Microbrewery Brewhouse

Overview

A microbrewery brewhouse is a three-vessel system designed to brew 5–10 barrel batches of craft beer. The core components are the Mash Tun Assembly, where crushed grain is steeped in hot water to extract fermentable sugars; the Kettle and Whirlpool, where the extracted liquid (wort) is boiled with hops; and the Hot Liquor Tank, which holds pre-heated water for striking and sparging the mash. A Pump and Motor Assembly transfers wort between vessels, and a Control Panel regulates temperatures and equipment operation. The entire assembly is mounted on a Structural Frame and connected by Plumbing Assembly.

How it works

Brewing begins with the Hot Liquor Tank, which is filled and heated to around 170°F to stabilize mash temperature. Crushed malted grain is loaded into the Mash Vessel and covered with hot water (the strike). The Grain Rake then slowly rotates, distributing heat evenly through the grain bed. Over 60–90 minutes, enzymes in the grain convert its starch to fermentable sugars (the mash rest).

Next, the brewer begins lautering: the Pump and Motor Assembly is used to recirculate the first runnings back onto the mash bed to clarify it. Once clear, the wort is transferred to the Kettle Vessel. The hot water from the HLT is then sprayed onto the grain (sparging) to rinse out remaining sugars. The False Bottom and Runoff Manifold ensure that grain solids do not clog the drain.

With wort in the kettle, the Heating Element begins heating to a rolling boil. The PID Temperature Controller in the control panel drives the heating relay to maintain a steady boil. Hops are added at precise times during the 60–90 minute boil to impart bitterness, flavor, and aroma. At the end of the boil, the wort is whirled by pumping it tangentially in through the Whirlpool Port, creating a spinning motion that settles hop solids and trub (coagulated protein) at the center. The clear wort is then drained from the Kettle Outlet below this cone and transferred to a fermentation vessel.

All heating is controlled by the Control Panel, which houses the PID Temperature Controller, Relay Bank, and Safety Thermostat. The Temperature Probe in the mash and the probe in the HLT send real-time readings to the controller. The Power Switch isolates all circuits when needed, and the Indicator Lights show which zones are active.

Key features

• Modular design: Each vessel can be used independently for smaller batches or specialty work.
• Three-tier gravity cascade: Vessels are stacked so that heated water and wort can flow downward by gravity, reducing pump workload.
• Precise temperature control: The PID controller adjusts heater output to hold target setpoints to within ±2°F.
• Recirculation loop: The pump can draw from any vessel and return to it, allowing for mashing-in, recirculation during lautering, and circulation during the boil.
• Safety interlocks: High-limit thermostat and indicator lights prevent overheating and operator error.
• Scalability: Standard 100–150 L vessel sizes can be scaled to 30 L or larger systems with the same design philosophy.