Project 2:
CO2 Reinjection for
Abita Brewing
Company
Team 6: Dan Venooker, Glenn Beatty,
Marcus Cole, Chris Descalzi
Overview
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Abita Brewing Company
Brewing Process Flow Chart
Carbonation in the brewing process
Methods of CO2 reinjection
Objectives of reinjection
Constraints
Rough Process Flow Diagram
Market Competition
Abita Brewing Company
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Founded in 1986
Located just north of New Orleans
Locally owned and operated
Brew >151,000 barrels small-batch craft
beer and >9,100 barrels root beer annually
Abita Brewing Company (con’t)
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Beer ingredients
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Water- no purification required,
taken directly from the naturally
pure abita springs aquifer
Malted barley- provides a
source of food (sugar) for the
yeast
Yeast- digest sugar to form
alcohol and CO2 (different types
of yeast used for ales vs. lagers)
Hops- add bitter flavor and
aroma to the beer
Brewing Process Flow Chart
Carbonation in the Brewing Process
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CO2 is formed through the fermentation
process (along with alcohol)
CO2 dissolved in water is referred to as
carbonation
Excess CO2 is generally produced, and is
allowed to escape
Vented CO2 may contain H2S and DMS
(Dimethyl sulfide)
Outlets for CO2 Reinjection
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Bottle-purging: Removes air to prevent
oxidation, which affects flavor
Carbonation of root beer: Most non-alcoholic
root beer (like Abita’s) is entirely carbonated
via forced carbonation
Carbonation of beer: Many beers do not
contain the desired level of carbonation after
fermentation (equilibrium controlled)
Constraints
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Low sulfide content - no regulations by FDA
other than labeling for sulfites ( > 10 ppm)
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< 0.3 ppm for release into atmosphere (waste)
Ask Jamie Jurado for specifications
May be different for reinjection/bottle-purging
High pressure required for forced
carbonation and low temperature required to
purify CO2
Sulfides present safety hazard (both in the
plant as a breathing hazard, and sulfites in
the beer ruin flavor)
Objectives
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Capture gas released during fermentation
process
Scrub CO2 stream to maintain unwanted
sulfides below required limits
Reinject purified CO2 into root beer, or into
bottle-purging process
Required Unit Ops
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Abita has recently acquired used equipment
from a nearby plant
We don’t know exactly what yet
o Closed plant operated on larger scale than Abita
o May or may not be applicable
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Our preliminary design (all batch operated)
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Carbon Capture Hood
Flame? (Perhaps)
Packed-Bed Absorber (Potassium Permanganate)
Condensers
Compressors
Rough Process Flow Diagram
Potential Market
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Abita is the 14th
largest craft brewery
in America as of
2012
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One spot behind local
brewery Dogfish head
Craft brewing is a
growing sector
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Currently 14.2% by
dollars
20% growth last year
Market Competition
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Some beers are carbonated
naturally
o Yeast is re-fed and some
CO2 is released
Large plants usually collect
fermented CO2 and reinject it
Small plants generally
purchase liquefied CO2 and
inject it towards the end of the
brewing process
Hand pumped CO2 filters are
sometimes used to inject CO2
into kegs
Market Competition
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Companies like GEA Brewery Systems offer
turn-key installations for all parts of the
brewing process, including CO2 capture
These systems are typically not used for
batch breweries
The market is pretty wide open, but the path
has yet to be blazed
Excited to work with Jamie Jurado on a
solution to Abita’s carbonation needs
Questions?
We would like to answer any questions that
you may have at this time
References
"ABITA BEER." ABITA BEER. Innovative Advertising, Llc, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
<https://abita.com/>.
"Abita Root Beer." BeveragesDirect.com. Beverages Direct, 2013. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.beveragesdirect.com/Abita-Root-Beer.aspx>.
"Beer Brewing and Carbon Dioxide Recycling." Automation World. Summit Media Group, 2014. Web. 02
Apr. 2014. <http://www.automationworld.com/beer-brewing-and-carbon-dioxide-recycling>.
"Malting and Brewing." » The Best Beer Process Flow Chart. Malting and Brewing,
2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. <http://maltingandbrewing.com/the-best-beer-process-flow-chart.html>.
"Natural Carbonation vs. Forced Carbonation." »Thank Heaven for Beer
2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. <http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2010/03/22/natural-carbonation-vs-forcedcarbonation/>.
"Purafil - SP Media." Purafil - SP Media. Purafil, Inc., 2009. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.purafil.com/products/media/sp_media.aspx>.
"Top 50 Breweries of 2012." » Craft Brewers Association Malting and Brewing,
2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. <https://www.brewersassociation.org/pages/media/pressreleases/show?title=brewers-association-releases-top-50-breweries-of-2012>.