This is the first step in the process where thermal energy is used to heat the mixture of water and grain. The process involves breaking the grain down converting starches into sugars and determines the quality of the wort and hence ultimately the beer itself. Hot water and grain (malt, rice) is heated to 98oC in the Adjunct and 78oC in the Mash Kettle. Hot water is then sparged on to the mash to extract the wort. The wort is then filtered out.
Based on our observations across breweries we find several opportunities to improve process and energy efficiency in these equipment. The key in this segment of the brewing process is to precisely achieve the required process temperatures within the desired time and ensure precise water addition. Inconsistencies in both impact not only batch times (productivity) and product quality but also lead to a higher Megajoules / Hectolitre beer ratio.