Return to Menu

Viable, healthy yeast makes the difference

®
SCANDI BREW yeast mixing
 Return to Menu

Maintaining yeast quality and efficiency

High-gravity technology is becoming increasingly popular in modern brewing. The yeast used in brewing
is thus more and more exposed to the risk of degeneration during the period from harvest to pitching.
Any such degeneration naturally reduces the quality of the yeast, and leads to subsequent problems
with fermentation performance.

Homogeneous yeast is important
The agitator must keep the yeast
homogeneous throughout the tank,
with none or an absolute minimum of
cell damage. If this is not achieved,
problems may occur with:
• Temperature control – the yeast must
be cooled and stored at a tempera-
ture of 2 – 4°C in order to ensure
that it remains in the best possible
condition. This temperature range
allows the yeast to rest by keeping its
metabolic rate to a minimum and by
conserving energy reserves (in the
form glycogen and trehalose). If the
cooling jacket is unable to transfer
heat away from the middle of the
yeast, temperatures here may
increase, with such increases
becoming part of a continual
process.
• CO2 evacuation – CO2 levels may • Pitching – the yeast pitching rate is
increase if the yeast in the tank is not calculated from a random sample. The
circulated as intended. As a result, level of solids in the sampling point
temperature control is also inhibited. chosen may be higher than in other
sections of the tank if the distribution
• Aeration – may be required to purge of the yeast is not homogeneous. This
CO2 from the yeast, or to revitalize leads to a risk of under pitching.
yeast prior to pitching. Aeration
should only be used immediately
prior to pitching or if all the yeast is
kept at 2 – 4°C.
• Acid washing – if acid washing is
required, the acid must be evenly
dispersed, as high concentrations of
acid in one section of the tank rapidly
kill yeast cells. Furthermore, the yeast
must be as homogeneous as pos-
sible if acid washing is to be used,
because such acid results in a reduc-
tion of the viability of any yeast cells
whose temperature exceeds 4°C.
 Return to Menu

CIP
The agitator shaft and blades cause
shadow areas that are difficult to clean.
To eliminate the need for additional
cleaning heads, the CIP system must
have an integrated spray ball to clean
the agitator. This system must also
allow direct cleaning of all agitator
parts, including the areas underneath
the agitator blades.

Agitator design
A central agitator with tank baffles
achieves optimum mixing/agitation.
However, this is not an acceptable
solution within the brewing industry
due to difficulties in connection with
effective tank cleaning.

Central agitator
The SCANDI BREW ® central agitator is
designed with an integrated CIP
system. This system can also be used
for acid washing or aeration via the
hollow shaft and the CIP outlets under-
neath the blades. For shaft lengths of
over 1.5 metres, a sanitary tripod sup-
port is welded into the tank bottom.
This support is fully cleaned by the CIP
facility at the bottom.

Central agitators result in a pre-

dominantly radial flow with a reduction
in axial flow when the product starts to
move at the same speed as the
blades. Agitators of this type should
therefore only be used intermittently.
Intermittent operation and a relatively
low rpm speed minimize any product
damage, as well as allowing the blades
to be used as baffles when the agitator
stops and starts. This also results in
vertical lift/axial flow, helping to ensure
that the yeast is homogeneous.
Using this type of agitator thus ensures
the effective mixing of most types of
yeast, and provides the most cost-
effective solution available for many
installations. However, difficulties may
be encountered when using central agi-
tators with yeasts that contain high CO2
levels and a high percentage of solids.

Viable, healthy yeast is a crucial factor in
ensuring consistent, successful brewing
Yeast agitators must be designed to make sure the condition of the yeast is consistent throughout the
tank, and must also permit efficient CIP.
Off-centre agitator
The SCANDI BREW ® off-centre agitator
provides very effective mixing of all
types of yeast, including yeasts with
high levels of CO2 and a high percent-
age of solids. The integrated CIP sy-
stem for cleaning can also be used as
an acid washing or aeration option.
Off-centre design parameters
• Installation on tank top
Ideally, the agitator should be mount-
ed offset from the centre of the tank
at a distance equivalent to approx.
33 percent of the tank diameter.
Depending on the size of the tank,
the agitator can be mounted inde-
pendently or as part of a topplate
assembly. With the hollow shaft
designed for the CIP, a shaft length of
up to 3 metres can be used without
any need for bottom support. Shafts
longer than this require a sanitary
support welded onto the bottom of
the tank. The lower part of the agita-
tor is designed to include a CIP facili-
ty to clean this area effectively.
• Propeller blade flow characteristics
The design of the SCANDI BREW®
propeller blade features a curve along
its length/horizontal plane, allowing
the yeast to flow through and across
the blade. This creates both radial
and axial flow, and reduces the level
of turbulence that arises in flat cross
beam blades, which are used in stan-
dard heavyduty agitators.
• Agitator sizing
When determining the specifications
for agitator blades and rpm speeds,
the height and diameter of the tank
are important factors. Information
Return to Menu
regarding minimum/maximum filling
levels and the percentage of solids is
also required. This information
enables the calculation of blade and
rpm specifications that result in a
circulation rate that provides consis-
tently homogeneous yeast, as well as
sufficient mixing throughout the tank.
For gentle handling of the yeast and
to prevent cell shearing, a
blade tip speed of 2.6 - 3
metres per second is re-
commended.
• Frequency converter
and gear motor
The agitator motor should advanta-
geously be equipped with a frequency
converter. This enables the agitator to
be used at normal speed when the
product needs to be homogeneous
during periods of cooling, prepitching
and acid washing. It also enables
operation at low speeds during
periods when the yeast is in storage.
To minimize the power required for
mixing, the gearbox should have an
efficiency level of no less than 90
percent.
In addition to the agitator specification,
consideration must be given to the
tank design, as height/diameter ratio
and cone angles are crucial in ensuring
a successful installation. For optimum
mixing conditions, the yeast tank and
the agitator should be considered
together as one complete system.
 Return to Menu

Yeast management
par excellence

SCANDI BREW ® is a key brand within

Alfa Laval. We assure customers
everything they need for optimized
yeast management, and provide
brewers with equipment, systems
and turnkey process installations of
a quality renowned throughout
the world.
 Return to Menu

Alfa Laval in brief

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of

specialized products and engineered
solutions.
Our equipment, systems and services
are dedicated to helping customers to
optimize the performance of their
processes. Time and time again.
We help our customers to heat, cool,
separate and transport products such as
oil, water, chemicals, beverages,
foodstuffs, starch and pharmaceuticals.
Our worldwide organization works
closely with customers in almost 100
countries to help them stay ahead.

How to contact Alfa Laval

Contact details for all countries are

continually updated on our web site.
Please visit www.alfalaval.com for more
information.

PFT00023EN 0211