Talking about the key point control of beer filling technology

Beer filling refers to a packaging method in which the fermented beer is packed into a suitable packaging container with special equipment to be suitable for sale on the market and convenient for consumers to drink. Beer filling should maintain the original flavor of the beer as much as possible, and make it have a certain shelf life. Since CO2 is the key to ensure the unique taste and foam performance of beer, and beer is easily oxidized by contact with air and sunlight, which affects the flavor stability and shelf life of beer, attention should be paid to the problem of beer filling.

First of all, beer packaging materials, commonly used glass bottles, cans and PET bottles, etc., their common requirements must have excellent barrier properties, can block air infiltration and sunlight; Secondly, filling equipment on the beer during the filling process The influence of CO2 content and the oxygenation of beer during filling; in addition, the hygienicity during filling, the smoothness of the filling and glanding process, and the liquid level stability of each bottle after filling are also affected. The quality of beer.

Influencing factors and control methods of CO2 content in filling process

Influencing factors and control methods of CO2 content during filling process CO2 is the key to ensure the unique taste and foam performance of beer, while temperature and pressure are the main factors affecting the amount of CO2 dissolved in beer. Practice has shown that the lower the beer temperature, the higher the filling back pressure, the less likely CO2 will overflow. Therefore, in order to minimize the loss of CO2 in the beer, the beer temperature and the pressure of the back pressure gas should be strictly controlled during the filling. Among them, pressure control is the key to the normal operation of the filling machine. If the pressure is too high or too low, the filling effect will be affected. The high pressure will cause the bottle to bubble back when the pressure is released, and the low pressure will easily cause the CO2 to overflow, causing the foam in the tank to pass. many.

Short tube built-in mechanical valve

When filling, a certain concentration of CO2 is usually used as a back pressure gas for beer filling to effectively prevent CO2 overflow in the beer. However, for a filling machine with a vacuuming function, as the filling progresses, the back pressure gas CO2 will have a certain loss, and at the same time, since the gas in the bottle will be displaced into the liquid storage tank during filling, the CO2 concentration will gradually decrease. Reduced, therefore, the CO2 addition amount is usually used to ensure the concentration and pressure of the back pressure gas CO2, and the CO2 additional amount varies with the required CO2 concentration in the liquid storage tank. As long as the CO2 is replenished in time, the concentration can be better solved. Reduced problems.

In order to save costs, some manufacturers require filling beer at 10-12 °C, that is, medium temperature filling, which poses a challenge to the traditional filling machine. After the temperature rises, CO2 is easy to overflow, so it is necessary to increase the back pressure during filling to compensate for the consequences of temperature rise; and how to ensure the smoothness of the filling process after increasing the pressure becomes the key to medium temperature filling. Guangzhou Tech-Long is developing technology to reduce the pressure inside the bottle to atmospheric pressure by using two pressure reliefs. This technology has been applied to the filling of cola.

“Influencing factors and control methods of CO2 content during filling process CO2 is the key to ensure the unique taste and foam performance of beer, while temperature and pressure are the main factors affecting the amount of CO2 dissolved in beer. Practice shows that the lower the temperature of beer, the irrigation The higher the back pressure, the less likely CO2 will overflow."

Source of oxygen and oxygenation control during filling

First, the pipeline, sake tank, etc. that the beer flows before entering the filling machine can be replaced by nitrogen or CO2 gas, and the air in the pipeline and the sake tank is first replaced with the oxygen content to reach a safe value and then the beer is passed.

Secondly, the oxygen content of the filling process will increase, including some residual oxygen in the bottle after vacuuming (especially the bottle that has not been vacuumed or only vacuumed once), the oxygen in the filling tank of the filling machine, and After the filling is completed and the pressure is released, the bottle leaves the filling machine and enters the capping machine. Generally, the glass bottle can be added with a secondary vacuum function to reduce the oxygen content in the bottle; the oxygen in the tank can ensure the concentration of CO2 in the tank through the CO2 addition amount, so that the gas in the storage tank is replaced by the gas back. The effect of the pressure gas CO2 is minimized. After the above measures, the amount of oxygenation during the filling process can be controlled to a lower value (<0.04 mg/L). Because cans and PET bottles can not be vacuumed, they are usually filled with long-tube mechanical valves: when filling, first spray CO2 into the bottle or tank to remove air, then continue to inject CO2, and start to inject alcohol when the pressure is equal. Before the bottle leaves the filling machine and reaches the capping machine, the CO2 at the top of the bottle neck is in full contact with the air, and the oxygen will be in full contact with the beer in the bottle during transportation, thus affecting the quality of the beer. By increasing the high pressure foaming process, high pressure pure water or deoxygenated water is injected into the bottle with a small water flow high pressure, so that the CO2 in the beer rises to the mouth of the bottle in the form of foam, and the bottleneck gas is discharged to reduce the oxygen content of the bottleneck gas. the goal of.

In addition, the sealing effect during sealing is also caused by the change of oxygen content in the bottle. This problem can be effectively solved by selecting a capping machine with a good gland quality and a qualified cap.

Health problems during filling

In order to ensure that the packaged beer meets the hygiene standards, it is necessary to ensure that the filling equipment and the beer are partially sterile and the surrounding environment is clean and hygienic. When designing the filling equipment, it is necessary to avoid the sanitary corner and avoid flushing. The three-chamber design (ie the wine room, vacuum chamber and return chamber) is used to discharge the residual liquid after pressure relief to reduce its impact on the surrounding environment. .