes and Inventory
• Silo Deliveries from every 5-7 days to every 3-
5 days
• Managing raw material inventories and the space needed to accommodate necessary inventory levels
• We created a position to manage inventory
• Contract forecasting and general availability of key materials

New Process Parameters
• New Parameters
– Malt Transport
• Chain conveyor speed
• Aspiration hand valves
– Mill
• H2O temperatures
• Water ratios/Flow rate
• Mill gap
– Mash Mixer
• Multiple rests
• Agitation
– Lauter Tun
• Raking system
• Flow rate automation
• Various trending phases

New Process Parameters
• Kettle
– Internal pump recirculation
– Boiling phases
– Hop dosing vessels
• Hop Supply Pump
• Sequence and timing
• Whirlpool
– 2 draw off points
– Addition of trub pile to spent grains

New Process Parameters
• Wort Cooler
– Fast, easy automated CIPs (safety, consistency)
– Conductivity
– Knockout temperatures (glycol, high/low temp alarm)

In Summary
• Preparing for automation and growth through incorporating automation where possible and preparing growth models to scale accordingly
• In spite of being less ‘hands on’, your control over the process will greatly increase and lead to more consistent and higher quality wort
• Don’t make the same beer; make a better beer!
• Lab support is crucial

In Summary
• Approach new processes and/or parameters with a willingness to experiment

THANK YOU
• Fred@AveryBrewing.com
• Riley@AveryBrewing.com