Project 2:CO2 Reinjection for

Abita Brewing Company

Team 6: Dan Venooker, Glenn Beatty, Marcus Cole, Chris Descalzi

Overview

• Abita Brewing Company• Brewing Process Flow Chart• Carbonation in the brewing process

• Methods of CO2 reinjection

• Objectives of reinjection• Constraints• Rough Process Flow Diagram• Market Competition

• Founded in 1986• Located just north of New Orleans• Locally owned and operated• Brew >151,000 barrels small-batch craft

beer and >9,100 barrels root beer annually

Abita Brewing Company

Abita Brewing Company (con’t)

• Beer ingredientso Water- no purification required,

taken directly from the naturally pure abita springs aquifer

o Malted barley- provides a source of food (sugar) for the yeast

o Yeast- digest sugar to form alcohol and CO2 (different types of yeast used for ales vs. lagers)

o Hops- add bitter flavor and aroma to the beer

Brewing Process Flow Chart

Carbonation in the Brewing Process

• CO2 is formed through the fermentation process (along with alcohol)

• CO2 dissolved in water is referred to as carbonation

• Excess CO2 is generally produced, and is allowed to escape

• Vented CO2 may contain H2S and DMS (Dimethyl sulfide)

Outlets for CO2 Reinjection

• Bottle-purging: Removes air to prevent oxidation, which affects flavor

• Carbonation of root beer: Most non-alcoholic root beer (like Abita’s) is entirely carbonated via forced carbonation

• Carbonation of beer: Many beers do not contain the desired level of carbonation after fermentation (equilibrium controlled)

Constraints

• Low sulfide content - no regulations by FDA other than labeling for sulfites ( > 10 ppm)o < 0.3 ppm for release into atmosphere (waste)o Ask Jamie Jurado for specifications

• May be different for reinjection/bottle-purging• High pressure required for forced

carbonation and low temperature required to purify CO2

• Sulfides present safety hazard (both in the plant as a breathing hazard, and sulfites in the beer ruin flavor)

Objectives

• Capture gas released during fermentation process

• Scrub CO2 stream to maintain unwanted sulfides below required limits

• Reinject purified CO2 into root beer, or into bottle-purging process

Required Unit Ops

• Abita has recently acquired used equipment from a nearby planto We don’t know exactly what yeto Closed plant operated on larger scale than Abitao May or may not be applicable

• Our preliminary design (all batch operated)o Carbon Capture Hoodo Flame? (Perhaps)o Packed-Bed Absorber (Potassium Permanganate)o Condenserso Compressors

Rough Process Flow Diagram

Potential Market

• Abita is the 14th largest craft brewery in America as of 2012o One spot behind local

brewery Dogfish head

• Craft brewing is a growing sectoro Currently 14.2% by

dollarso 20% growth last year

Market Competition

• Some beers are carbonated naturallyo Yeast is re-fed and some

CO2 is released

• Large plants usually collect fermented CO2 and reinject it

• Small plants generally purchase liquefied CO2 and inject it towards the end of the brewing process

• Hand pumped CO2 filters are sometimes used to inject CO2 into kegs

Market Competition

• Companies like GEA Brewery Systems offer turn-key installations for all parts of the brewing process, including CO2 capture

• These systems are typically not used for batch breweries

• The market is pretty wide open, but the path has yet to be blazed

• Excited to work with Jamie Jurado on a solution to Abita’s carbonation needs

Questions?

We would like to answer any questions that you may have at this time

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Apr. 2014. <http://www.automationworld.com/beer-brewing-and-carbon-dioxide-recycling>.

"Malting and Brewing." » The Best Beer Process Flow Chart. Malting and Brewing,

2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. <http://maltingandbrewing.com/the-best-beer-process-flow-chart.html>.

"Natural Carbonation vs. Forced Carbonation." »Thank Heaven for Beer

2013. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. <http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2010/03/22/natural-carbonation-vs-forced-carbonation/>.

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<http://www.purafil.com/products/media/sp_media.aspx>.

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