The following is a summation of a more in-depth article recently published by Craft Brewing Business. It explores the revolutionary innovations of BrewOps, one of Agility Tech’s strategic high-tech partnerships, which is producing game-changing advancements in the brewing industry. Specifically, this article explores the BrewOps Purge, one of the many products that Agility Tech manufactures for BrewOps, and its transformative operational efficacy.
In the brewing industry, traditional tank purging methods often rely on estimation and guesswork, which can lead to inconsistent results and unnecessary waste of carbon dioxide (CO2). More critically, these outdated practices may result in the irreversible oxygenation of beer batches, ultimately diminishing product quality and reducing shelf life. The introduction of intelligent sensors, data analytics, and automated valves allows breweries to receive real-time insights into their tank purging processes and automatically halt purging once the operation is complete. This technological advancement fosters a more consistent, traceable method for purging, significantly reducing CO2 waste and promoting a safer and more sustainable brewing environment.
A significant CO2 shortage in recent years magnified inefficiencies in purging practices, creating additional challenges for brewers relying on food-grade CO2. Variability in cleaning and sanitization methods further complicated the situation, resulting in varying purge times and difficulty in maintaining consistency in standard operating procedures (SOPs). In response to concerns from prominent craft brewers, BrewOps initiated beta tests of cost-effective technologies to enhance transparency in manual purging processes. The objective was to leverage sensors mounted on brew tank exhaust ports to help brewers optimize purge times. As mentioned above, the sensor discussed in this article published by Craft Brewing Business is the BrewOps Purge.
The beta tests focused on integrating low-power industrial sensing technologies into the brewing environment to enhance efficiency. The goal was to create a resilient, user-friendly device equipped with intelligent software for quantifying and minimizing purge durations, which in turn saves brewers time and CO2. Early adopters, such as Lord Hobo Brewing Co. and Trace Brewing Co., reported significant improvements in purge processes, with brewers gaining actionable data that allows them to replace all oxygen in their tanks with CO2 more effectively, thus saving both time and resources.
Brewers who participated in the automation initiative noted how technology allows for a more scientific approach to tank purging. For example, Trace Brewing CEO Dave Kushner pointed out that rather than relying on instinct, brewers can now use real-time data to ensure that tanks have been properly purged. This shift eliminates the need for educated guesses, enhancing quality control and consistency within the brewing process. Additionally, the ease of using such technologies aids in the training of less-experienced staff, as they can be taught straightforwardly to rely on system indicators rather than intuition.
MacLeod Ale Brewing Co. was among the breweries that adopted sensor automation, successfully cutting purge times in half while also reducing CO2 consumption. Brewmaster Stephen Reeves highlighted that the use of sensors allows for measurable assessments of purge efficiency, overcoming the challenges posed by subjective interpretations of traditional SOPs. In traditional practices, variances in tank geometry and purge gas quality often led to over-purging, which is wasteful and inconsistent. This innovative technology helps ensure the tanks are adequately purged with reliable data, minimizing human error.
The future of brewery automation looks promising, as sensor technology can provide solutions that are affordable and easy to integrate into existing operations. By automating processes like purging and incorporating features such as automatic shutoff valves accessible through wireless connectivity, breweries can increase efficiency and sustainability. The growing focus on reducing CO2 consumption not only conserves this vital resource but also lessens the environmental impact. As evidenced by industry leaders like Trace Brewing, affordable investment in sensor technology that is simple to onboard and train staff to incorporate and easy to use improves the brewing quality and consistency, creating a platform for continued innovation in the brewing sector.
Agility Tech is exceedingly proud of its DFM, DFx, global manufacturing, and fulfillment partnership with BrewOps, helping to make these advancements in the brewing industry—effective for high-volume and low-volume brewing operations. Aaron Ganick, Co-Founder and CEO of Preddio Technologies, the parent company of BrewOps, says of his partnership with us: “By partnering with Agility Tech, we are able to prototype, design for manufacturing, and scale products rapidly—achieving in weeks what our competitors struggle with for years. Agility Tech’s advanced manufacturing, global sourcing, and industrial product design capabilities allow us to focus on what we do best: tackling tough problems with elegant mobile and embedded software solutions. They are a key ingredient to our success and rapid growth.”
To read the article in full, see it on Craft Brewing Business’ website.
By embracing automation and advanced process control, breweries can ensure consistent product quality, streamline operations, and optimize energy usage. Ultimately, investing in the proper care and management of steam boilers not only protects breweries from costly downtime, it also supports your long-term success in the competitive brewing landscape.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you achieve the full potential of your production capabilities, assets, and facilities management—we’ll introduce you to a BrewOps by Preddio expert who will fast-track your project.
From left to right, above: Before the tank purge process has started, oxygen sensing technology is attached to a tank that is full of oxygen. Once the tank purge process has started, CO2 (orange) is being forced into the tank from the bottom, pushing out oxygen (blue). The sensing technology blinks red to notify the operator that the purge process is not yet complete. When the tank purge process has finished, the CO2 has displaced all of the oxygen, and the sensing technology blinks green to visually notify operators that the purge process is complete and that the CO2 gas can now be turned off.
Preddio Technologies is a leader in remote monitoring solutions. These highly effective and easy-to-install systems automate operations for the industrial, food and beverage, and farming markets. Based in the greater Boston area, Preddio Technologies combines decades of experience in industrial and commercial software and hardware design. Additional information about Preddio Technologies is available at www.preddio.com.
BrewOps helps brewers automate their brewing processes to save money and ensure quality products. This automation platform is a comprehensive brewing operations management software solution that provides real-time monitoring, easy-to-read dashboards and alerts, historical data analysis, remote monitoring, data integrations and analytics, and reporting and documentation. The product line includes: BrewOps Purge, BrewOps Level, BrewOps Gauge, BrewOps Chill, BrewOps Rinse, BrewOps DO. Mobile-centric, it offers portable, battery-powered devices that provide wireless monitoring of every critical brew process, allowing for instant oversight and reliable real-time data. For more information, visit www.brewops.com.
Our team at Agility Tech would love to hear from you regarding any electronic manufacturing services (EMS) or IoT technology needs you have. Our capabilities are vast, the industries we serve are many, and our industry know-how spans many decades in the respective sectors. We are intently focused on your visions, challenges, and goals, optimizing and fast-tracking product introductions and time-to-market, and providing fully scalable, competitive, reliable, and highly capable domestic, Mexico, and off-shore manufacturing models. Contact us today to discuss your next design or manufacturing project.