Utilities in a brewery

In the context of a brewery, utilities is the term used to denote the facility’s supply of the media required for producing and bottling the beer, and the use and recycling of its own resources from the production process.

Specifically, the utilities involved are these:

• CO₂ supply or recovery,
• N₂ supply,
• refrigeration systems,
• compressed air and steam systems, plus
• supply of hot water to the facility.

When a brewery’s cost-efficiency is being examined, the utilities are often worth scrutinising. An analysis of consumption data and requirement concepts in the fermentation rhythm on the basis of the output and the energy costs enables a realistic picture to be gained of the ancillaries’ efficacy, producing an accurate profile of the brewery’s operations for customised restructuring initiatives. Redundant systems or consumption peaks can thus be revamped; thermal insulation measures and leak detection features, plus changes in loading designed to prioritise full-load operation, may in particular cases produce substantial savings.

Thanks to the Krones specialists’ comprehensive knowledge of the entire processes encountered in a brewery, changes to interfaces or control programs or (in individual cases) equipment redesigns, can trigger major improvements in cost-efficiency. As a frequently underestimated area of a brewery, optimisation of the utilities enables directly quantifiable successes to be swiftly achieved.