Infused Beverages Pasteurization for Brewmasters and Beverage Maker
In the past, beverage makers struggled with the problem of mass-producing drinks that wouldn’t spoil before they went for sale.
Louis Pasteur discovered a solution in the late 1800s that is now known as pasteurization. This slowed the spoiling of all sorts of products including alcoholic and fruit beverages.
So why does pasteurization work? Is infused beverages pasteurization necessary? What tools are used for pasteurizers?
If you want to be a professional beverage maker, then you definitely need the right pasteurizers for your product. Read on to learn about infused beverage pasteurization and the products PRO Engineering / Manufacturing Inc. offers.
Why We Pasteurize Alcoholic Beverages
Pasteurization is a type of liquid purification process. All infused beverages and fruit juices naturally have some level of microbial activity. This includes infectious diseases that can cause severe symptoms that can be deadly to some people.
A lot of these natural microorganisms in beverages cause them to spoil quickly. This makes them harder to transport and sell.
For this reason, it’s best to clean these beverages before they’re shipped out and served to the public. The pasteurization of beverages takes care of this process and protects consumers from disease. There’s no need for beverage makers to worry about their customers getting sick as long as they follow the proper procedures.
Types of Pasteurization
To that end, there are two main ways to achieve pasteurization. Both involve heating the liquid to kill microorganisms living in it and then letting it cool back down to a safe temperature for consumption. The type you use also depends heavily on what kind of beverage you’re making.
Low Heat Long Time
Low heat long time means that you’re using a lower temperature and keeping the beverage on the heat for a longer time. This is also known as vat pasteurization.
It used to be the more popular kind because it is easier to do. The liquid stays in one place the entire time and is allowed to cool naturally.
It’s usually more popular for milk since it prevents premature spoilage without altering the taste or structure of the milk. You have to be careful when using this process, however, because prolonged heating at this temperature will eventually alter the protein structure of the milk. If this happens, then the taste is also heavily changed.
In fact, this is the case with many beverages. However, milk is high in protein, so the issue is much more noticeable for it.
Any beverage, including alcoholic and fruit beverages, can use this method of pasteurization. However, it takes longer than other methods and isn’t always as effective. For this reason, most beverages use a high heat short time method instead.
High Heat Short Time
Equally effective is the high heat short-time method, also known as flash pasteurization. The higher temperature is generally more effective at killing microbial organisms that cause disease and spoilage.
Instead of staying in a single vat the whole time, the beverage goes through a system of tubes where is rapidly heated up and then cooled just as rapidly. This prevents the beverage from staying hot for too long and losing its color and flavor.
This is generally the preferred method for the pasteurization of beer since it does such a good job of sanitizing it without compromising the beverage completely. Fruit juices and milk also handle this process well. The notable exception is certain kinds of cheeses.
In short, if you’re brewing beer, then this is most likely the method you want to use. It takes to this process better than it does to the low heat long time method.
The Types of Pasteurizers
You may have noticed that you need different equipment for both types of pasteurization. You need one of two different thermal process systems to pasteurize your beer. The good news is that you can get either of them at PRO Engineering / Manufacturing Inc.
Batch Pasteurizers
Batch pasteurizers are for vat pasteurization. PRO Engineering / Manufacturing Inc. sells two different kinds of batch pasteurizers.
The first is the single temp batch pasteurizer. This is a good choice for those who are just starting to brew beer and need something that a beginner can use. It’s compact, easily moved, and recycles the water so you don’t have to be wasteful.
The second is the triple temp batch pasteurizer for those who are seeing their production increase or need to simulate flash pasteurization. It changes temperature three times throughout its process. It’s still compact and easy to move. So, if you ever need to move locations or add more machines, you can do so without too much difficulty. You can also trade your batch pasteurizers for tunnel pasteurizers when and if you outgrow them.
Tunnel Pasteurizers
Tunnel pasteurizers are generally much more suited to flash pasteurization. They use a tube system to automatically heat and cool your beverages by moving them through the machine. These are generally for more established beverage makers since the machines are designed to handle more supply.
You can find many different sizes of tunnel pasteurizers on the PRO Engineering / Manufacturing website. There are three different sizes of the large version, and for those who don’t have as much space, there’s also the slim version.
The slim version is good for those who are expanding because it has the ability to grow with your business. You can always purchase more large machines, but they can’t expand the way the slim ones do.
Get Infused Beverages Pasteurization Equipment for Your Business
No matter if you’re making cheese, apple juice, or beer, you need pasteurization equipment that suits your needs. It should be able to handle the volume and beverages that you’re making and prevent them from losing their taste and color.
PRO Engineering /Manufacturing Inc. has any equipment you need to start, expand, and improve your infused beverages pasteurization process. So, if you’ve been in business a few months or a hundred years, we’re the best place to get the equipment you need. Contact us today and see how we can help your brewing business.
Learn More About Pasteurizing!
If you’d like to learn more about pasteurization in general, pasteurizing unique sodas, or the equipment involved, we’d love to help!
Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have, and we’ll do our best to help you. We want you to feel confident in your understanding of this vital process and how you can make it work for you!
For more information on tunnel and batch pasteurization contact PRO Engineering/Manufacturing, Inc. at [email protected] or call (414) 362-1500 and ask for Ed Michalski, CEO.
Edward A. Michalski Bio
Ed Michalski started his career in the beverage industry by designing stainless steel, higher flow, spray headers for Pabst Brewing. Along with the header design, he also developed a process to produce the new headers. Ed, along with his brother David, formed PRO Engineering/Manufacturing, Inc.
Based on what they learned by re-designing and refurbishing other manufacturers’ pasteurizers, Ed and PRO started to offer the pasteurizer marketplace superior new pasteurizers.
PRO Engineering/Manufacturing has been designing and manufacturing tunnel pasteurizers and batch pasteurizers for over four decades.
ABOUT US:
PRO Engineering and Manufacturing was established in 1977 by Ed and Dave Michalski as a steel fabrication shop. For more than 40 years, PRO Engineering and Manufacturing, Inc. has been delivering solutions for beverage product shelf stability and consumption safety. As leading innovators in post-fill pasteurization, our skilled team offers the best in high-quality pasteurization equipment.
CONTACT US:
Phone: 414-362-1500 | Email: [email protected]
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