A glycol chiller is a piece of equipment that’s commonly utilized in long-draw systems to maintain the right temperature for draft beer as it moves from the walk-in cooler towards the beer tower. And this is often accomplished using glycol. A glycol reservoir is cooled by the power pack, after which it’s then pushed via a trunk line located alongside your beer, keeping it at the desired temperature.
These pieces of equipment are often utilized in long-draw systems to maintain the desired temperature of draft beer as it flows from the walk-in cooler toward the beer tower. And this usually accomplished using glycol. The power pack cools a glycol reservoir that’s then pushed via a trunk line alongside your drink, keeping it at the right temperature. Typically, trunk lines are a combination of glycol lines plus beer lines wrapped in foil and insulation. They’re available in various product capacities, ranging from 4 to 12. Each beer product features its line while the glycol has a supply and return line. This allows it to move to the tower and then back to the chiller for further cooling.
How Do Glycol Chillers Work?
A chiller is essentially a refrigeration unit that’s outfitted with an evaporator, a metric device, a compressor, and a condenser. A buffer storage tank is often utilized with the chilling unit to offer additional system capacity and prevent excessive cycling, erratic system operation, as well as unexpected temperature fluctuations.
Propylene glycol, which is a food-grade anti-freeze, is commonly used when consumable products are involved. But before using glycol your brewing process, ensure that the propylene glycol is of the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) grade and suitable for food use.
When laying out your glycol system, ensure that the chiller unit is positioned close to the tanks. Don’t use undersized pipe fittings as this might lead to elevated glycol line pressure and potentially compromise the cooling jackets on your tanks. You should also consider installing pressure as well as temperature gauges in the SUPPLY header. These gauges can notify you of any cooling system or pressure problems. And since you’ll be able to fix such faults promptly, there’ll be downtime or production delays.
Calculating The Glycol Beer Line Chiller Length
Before purchasing a chiller for your bar, determine the overall length of the trunk line. Then, compare it to the manufacturer’s length rating. This length usually indicates the number of feet the chiller can maintain serving temperature for. A chiller featuring a rating of 50 feet, for instance, can maintain the optimum temperature for a tower that’s within 50 feet from the walk-in cooler where the drinks are stored. You should also take into consideration the number of products you plan to move.
For most trunk line manufacturers, having one supply line and one return line isn’t enough. There’s going to be two lines of each. And this means that you’ll have twice as many lines to cool, hence effectively halving the ability of your chiller for the distance it needs to cover. If a chiller is rated at 125 inches, that’s only applicable if it features a single supply line and one return line. With a trunk line featuring two supplies and two returns, you’ll only be able to get about 60 feet out of it. The number of pumps your chiller has will also play a significant role. If you’ve multiple pumps, then you’ll need to calculate the total distance these pumps will cover to determine the appropriate rating.
Choosing The Correct Number Of Pumps
For most bars, a single pump glycol cooler will adequately meet their process needs. Nonetheless, there are some situations where more than one pump is required.
One reason is for security and ease of use. For instance, if you’re going to run three 10-product trunk lines in a large tower, then getting a three-pump chiller would be an incredible option. If you’ve two towers located in different locations, you may also want to consider installing more than one pump.
The higher the number of pumps, the better the efficiency will be. Plus, the level of energy consumption is significantly reduced, leading to substantial energy savings.
Selecting A Glycol Chiller
Chillers provide heat removal for an extensive range of processes and equipment. A well-sized chiller boosts production speed, improves accuracy, safeguards valuable process equipment against damage, and reduces water consumption. But if it’s oversized, it won’t work effectively due to excessive cycling. Aside from having adequate cooling capacity, the hydroponic chiller you choose must deliver the cooling fluid at an appropriate pressure and flow rate.
Other options you may want to consider are temperature and placement. If you’re planning to place your glycol power pack above your walk-in cooler, ensure that the walk-in will be able to support the combined weight of the chiller plus the stored glycol. If your plant experiences frequent temperature spikes, consider purchasing a chiller with a bigger tank. Such a fixture will be able to hold its temperature more efficiently.
Cooling In Brewing
Glycol chillers are refrigeration systems that are commonly used to cool various liquids, including alcohol, as well as other beverages. Utilizing a chiller allows you to lower the temperature of the product within the shortest time possible. Propylene glycol plays an essential role in the operation of glycol chillers.
When it comes to brewing, there are specific processes where reducing or maintaining temperature is crucial- like crash cooling beer after fermentation or maintaining a steady temperature during fermentation. And this is where glycol chillers come in handy. They’re uniquely designed to provide reliable cooling to various applications, including beer production lines. Get the best Glycol chiller from North Slope Chillers.
The Bottom-Line
Glycol chillers are a significant investment. So, before purchase one, make sure that you understand precisely how to find a model that best suits your needs, then optimize it for the highest quality and performance. Using a glycol chiller allows you to reduce the temperature of your product and produce high-quality products.
