Risk Assessment of Brewery Plant

1. BREWERY PLANT RISK ASSESSMENT
This lecture shall be short, essentially, because the aim is give a platform to inspire change,
generate discussion and share limited experience/expertise in brewery plant risk assessment,
time constraint aside.
Beer – How Big
Quoting the Vanguard Newspaper publication of Jun 7, 2017, Nigeria's beer
market is estimated to be worth about N837 billion or USD2.7 billion as at the end of last year.
This is shared between Nigeria Breweries, Guinness Nigeria PLC, AB InBev subsidiaries
Pabod Breweries, International Breweries and other small players with their
respective brands. Nigerian Breweries (NB) Plc seems to dominate, accounting for
over half of the market share.
What Brewery
A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer
is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing
equipment are called plant.[1]
The commercial brewing of beer has taken place since at least 2500
BC;[2]
in ancient Mesopotamia, brewers derived social sanction and divine protection from the
goddess Ninkasi.[3][4]
Brewing was initially a cottage industry, with production taking place at home;
by the ninth century monasteries and farms would produce beer on a larger scale, selling the
excess; and by the eleventh and twelfth centuries larger, dedicated breweries with eight to ten
workers were being built.
Beer may have been known in Neolithic Europe [6]
and was mainly brewed on a domestic scale. In
some form, it can be traced back almost 5000 years to Mesopotamian writings describing daily
rations of beer and bread to workers. Before the rise of production breweries, the production of be er
took place at home and was the domain of women, as baking and brewing were seen as "women's
work".

2. Industrialization[edit]
19th century brewery installations
The machine room of the former brewery Wielemans-Ceuppens in Brussels
Breweries, as production facilities reserved for making beer, did not emerge until monasteries and
other Christian institutions started producing beer not only for their own consumption but also to use
as payment. This industrialization of brewing shifted the responsibility of making beer to men.
The oldest, still functional, brewery in the world is believed to be the German state-
owned Weihenstephan brewery in the city of Freising, Bavaria. It can trace its history back to 1040
AD.[8]
The nearby Weltenburg Abbey brewery, can trace back its beer-brewing tradition to at least
1050 AD
Typical Features of Modern Brewery:
Early breweries were almost always built on multiple stories, with equipment on higher floors used
earlier in the production process, so that gravity could assist with the transfer of product from one
stage to the next. This layout often is preserved in breweries today, but mechanical pumps allow
more flexibility in brewery design. Today, almost all brewery equipment is made of stainless steel.
Breweries today are made predominantly of stainless steel, although vessels often have a
decorative copper cladding for a nostalgic look. Stainless steel has many favourable characteristics
that make it a well-suited material for brewing equipment. It imparts no flavour in beer, it reacts with
very few chemicals, which means almost any cleaning solution can be used on it (concentrated
chlorine [bleach] being a notable exception) and it is very sturdy. Sturdiness is important, as most
tanks in the brewery have positive pressure applied to them as a matter of course, and it is not
unusual that a vacuum will be formed incidentally during cleaning.
Heating in the brewhouse usually is achieved through pressurized steam, although direct-fire
systems are not unusual in small breweries. Likewise, cooling in other areas of the brewery is

3. typically done by cooling jackets on tanks, which allow the brewer to control precisely the
temperature on each tank individually, although whole-room cooling is also common.
Today, modern brewing plants perform myriad analyses on their beers for quality control purposes.
Shipments of ingredients are analyzed to correct for variations. Samples are pulled at almost every
step and tested for [oxygen] content, unwanted microbial infections, and other beer-aging
compounds. A representative sample of the finished product often is stored for months for
comparison, when complaints are received.
Brewing is typically divided into 9 steps: milling, malting, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting,
conditioning, filtering, and filling.
Mashing is the process of mixing milled, usually malted, grain with water, and heating it with rests at
certain temperatures to allow enzymes in the malt to break down the starches in the grain
into sugars, especially maltose. Lautering is the separation of the extracts won during mashing from
the spent grain to create wort. It is achieved in either a lauter tun, a wide vessel with a false bottom,
or a mash filter, a plate-and-frame filter designed for this kind of separation. Lautering has two
stages: first wort run-off, during which the extract is separated in an undiluted state from the spent
grains, and sparging, in which extract that remains with the grains is rinsed off with hot water.
Boiling the wort ensures its sterility, helping to prevent contamination with undesirable microbes.
During the boil, hops are added, which contribute aroma and flavour compounds to the beer,
especially their characteristic bitterness. Along with the heat of the boil, they cause proteins in the
wort to coagulate and the pH of the wort to fall, and they inhibit the later growth of certain bacteria.
Finally, the vapours produced during the boil volatilize off-flavours, including dimethyl
sulfide precursors. The boil must be conducted so that it is even and intense. The boil lasts between
60 and 120 minutes, depending on its intensity, the hop addition schedule, and volume of wort
the brewer expects to evaporate.
Fermenting
Royal Brewery in Manchester, UK, with steel fermentation vessels
Fermentation begins as soon as yeast is added to the cooled wort. This is also the point at which the
product is first called beer. It is during this stage that fermentable sugars won from the malt (maltose,
maltotriose, glucose, fructose and sucrose) are metabolized into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Fermentation tanks come in many shapes and sizes, from enormous cylindroconical vessels that
can look like storage silos, to five-gallon glass carboys used by homebrewers. Most breweries today
use cylindroconical vessels (CCVs), which have a conical bottom and a cylindrical top. The
cone's aperture is typically around 70°, an angle that will allow the yeast to flow smoothly out through

4. the cone's apex at the end of fermentation, but is not so steep as to take up too much vertical space.
CCVs can handle both fermenting and conditioning in the same tank. At the end of fermentation, the
yeast and other solids have fallen to the cone's apex can be simply flushed out through a port at the
apex. Open fermentation vessels are also used, often for show in brewpubs, and in Europe in wheat
beer fermentation. These vessels have no tops, making it easy to harvest top-fermenting yeasts.
The open tops of the vessels increase the risk of contamination, but proper cleaning procedures help
to control the risk.
Fermentation tanks are typically made of stainless steel. Simple cylindrical tanks with beveled ends
are arranged vertically, and conditioning tanks are usually laid out horizontally. A very few breweries
still use wooden vats for fermentation but wood is difficult to keep clean and infection-free and must
be repitched often, perhaps yearly. After high kräusen, the point at which fermentation is most active
and copious foam is produced, a valve known in German as the spundapparat may be put on the
tanks to allow the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast to naturally carbonate the beer. This bung
device can regulate the pressure to produce different types of beer; greater pressure produces a
more carbonated beer.
Conditioning
When the sugars in the fermenting beer have been almost completely digested, the fermentation
process slows and the yeast cells begin to die and settle at the bottom of the tank. At this stage,
especially if the beer is cooled to around freezing, most of the remaining live yeast cells will quickly
become dormant and settle, along with the heavier protein chains, due simply to gravity and
molecular dehydration. Conditioning can occur in fermentation tanks with cooling jackets. If the
whole fermentation cellar is cooled, conditioning must be done in separate tanks in a separate cellar.
Some beers are conditioned only lightly, or not at all. An active yeast culture from an ongoing batch
may be added to the next boil after a slight chilling in order to produce fresh and highly palatable
beer in mass quantity.
Filling line, Radegast Brewery in Nošovice, Czech Republic
Filtering
Filtering the beer stabilizes flavour and gives it a polished, shiny look. It is an optional process. Many
craft brewers simply remove the coagulated and settled solids and forgo active filtration. In localities
where a tax assessment is collected by government pursuant to local laws, any additional filtration
may be done using an active filtering system, the filtered product finally passing into a calibrated
vessel for measurement just after any cold conditioning and prior to final packaging where the beer
is put into the containers for shipment or sale. The container may be a bottle, can, of keg, cask or
bulk tank.
Filters come in many types. Many use pre-made filtration media such as sheets or candles.
Kieselguhr, a fine powder of diatomaceous earth, can be introduced into the beer and circulated
through screens to form a filtration bed. Filtration ratings are divided into rough, fine, and sterile.
Rough filters remove yeasts and other solids, leaving some cloudiness, while finer filters can remove
body and color. Sterile filters remove almost all microorganisms.

5. Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most
popular of which is barley)[1]
in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be
done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, at home by a homebrewer, or by a variety of traditional
methods such as communally by the indigenous peoples in Brazil when making cauim.[2]
Brewing
has taken place since around the 6th millennium BC, and archaeological evidence suggests that
emerging civilizations including ancient Egypt[3]
and Mesopotamiabrewed beer.[4]
Since the
nineteenth century the brewing industry has been part of most western economies.
The basic ingredients of beer are water and a fermentable starch source such as malted barley.
Most beer is fermented with a brewer's yeastand flavoured with hops.[5]
Less widely used starch
sources include millet, sorghum and cassava.[6]
Secondary sources (adjuncts), such as maize (corn),
rice, or sugar, may also be used, sometimes to reduce cost, or to add a feature, such as adding
wheat to aid in retaining the foamy head of the beer.[7]
The proportion of each starch source in a beer
recipe is collectively called the grain bill.
Steps in the brewing process
include malting, milling, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtering, and packaging.
There are three main fermentation methods, warm, cool and spontaneous. Fermentation may take
place in an open or closed fermenting vessel; a secondary fermentation may also occur in
the cask or bottle. There are several additional brewing methods, such as barrel aging, double
dropping, and Yorkshire Square.
The diversity of size in breweries is matched by the diversity of processes, degrees of automation,
and kinds of beer produced in breweries. A brewery is typically divided into distinct sections, with
each section reserved for one part of the brewing process.
Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BC, and archaeological evidence suggests
emerging civilizations including ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia brewed beer. Descriptions of
various beer recipes can be found in cuneiform (the oldest known writing) from
ancient Mesopotamia.[3][8][9]
In Mesopotamia the brewer's craft was the only profession which derived
social sanction and divine protection from female deities/goddesses, specifically: Ninkasi, who
covered the production of beer, Siris, who was used in a metonymic way to refer to beer, and Siduri,
who covered the enjoyment of beer.[4]
In pre-industrial times, and in developing countries, women are
frequently the main brewers.[10][11]
As almost any cereal containing certain sugars can undergo spontaneous fermentation due to wild
yeasts in the air, it is possible that beer-like beverages were independently developed throughout
the world soon after a tribe or culture had domesticated cereal. Chemical tests of ancient pottery jars
reveal that beer was produced as far back as about 7,000 years ago in what is today Iran. This
discovery reveals one of the earliest known uses of fermentation and is the earliest evidence of
brewing to date. In Mesopotamia, the oldest evidence of beer is believed to be a 6,000-year-old
Sumerian tablet depicting people drinking a beverage through reed straws from a communal bowl. A
3900-year-old Sumerian poem honouring Ninkasi, the patron goddess of brewing, contains the
oldest surviving beer recipe, describing the production of beer from barley via bread. The invention
of bread and beer has been argued to be responsible for humanity's ability to develop technolo gy
and build civilization.[12][13][14]
The earliest chemically confirmed barley beer to date was discovered
at Godin Tepe in the central Zagros Mountains of Iran, where fragments of a jug, at least 5,000
years old was found to be coated with beerstone, a by-product of the brewing process.[15]
Beer may
have been known in Neolithic Europe as far back as 5,000 years ago,[16]
and was mainly brewed on a
domestic scale.[17]

6. Ale produced before the Industrial Revolution continued to be made and sold on a domestic scale,
although by the 7th century AD beer was also being produced and sold by European monasteries.
During the Industrial Revolution, the production of beer moved from artisanal manufacture
to industrial manufacture, and domestic manufacture ceased to be significant by the end of the 19th
century.[18][page needed]
The development of hydrometers and thermometers changed brewing by allowing
the brewer more control of the process, and greater knowledge of the results. Today, the brewing
industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many
thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries.[19]
More than
133 billion litres (35 billion gallons) are sold per year—producing total global revenues of
$294.5 billion (£147.7 billion) in 2006.[20]
Ingredients
Malted barley before kilning or roasting
The basic ingredients of beer are water; a starch source, such as malted barley, able to be
fermented (converted into alcohol); a brewer's yeast to produce the fermentation; and a flavouring,
such as hops,[5]
to offset the sweetness of the malt.[21]
A mixture of starch sources may be used, with
a secondary saccharide, such as maize (corn), rice, or sugar, often being termed an adjunct,
especially when used as a lower-cost substitute for malted barley.[7]
Less widely used starch sources
include millet, sorghum, and cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil, and agave in Mexico, among
others.[6]
The amount of each starch source in a beer recipe is collectively called the grain bill.
Water
Beer is composed mostly of water. Regions have water with different mineral components; as a
result, different regions were originally better suited to making certain types of beer, thus giving them
a regional character.[22][23]
For example, Dublin has hard water well suited to making stout, such
as Guinness; while Pilsen has soft water well suited to making pale lager, such as Pilsner
Urquell.[22]
The waters of Burton in England contain gypsum, which benefits making pale ale to such
a degree that brewers of pale ales will add gypsum to the local water in a process known
as Burtonisation.[24]
Starch source
Main articles: Malt and Mash ingredients
The starch source in a beer provides the fermentable material and is a key determinant of the
strength and flavour of the beer. The most common starch source used in beer is malted grain.
Grain is malted by soaking it in water, allowing it to begin germination, and then drying the partially
germinated grain in a kiln. Malting grain produces enzymes that will allow conversion from starches
in the grain into fermentable sugars during the mash process.[25]
Different roasting times and
temperatures are used to produce different colours of malt from the same grain. Darker malts will
produce darker beers.[26]

7. Nearly all beer includes barley malt as the majority of the starch. This is because of its fibrous husk,
which is important not only in the sparging stage of brewing (in which water is washed over
the mashed barley grains to form the wort) but also as a rich source of amylase,
a digestive enzyme that facilitates conversion of starch into sugars. Other malted and unmalted
grains (including wheat, rice, oats, and rye, and, less frequently, maize (corn) and sorghum) may be
used. In recent years, a few brewers have produced gluten-free beermade with sorghum with no
barley malt for people who cannot digest gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye.[27]
Hops
Main article: Hops
Hop cone in a Hallertau, Germany, hop yard
Hops are the female flower clusters or seed cones of the hop vine Humulus lupulus,[28]
which are
used as a flavouring and preservative agent in nearly all beer made today.[29]
Hops had been used
for medicinal and food flavouring purposes since Roman times; by the 7th century
in Carolingian monasteries in what is now Germany, beer was being made with hops,[30]
though it
isn't until the thirteenth century that widespread cultivation of hops for use in beer is
recorded.[31]
Before the thirteenth century, beer was flavoured with plants such as yarrow, wild
rosemary, and bog myrtle, and other ingredients such as juniper berries, aniseed and ginger, which
would be combined into a mixture known as gruit and used as hops are now used; between the
thirteenth and the sixteenth century, during which hops took over as the dominant flavouring, beer
flavoured with gruit was known as ale, while beer flavoured with hops was known as beer.[32][33]
Some
beers today, such as Fraoch by the Scottish Heather Ales company and Cervoise Lancelot by the
French Brasserie-Lancelot company, use plants other than hops for flavouring.[34][35]
Hops contain several characteristics that brewers desire in beer: they contribute a bitterness that
balances the sweetness of the malt; they provide floral, citrus, and herbal aromas and flavours; they
have an antibiotic effect that favours the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable
microorganisms; and they aid in "head retention", the length of time that a foamy head will
last.[36]
The preservative in hops comes from the lupulin glands which contain soft resins with alpha
and beta acids.[37][38]
Though much studied, the preservative nature of the soft resins is not yet fully
understood, though it has been observed that unless stored at a cool temperature, the preservative
nature will decrease.[39][40]
Brewing is the sole major commercial use of hops.[41]
Yeast
Main articles: Brewer's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Saccharomyces pastorianus
Yeast is the microorganism that is responsible for fermentation in beer. Yeast metabolises the
sugars extracted from grains, which produces alcohol and carbon dioxide, and thereby
turns wort into beer. In addition to fermenting the beer, yeast influences the character and
flavour.[42]
The dominant types of yeast used to make beer are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known as
ale yeast, and Saccharomyces pastorianus, known as lager
yeast; Brettanomyces ferments lambics,[43]
and Torulaspora delbrueckii ferments

8. Bavarian weissbier.[44]
Before the role of yeast in fermentation was understood, fermentation involved
wild or airborne yeasts, and a few styles such as lambics still use this method today. Emil Christian
Hansen, a Danish biochemist employed by the Carlsberg Laboratory, developed pure
yeast cultures which were introduced into the Carlsberg brewery in 1883,[45]
and pure yeast strains
are now the main fermenting source used worldwide.[46]
Clarifying agent
Main article: Finings
Some brewers add one or more clarifying agents to beer, which typically precipitate (collect as a
solid) out of the beer along with protein solids and are found only in trace amounts in the finished
product. This process makes the beer appear bright and clean, rather than the cloudy appearance of
ethnic and older styles of beer such as wheat beers.[47]
Examples of clarifying agents include isinglass, obtained from swimbladders of fish; Irish moss, a
seaweed; kappa carrageenan, from the seaweed Kappaphycus cottonii; Polyclar(artificial);
and gelatin.[48]
If a beer is marked "suitable for Vegans", it was generally clarified either with seaweed
or with artificial agents,[49]
although the "Fast Cask" method invented by Marston's in 2009 may
provide another method.[50]

9. Brewing process
The process of brewing beer
Hot water tank
Mash tun
Malt
Hops
Copper
Hopback

10. Add yeast to
fermenter
Heat
exchanger
Bottling
Cask or keg
There are several steps in the brewing process, which may include malting, mashing,
lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtering, and packaging.[51]
Malting is the process where barley grain is made ready for brewing.[52]
Malting is broken down into
three steps in order to help to release the starches in the barley.[53]
First, during steeping, the grain is
added to a vat with water and allowed to soak for approximately 40 hours.[54]
During germination, the
grain is spread out on the floor of the germination room for around 5 days.[54]
The final part of malting
is kilning when the malt goes through a very high temperature drying in a kiln; with gradual
temperature increase over several hours.[55]
When kilning is complete, the grains are now termed malt, and they will be milled or crushed to
break apart the kernels and expose the cotyledon, which contains the majority of the carbohydrates
and sugars; this makes it easier to extract the sugars during mashing.[56]
Milling also separates the
seed from the husk. Care must be taken when milling to ensure that the starch reserves are
sufficiently milled without damaging the husk and providing coarse enough grits that a good filter bed
can be formed during lautering. Grains are typically dry-milled with roller mills or hammer mills.
Hammer mills, which produce a very fine mash, are often used when mash filters are going to be
employed in the lautering process because the grain does not have to form its own filter bed. In
modern plants, the grain is often conditioned with water before it is milled to make the husk more
pliable, thus reducing breakage and improving lauter speed.
Mashing converts the starches released during the malting stage into sugars that can be fermented.
The milled grain is mixed with hot water in a large vessel known as a mash tun. In this vessel, the
grain and water are mixed together to create a cereal mash. During the mash, naturally occurring
enzymes present in the malt convert the starches (long chain carbohydrates) in the grain into smaller
molecules or simple sugars (mono-, di-, and tri-saccharides). This "conversion" is
called saccharification which occurs between the temperatures 140 - 158 degrees F.[57]
The result of
the mashing process is a sugar-rich liquid or "wort", which is then strained through the bottom of the
mash tun in a process known as lautering. Prior to lautering, the mash temperature may be raised to
about 75–78 °C (167–172 °F) (known as a mashout) to free up more starch and reduce mash
viscosity. Additional water may be sprinkled on the grains to extract additional sugars (a process
known as sparging).[58]
The wort is moved into a large tank known as a "copper" or kettle where it is boiled with hops and
sometimes other ingredients such as herbs or sugars. This stage is where many chemical reactions
take place, and where important decisions about the flavour, colour, and aroma of the beer are
made.[59]
The boiling process serves to terminate enzymatic
processes, precipitate proteins, isomerize hop resins, and concentrate and sterilize the wort. Hops
add flavour, aroma and bitterness to the beer. At the end of the boil, the hopped wort settles to
clarify in a vessel called a "whirlpool", where the more solid particles in the wort are separated out.[60]
After the whirlpool, the wort is drawn away from the compacted hop trub, and rapidly cooled via
a heat exchanger to a temperature where yeast can be added. A variety of heat exchanger designs
are used in breweries, with the most common a plate-style. Water or glycol run in channels in the
opposite direction of the wort, causing a rapid drop in temperature. It is very important to quickly cool

11. the wort to a level where yeast can be added safely as yeast is unable to grow in very high
temperatures, and will start to die in temperatures above 60 °C (140 °F).[56][61]
After the wort goes
through the heat exchanger, the cooled wort goes into a fermentation tank. A type of yeast is
selected and added, or "pitched", to the fermentation tank.[59]
When the yeast is added to the wort,
the fermenting process begins, where the sugars turn into alcohol, carbon dioxide and other
components. When the fermentation is complete the brewer may rack the beer into a new tank,
called a conditioning tank.[58]
Conditioning of the beer is the process in which the beer ages, the
flavour becomes smoother, and flavours that are unwanted dissipate.[60]
After conditioning for a week
to several months, the beer may be filtered and force carbonated for bottling,[62]
or fined in the cask.[63]
Mashing
Main article: Mashing
A mash tun at the Bass Museum in Burton-upon-Trent
Mashing is the process of combining a mix of milled grain
(typically malted barley with supplementary grains such as corn, sorghum, rye or wheat), known as
the "grain bill", and water, known as "liquor", and heating this mixture in a vessel called a "mash tun".
Mashing is a form of steeping,[64]
and defines the act of brewing, such as with making tea, sake,
and soy sauce.[65]
Technically, wine, cider and mead are not brewed but rather vinified, as there is no
steeping process involving solids.[66]
Mashing allows the enzymes in the malt to break down
the starch in the grain into sugars, typically maltose to create a malty liquid called wort.[67]
There are
two main methods – infusion mashing, in which the grains are heated in one vessel;
and decoction mashing, in which a proportion of the grains are boiled and then returned to the mash,
raising the temperature.[68]
Mashing involves pauses at certain temperatures (notably 45–62–73 °C
or 113–144–163 °F), and takes place in a "mash tun" – an insulated brewing vessel with a false
bottom.[69][70][71]
The end product of mashing is called a "mash".
Mashing usually takes 1 to 2 hours, and during this time the various temperature rests activate
different enzymes depending upon the type of malt being used, its modification level, and the
intention of the brewer. The activity of these enzymes convert the starches of the grains
to dextrins and then to fermentable sugars such as maltose. A mash rest from 49–55 °C (120–
131 °F) activates various proteases, which break down proteins that might otherwise cause the beer
to be hazy. This rest is generally used only with undermodified (i.e. undermalted) malts which are
decreasingly popular in Germany and the Czech Republic, or non-malted grains such as corn and
rice, which are widely used in North American beers. A mash rest at 60 °C (140 °F) activates β-
glucanase, which breaks down gummy β-glucans in the mash, making the sugars flow out more
freely later in the process. In the modern mashing process, commercial fungal based β-glucanase
may be added as a supplement. Finally, a mash rest temperature of 65–71 °C (149–160 °F) is used
to convert the starches in the malt to sugar, which is then usable by the yeast later in the brewing
process. Doing the latter rest at the lower end of the range favours β-amylase enzymes, producing

12. more low-order sugars like maltotriose, maltose, and glucose which are more fermentable by
the yeast. This in turn creates a beer lower in body and higher in alcohol. A rest closer to the higher
end of the range favours α-amylase enzymes, creating more higher-order sugars and dextrins which
are less fermentable by the yeast, so a fuller-bodied beer with less alcohol is the result. Duration
and pH variances also affect the sugar composition of the resulting wort.[72]
Lautering
Main article: Lautering
Lautering is the separation of the wort (the liquid containing the sugar extracted during mashing)
from the grains.[73]
This is done either in a mash tun outfitted with a false bottom, in a lauter tun, or in
a mash filter. Most separation processes have two stages: first wort run-off, during which the extract
is separated in an undiluted state from the spent grains, and sparging, in which extract which
remains with the grains is rinsed off with hot water. The lauter tun is a tank with holes in the bottom
small enough to hold back the large bits of grist and hulls.[74]
The bed of grist that settles on it is the
actual filter. Some lauter tuns have provision for rotating rakes or knives to cut into the bed of grist to
maintain good flow. The knives can be turned so they push the grain, a feature used to drive the
spent grain out of the vessel.[75]
The mash filter is a plate-and-frame filter. The empty frames contain
the mash, including the spent grains, and have a capacity of around one hectoliter. The plates
contain a support structure for the filter cloth. The plates, frames, and filter cloths are arranged in a
carrier frame like so: frame, cloth, plate, cloth, with plates at each end of the structure. Newer mash
filters have bladders that can press the liquid out of the grains between spargings. The grain does
not act like a filtration medium in a mash filter.[76]
Boiling
After mashing, the beer wort is boiled with hops (and other flavourings if used) in a large tank known
as a "copper" or brew kettle – though historically the mash vessel was used and is still in some small
breweries.[77]
The boiling process is where chemical reactions take place,[59]
including sterilization of
the wort to remove unwanted bacteria, releasing of hop flavours, bitterness and aroma compounds
through isomerization, stopping of enzymatic processes, precipitation of proteins, and concentration
of the wort.[78][79]
Finally, the vapours produced during the boil volatilise off-flavours, including dimethyl
sulfide precursors.[79]
The boil is conducted so that it is even and intense – a continuous "rolling
boil".[79]
The boil on average lasts between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on its intensity, the hop
addition schedule, and volume of water the brewer expects to evaporate.[80]
At the end of the boil,
solid particles in the hopped wort are separated out, usually in a vessel called a "whirlpool".[60]
Brew kettle or copper

13. Brew kettles at Brasserie La Choulette in France
Copper is the traditional material for the boiling vessel, because copper transfers heat quickly and
evenly, and because the bubbles produced during boiling, and which would act as an insulator
against the heat, do not cling to the surface of copper, so the wort is heated in a consistent
manner.[81]
The simplest boil kettles are direct-fired, with a burner underneath. These can produce a
vigorous and favourable boil, but are also apt to scorch the wort where the flame touches the kettle,
causing caramelisation and making cleanup difficult. Most breweries use a steam-fired kettle, which
uses steam jackets in the kettle to boil the wort.[79]
Breweries usually have a boiling unit either inside
or outside of the kettle, usually a tall, thin cylinder with vertical tubes, called a calandria, through
which wort is pumped.[82]
Whirlpool
At the end of the boil, solid particles in the hopped wort are separated out, usually in a vessel called
a "whirlpool" or "settling tank".[60][83]
The whirlpool was devised by Henry Ranulph Hudston while
working for the Molson Brewery in 1960 to utilise the so-called tea leaf paradox to force the denser
solids known as "trub" (coagulated proteins, vegetable matter from hops) into a cone in the centre of
the whirlpool tank.[84][85][86]
Whirlpool systems vary: smaller breweries tend to use the brew kettle,
larger breweries use a separate tank,[83]
and design will differ, with tank floors either flat, sloped,
conical or with a cup in the centre.[87]
The principle in all is that by swirling the wort the centripetal
force will push the trub into a cone at the centre of the bottom of the tank, where it can be easily
removed.[83]
Hopback
A hopback is a traditional additional chamber that acts as a sieve or filter by using whole hops to
clear debris (or "trub") from the unfermented (or "green") wort,[88]
as the whirlpool does, and also to
increase hop aroma in the finished beer.[89][90]
It is a chamber between the brewing kettle and wort
chiller. Hops are added to the chamber, the hot wort from the kettle is run through it, and then
immediately cooled in the wort chiller before entering the fermentation chamber. Hopbacks utilizing a
sealed chamber facilitate maximum retention of volatile hop aroma compounds that would normally
be driven off when the hops contact the hot wort.[91]
While a hopback has a similar filtering effect as a
whirlpool, it operates differently: a whirlpool uses centrifugal forces, a hopback uses a layer of whole
hops to act as a filter bed. Furthermore, while a whirlpool is useful only for the removal of pelleted
hops (as flowers do not tend to separate as easily), in general hopbacks are used only for the
removal of whole flower hops (as the particles left by pellets tend to make it through the
hopback).[92]
The hopback has mainly been substituted in modern breweries by the whirlpool.[93]
Wort cooling
After the whirlpool, the wort must be brought down to fermentation temperatures 20–26 °C (68–
79 °F)[69]
before yeast is added. In modern breweries this is achieved through a plate heat
exchanger. A plate heat exchanger has many ridged plates, which form two separate paths. The
wort is pumped into the heat exchanger, and goes through every other gap between the plates. The
cooling medium, usually water, goes through the other gaps. The ridges in the plates ensure
turbulent flow. A good heat exchanger can drop 95 °C (203 °F) wort to 20 °C (68 °F) while warming
the cooling medium from about 10 °C (50 °F) to 80 °C (176 °F). The last few plates often use a
cooling medium which can be cooled to below the freezing point, which allows a finer control over
the wort-out temperature, and also enables cooling to around 10 °C (50 °F). After cooling, oxygen is
often dissolved into the wort to revitalize the yeast and aid its reproduction.
While boiling, it is useful to recover some of the energy used to boil the wort. On its way out of the
brewery, the steam created during the boil is passed over a coil through which unheated water flows.
By adjusting the rate of flow, the output temperature of the water can be controlled. This is also often

14. done using a plate heat exchanger. The water is then stored for later use in the next mash, in
equipment cleaning, or wherever necessary.[94]
Another common method of energy recovery takes
place during the wort cooling. When cold water is used to cool the wort in a heat exchanger, the
water is significantly warmed. In an efficient brewery, cold water is passed through the heat
exchanger at a rate set to maximize the water's temperature upon exiting. This now-hot water is then
stored in a hot water tank.[94]
Fermenting
Modern closed fermentation vessels
Fermentation takes place in fermentation vessels which come in various forms, from enormous
cylindroconical vessels, through open stone vessels, to wooden vats.[95][96][97]
After the wort is cooled
and aerated – usually with sterile air – yeast is added to it, and it begins to ferment. It is during this
stage that sugars won from the malt are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and the product
can be called beer for the first time.
Most breweries today use cylindroconical vessels, or CCVs, which have a conical bottom and a
cylindrical top. The cone's aperture is typically around 60°, an angle that will allow the yeast to flow
towards the cone's apex, but is not so steep as to take up too much vertical space. CCVs can handle
both fermenting and conditioning in the same tank. At the end of fermentation, the yeast and other
solids which have fallen to the cone's apex can be simply flushed out of a port at the apex. Open
fermentation vessels are also used, often for show in brewpubs, and in Europe in wheat beer
fermentation. These vessels have no tops, which makes harvesting top-fermenting yeasts very easy.
The open tops of the vessels make the risk of infection greater, but with proper cleaning procedures
and careful protocol about who enters fermentation chambers, the risk can be well controlled.
Fermentation tanks are typically made of stainless steel. If they are simple cylindrical tanks with
beveled ends, they are arranged vertically, as opposed to conditioning tanks which are usually laid
out horizontally. Only a very few breweries still use wooden vats for fermentation as wood is difficult
to keep clean and infection-free and must be repitched more or less yearly.[95][96][97]
Fermentation methods
See also: Beer style

15. Open vessel showing fermentation taking place
There are three main fermentation methods, warm, cool and wild or spontaneous. Fermentation may
take place in open or closed vessels. There may be a secondary fermentation which can take place
in the brewery, in the cask or in the bottle.
Brewing yeasts are traditionally classed as "top-cropping" (or "top-fermenting") and "bottom-
cropping" (or "bottom-fermenting").[98]
Yeast were termed top or bottom cropping, because in
traditional brewing yeast was collected from the top or bottom of the fermenting wort to be reused for
the next brew.[99]
This terminology is somewhat inappropriate in the modern era; after the widespread
application of brewing mycology it was discovered that the two separate collecting methods involved
two different yeast species that favoured different temperature regimes, namely Saccharomyces
cerevisiae in top-cropping at warmer temperatures and Saccharomyces pastorianus in bottom-
cropping at cooler temperatures.[100]
As brewing methods changed in the 20th century, cylindro-
conical fermenting vessels became the norm and the collection of yeast for
both Saccharomyces species is done from the bottom of the fermenter. Thus the method of
collection no longer implies a species association. There are a few remaining breweries who collect
yeast in the top-cropping method, such as Samuel Smiths brewery in Yorkshire, Marstons in
Staffordshire and several German hefeweizen producers.[99]
For both types, yeast is fully distributed through the beer while it is fermenting, and both
equally flocculate (clump together and precipitate to the bottom of the vessel) when fermentation is
finished. By no means do all top-cropping yeasts demonstrate this behaviour, but it features strongly
in many English yeasts that may also exhibit chain forming (the failure of budded cells to break from
the mother cell), which is in the technical sense different from true flocculation. The most common
top-cropping brewer's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is the same species as the common baking
yeast. However, baking and brewing yeasts typically belong to different strains, cultivated to favour
different characteristics: baking yeast strains are more aggressive, in order to carbonate dough in
the shortest amount of time; brewing yeast strains act slower, but tend to tolerate higher alcohol
concentrations (normally 12–15% abv is the maximum, though under special treatment some
ethanol-tolerant strains can be coaxed up to around 20%).[101]
Modern quantitative genomics has
revealed the complexity of Saccharomyces species to the extent that yeasts involved in beer and
wine production commonly involve hybrids of so-called pure species. As such, the yeasts involved in
what has been typically called top-cropping or top-fermenting ale may be both Saccharomyces
cerevisiae and complex hybrids of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces kudriavzevii.
Three notable ales, Chimay, Orval and Westmalle, are fermented with these hybrid strains, which
are identical to wine yeasts from Switzerland.[102]
Warm fermentation
In general, yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae are fermented at warm temperatures between
15 and 20 °C (59 and 68 °F), occasionally as high as 24 °C (75 °F),[103]
while the yeast used
by Brasserie Dupont for saison ferments even higher at 29 to 35 °C (84 to 95 °F).[104]
They generally
form a foam on the surface of the fermenting beer, which is called barm, as during the fermentation

16. process its hydrophobic surface causes the flocs to adhere to CO2 and rise; because of this, they are
often referred to as "top-cropping" or "top-fermenting"[105]
– though this distinction is less clear in
modern brewing with the use of cylindro-conical tanks.[106]
Generally, warm-fermented beers, which
are usually termed ale, are ready to drink within three weeks after the beginning of fermentation,
although some brewers will condition them for several months.[citation needed]
Cool fermentation
Main article: Lager
When a beer has been brewed using a cool fermentation of around 10 °C (50 °F), compared to
typical warm fermentation temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F),[107][108]
then stored (or lagered) for typically
several weeks (or months) at temperatures close to freezing point, it is termed a "lager".[109]
During
the lagering or storage phase several flavour components developed during fermentation dissipate,
resulting in a "cleaner" flavour.[110][111]
Though it is the slow, cool fermentation and cold conditioning
(or lagering) that defines the character of lager,[112]
the main technical difference is with the yeast
generally used, which is Saccharomyces pastorianus.[113]
Technical differences include the ability of
lager yeast to metabolize melibiose,[114]
and the tendency to settle at the bottom of the fermenter
(though ales yeasts can also become bottom settling by selection);[114]
though these technical
differences are not considered by scientists to be influential in the character or flavour of the finished
beer, brewers feel otherwise - sometimes cultivating their own yeast strains which may suit their
brewing equipment or for a particular purpose, such as brewing beers with a high abv.[115][116][117][118]
Brewers in Bavaria had for centuries been selecting cold-fermenting yeasts by storing ("lagern") their
beers in cold alpine caves. The process of natural selection meant that the wild yeasts that were
most cold tolerant would be the ones that would remain actively fermenting in the beer that was
stored in the caves. A sample of these Bavarian yeasts was sent from the Spaten brewery in Munich
to the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen in 1845 who began brewing with it. In 1883 Emile Hansen
completed a study on pure yeast culture isolation and the pure strain obtained from Spaten went into
industrial production in 1884 as Carlsberg yeast No 1. Another specialized pure yeast production
plant was installed at the Heineken Brewery in Rotterdam the following year and together they
began the supply of pure cultured yeast to brewers across Europe.[119][120]
This yeast strain was
originally classified as Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, a now defunct species name which has been
superseded by the currently accepted taxonomic classification Saccharomyces pastorianus.[121]
Spontaneous fermentation
"Wild yeast" redirects here. For the role of wild yeast in winemaking, see Yeast in winemaking.
Lambic beers are historically brewed in Brussels and the nearby Pajottenland region of Belgium
without any yeast inoculation.[122][123]
They are fermented in oak barrels with the resident microbiota
present in the wood and can take up to 2 years to come into condition for sale.[124]
However, with the
advent of yeast banks and England's National Collection of Yeast Cultures, brewing these beers –
albeit not through spontaneous fermentation – is possible anywhere. Specific bacteria cultures are
also available to reproduce certain styles.[citation needed]
Brettanomyces is a genus of yeast important in
brewing lambic, a beer produced not by the deliberate addition of brewer's yeasts, but by
spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts and bacteria.[125]

17. Conditioning
Conditioning tanks at Anchor Brewing Company
After an initial or primary fermentation, beer is conditioned, matured or aged,[126]
in one of several
ways,[127]
which can take from 2 to 4 weeks, several months, or several years, depending on the
brewer's intention for the beer. The beer is usually transferred into a second container, so that it is
no longer exposed to the dead yeast and other debris (also known as "trub") that have settled to the
bottom of the primary fermenter. This prevents the formation of unwanted flavours and harmful
compounds such as acetylaldehyde.[128]
Kräusening
Kräusening is a conditioning method in which fermenting wort is added to the finished beer.[129]
The
active yeast will restart fermentation in the finished beer, and so introduce fresh carbon dioxide; the
conditioning tank will be then sealed so that the carbon dioxide is dissolved into the beer producing a
lively "condition" or level of carbonation.[129]
The kräusening method may also be used to condition
bottled beer.[129]
Lagering
Lagers are stored at cellar temperature or below for 1–6 months while still on the yeast.[130]
The
process of storing, or conditioning, or maturing, or aging a beer at a low temperature for a long
period is called "lagering", and while it is associated with lagers, the process may also be done with
ales, with the same result – that of cleaning up various chemicals, acids and compounds.[131]
Secondary fermentation
During secondary fermentation, most of the remaining yeast will settle to the bottom of the second
fermenter, yielding a less hazy product.[132]
Bottle fermentation
Some beers undergo an additional fermentation in the bottle giving natural carbonation.[133]
This may
be a second or third fermentation. They are bottled with a viable yeast population in suspension. If
there is no residual fermentable sugar left, sugar or wort or both may be added in a process known
as priming. The resulting fermentation generates CO2that is trapped in the bottle, remaining in
solution and providing natural carbonation. Bottle-conditioned beers may be either filled unfiltered
direct from the fermentation or conditioning tank, or filtered and then reseeded with yeast.[134]
Cask conditioning
Main article: Cask ale
Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is unfiltered and unpasteurised beer that is conditioned (including
secondary fermentation) and served from a cask, either pumped up from a cellar via a beer
engine (hand pump), or from a tap by gravity.[135]
Sometimes a cask breather is used to keep the

18. beer fresh by allowing carbon dioxide to replace oxygen as the beer is drawn off the cask.[136]
The
term "real ale" as used by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) refers to beer "served without the
use of extraneous carbon dioxide", which would disallow the use of a cask breather.[137][138]
Filtering
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Main article: Filtered beer
A mixture of diatomaceous earthand yeast after filtering
Filtering the beer stabilizes the flavour, and gives beer its polished shine and brilliance. Not all beer
is filtered. When tax determination is required by local laws, it is typically done at this stage in a
calibrated tank. There are several forms of filters, they may be in the form of sheets or "candles", or
they may be a fine powder such as diatomaceous earth, also called kieselguhr. The powder is added
to the beer and recirculated past screens to form a filtration bed.
Filters range from rough filters that remove much of the yeast and any solids (e.g., hops, grain
particles) left in the beer, to filters tight enough to strain colour and body from the beer. Filtration
ratings are divided into rough, fine, and sterile. Rough filtration leaves some cloudiness in the beer,
but it is noticeably clearer than unfiltered beer. Fine filtration removes almost all cloudiness. Sterile
filtration removes almost all microorganisms.
Sheet (pad) filters
These filters use sheets that allow only particles smaller than a given size to pass through. The
sheets are placed into a filtering frame, sanitized (with boiling water, for example) and then used to
filter the beer. The sheets can be flushed if the filter becomes blocked. The sheets are usually
disposable and are replaced between filtration sessions. Often the sheets contain powdered filtration
media to aid in filtration.
Pre-made filters have two sides. One with loose holes, and the other with tight holes. Flow goes from
the side with loose holes to the side with the tight holes, with the intent that large particles get stuck
in the large holes while leaving enough room around the particles and filter medium for smaller
particles to go through and get stuck in tighter holes.
Sheets are sold in nominal ratings, and typically 90% of particles larger than the nominal rating are
caught by the sheet.
Kieselguhr filters

19. Filters that use a powder medium are considerably more complicated to operate, but can filter much
more beer before regeneration. Common media include diatomaceous earth and perlite.
Packaging
See also: Beer bottle, Beverage can, Widget (beer), Draught beer, and Cask ale
Packaging is putting the beer into the containers in which it will leave the brewery. Typically, this
means putting the beer into bottles, aluminium cans, kegs, or casks, but it may include putting the
beer into bulk tanks for high-volume customers.
By-products
Spent grain, a brewing by-product
Brewing by-products are "spent grain" and the sediment (or "dregs") from the filtration process which
may be dried and resold as "brewers dried yeast" for poultry feed,[139]
or made into yeast
extract which is used in brands such as Vegemite and Marmite.[140]
The process of turning the yeast
sediment into edible yeast extract was discovered by German scientist Justus Liebig.[141]
Brewer's spent grain (also called spent grain, brewer's grain or draff) is the main by-product of the
brewing process;[142]
it consists of the residue of malt and grain which remains in the mash-kettle
after the mashing and lautering process.[143]
It consists primarily of grain husks, pericarp, and
fragments of endosperm.[144]
As it mainly consists of carbohydrates and proteins,[144]
and is readily
consumed by animals,[145]
spent grain is used in animal feed.[145]
Spent grains can also be used
as fertilizer, whole grains in bread,[146]
as well as in the production of flour and biogas.[147][148]
Spent
grain is also an ideal medium for growing mushrooms, such as shiitake, and already some breweries
are either growing their own mushrooms or supplying spent grain to mushroom farms.[149]
Spent
grains can be used in the production of red bricks, to improve the open porosity and reduce thermal
conductivity of the ceramic mass.[150]
Brewing industry
The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational
companies and many thousands of smaller producers known as microbreweries or regional
breweries depending on size and region.[19][151]
More than 133 billion liters (3.5×1010
U.S. gallons;
2.9×1010
imperial gallons) are sold per year—producing total global revenues of $294.5 billion
(£147.7 billion) as of 2006.[152]
SABMiller became the largest brewing company in the world when it
acquired Royal Grolsch, brewer of Dutch premium beer brand Grolsch.[153]
InBev was the second-
largest beer-producing company in the world and Anheuser-Busch held the third spot, but after the
acquisition of Anheuser-Busch by InBev, the new Anheuser-Busch InBev company is currently the
largest brewer in the world.[154]

20. Brewing at home is subject to regulation and prohibition in many countries. Restrictions on
homebrewing were lifted in the UK in 1963,[155]
Australia followed suit in 1972,[156]
and the USA in
1978, though individual states were allowed to pass their own laws limiting production.[157]
I’ve been in the insurance industry for 10 years, with an emphasis on workers compensation. Afew years ago I
decided to focus on the craft beverage industry as I love the product, the people involved, and what those
businesses mean to New York. My goal is to help the craft beverage industry better understand their risks,
reduce costs, and help keep their employees safe. Feel free to connect with me on Linked In, follow me on
Twitter, or simply give me a call with any questions you have on how to reduce your premiums, improve your
safety, and better protect your business. You focus on making great beer, I’ll focus on making sure you can
continue to do so!
The cheapest claim for a brewery is the one that never happens. The best way to keep your
insurance premiums low over the long term is to minimize the impact of claims on your
business. While risk cannot be 100% removed from operating a brewery, there are a variety of
ways a brewer or owner, as well as their employees can control their risks and reduce the
frequency and severity of losses.
There are many financial benefits to managing your risk and having a focus on safety at your
brewery. These include; saving money (reduce quantity, severity, and financial impact of
injuries), reduced insurance and workers comp costs, less equipment down time, minimizing
product loss, improving brand equity, more effective work procedures, and sustainability for a
business.
The top hazards in breweries are similar to those in the general manufacturing industry. Below
are some of the top risks, as well as how you can control their impact on your business;
 Ergonomics – repetitive motion, lifting, awkward postures
How to manage – automate processes (hoists, conveyors, keg robots), two-person lifts, lift
training for employees
 Walking and Working Surfaces – wet floors, trip hazards, improperly stacked items
How to manage – clean up spills immediately, monthly walk-throughs looking for hazards, keep
aisles, stairs, and platforms clear from clutter
 Fall Protection – elevated work platforms, stairways
How to manage – Handrails, 4” toe board, slip resistant reads on stairs
 Powered Industrial Trucks – forklifts, pallet trucks, etc

21. How to manage – written and documented training, daily inspections, never load outside rated
capacity.
 Keg Safety
How to Manage – never alter or tamper with safety devices, systems connected to kegs should
have pressure regulator, only use kegs from your own brewery, inspect kegs (Sankey valve, steel
ball, and o-ring)
 Thermal hazards
How to manage – steam and hot water pipe insulation, label hot surfaces, written procedures for
employees, long sleeves and pants, safety goggles and gloves
 Contamination hazards
How to manage CIP and Housekeeping
 Explosion
How to manage safe and efficient Boiler & Pressure Vessels operation, maintenance and
inspecton.
 Implosion
How to manage safe and efficient process and CIP to prevent vacuum generation.
 Electrocution
How to manage electrical power supply and system
 Fire Outbreak
How to manage fire separation of combustible/flammable items from ignition sources.
 Warehouse and Storage
How to manage storage and handling
 Construction/Contractor/ Vendor/Third Party Risk
How to manage PTW System


22. One of the best ways to manage your risk is to get your employees involved. Forming an
employee lead safety committee can help get the focus of your company culture to be safety
oriented. Use committee meetings to proactively identify and fix hazards, discuss accidents and
near misses, develop recommendations, and assign actions. Your insurance broker can attend
these meetings, make suggestions, and help with ways to implement procedures.
In summary, safety should be a state of mind. It is recommended that brewery operators report,
track, and investigate accidents and near misses, document progress, work to identify on the job
hazards, and solutions to mitigate them.
An Overview of Risk Analysis for
Breweries
Sean Fleming | 20/03/2015
There are many obstacles that can come between you and success in the brewing
industry. Competition, quality control, marketing, distribution and municipal / provincial /
federal laws may all have an effect on whether your business grows. Therefore, you
should develop a risk management plan which includes risk analysis.
What is Risk?
Risk can be defined as anything that may adversely affect a business’ ability to achieve
its goals and objectives. The key to understanding risk management is to simplify the
process.
How to PerformRisk Analysis Step 1
The first step is to identify all potential issues as they relate to your business. This list
needs to be comprehensive and include every possible risk imaginable, including
weather, financial, socio-economic and human resources concerns.
Step 2

23. The next step is to perform an analysis of each risk. In order to do this properly, you
need to assess each risk for frequency (how often it will occur) and severity (how
significant the damage could be). For example, an extremely cold stretch of weather
could have a large impact on the sales of beer, causing your revenue to decline and
ultimately impacting almost everything else you do.
Another risk could be your accounts receivables. If your A/R grows and is difficult to
collect, it will affect your cash flow and could create operational challenges.
What if another micro-brewery opens up just around the corner from you? This increase
in competition could decrease your walk-in traffic, distribution targets and overall sales.
Benefits of Risk Analysis
Analyzing risk will allow you to create policies and procedures that will minimize the
effects of these issues by:
 avoiding the activity that could contribute to the loss
 reducing the number of times this event occurs
 reducing the impact of the event
Keep in mind that you cannot totally avoid risk, but you can manage it.
April 7th
marked National Beer Day, in honor of President Franklin Roosevelt signing a law on
that date in 1933 to once again legalize the brewing and selling of beer. It was one of FDR’s first
steps toward ending prohibition.
Today, craft beer is a growing market, with the number of small and independent operating
breweries in the United States totaling 5,301—a 16.6% increase over the year before. But as with
any small, closely held business, this expanding industry faces some unique liabilities. The
infographic below is based on an article by Milliman consultant Michael Henk, which examines
some of the liabilities that both craft brewers and insurers should consider in order to minimize
the financial impact of the risks they face.

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Brewing insurance solution for craft brewers
September 21, 2016Javier SanabriaInsurancecraft beer, craft brewery, insu, Michael
Henk, microbrewery, property and casualty
Craft beer companies need unique insurance solutions to address the distinct risks inherent in
their industry. Companies can minimize the financial effects that these risks can create by
purchasing specialized craft brewery coverage. In the article “Crafting insurance for the new
brewery industry,” Milliman’s Michael Henk explores some of the larger risks a craft brewer
faces along with the type of coverages the brewery should consider obtaining.
Here’s an excerpt:
Boiler/machinery liability
Boilers and machinery expose breweries to multiple liabilities. First of all, with
production being reliant on machinery, any major breakdown could be devastating for
business. When a brewery does not produce a lot of beer to begin with, even a
temporary halt in production could have large consequences.
Along with a halt in production, brewers have the extra added risk of injuries if
something more serious happens. An exploding boiler doesn’t just affect the
production and finances of the brewery, but may also result in damages and injuries
for workers, contractors, and tour-goers.
There are many steps that craft brewers can take to mitigate the potential economic
impact of this risk. For the production side of the liability, brewers can obtain boiler
and machinery coverage that will cover them for replacement or repair costs.
Property insurance can also cover some of the loss of income from a breakdown in
production.
Tour liability
One of the more interesting phenomena with respect to craft brewing is the great
popularity of brewery tours, where breweries open their doors to the public
(sometimes while the brewery is still in full operational mode). This serves craft
breweries well as a marketing tool because it gets people in the door learning about
and sampling the product. Popular tours sell out with regularity and have even
become “must-see” tourist attractions in many cities. Macro-breweries have gotten in
on the tour game as well. However, tours at larger breweries tend to avoid the
production floor and tend not to include areas of the brewery that are currently
operating.
With these production floor tours of active breweries comes unique liability. Paying
customers are invited to walk around the brewery among the fermentation tanks and

26. machinery (accompanied by a tour guide, of course). A brewer needs to make sure
that conditions are safe for customers and take preventive measures.
In one specific case, a fermentation tank explosion during a tour led to customer
injuries at a craft brewery in Texas.7 Not only was there an obvious halt in production
in this case, but also two years after the incident, customers who were on the tour
went to court for damages, citing pain and suffering as a result of the incident.
Brewers need to be covered for less “explosive” events as well. Slips and falls are a
lot more likely, especially when the brewery tours contains stairwells and wet floors.
Brewers must obtain general liability insurance with sufficient limits to cover the
bodily injury caused to tour-goers or the potential property damage caused by them.
Trouble Brewing: Risk Management for Breweries
by Laura Sullivan | June 2, 2012 at 11:04 am
(Photo: Demid Borodin/Shutterstock.com)
It begins with a starry-eyed dream. You promise yourself, and your pals, that one day you will open your
own brewery. You convince distant family members and acquaintances to contribute start-up funding.
With some luck, a few good recipes and the laws of supply and demand on your side, you are soon the
person at the party receiving looks that drip with the pangs of middle-age envy.
You are a brewmaster.
But somewhere between that first fantasy and a toast with your latest beer, a real business has been
born. But no matter how enviable the work may seem, there are still risks to consider.
The Beginnings
In the 1870s, there were 3,200 breweries in the United States. Prohibition would later sound a death knell
for most, but about a century after the original boom days, the craft brewer has made a comeback.
The Boulder, Colorado-based Brewers Association defines a craft brewer as “small, independent and
traditional.” This boils down to a business that is not owned by a large conglomerate and makes less than

27. six million barrels a year (using all malt in at least one flagship beer). This far-ranging category
encompasses everything from the hobbyist brewer in his converted garage to the world-renowned
Samuel Adams brand made by Boston Beer Company.
Today there are more than 2,000 such craft brewers operating in the United States. These numbers, and
the dollar figures attached, are attracting attention.
While overall beer sales have decreased over the last several years, craft breweries have enjoyed
success. In 2011, the industry grew 15% over the previous year to reach $8.7 billion in retail sales. And
although craft brewers remain a small fraction — just below 6% — of the American beer market, their
piece of the pie grows each year.
Beer drinkers are not the only ones who have taken notice. The insurance industry knows a good market
when it sees one. In recent years, craft brewers have increasingly found themselves as the debutantes at
an insurance ball with carriers “presenting themselves as entities that can stave off potential dangers to
our livelihoods,” according to Dan Mitchell, president of Ithaca Beer Company, Inc. in Upstate New York.
Living the Dream
For brewers, risks are everywhere. The result is that many now sit at a crossroads between successful
expansion and complex business hazards. For each brewery, the question is whether or not it has
cultivated enough risk management savvy to continue to thrive.
The smallest start-ups — those that produce fewer than 15,000 barrels a year — worry primarily about
survival. Each year, they, along with brewpubs, comprise the largest portion of brewery closures.
“Small and mid-sized breweries are often happy to just have their dream come true,” said John Bricker,
an insurance agent and owner of Three Barrel Brewing Company in Del Norte, Colorado. “But you need
to include risk management, I tell them, because we want you to stick around.”
Bricker notes that even with smaller operations and equipment, craft brewers are just as vulnerable as
their larger counterparts, which makes coverage like commercial general liability, commercial property,
boiler and machinery essential. Business interruption and product recall coverage can similarly improve
the chances of long-term survival. If the workforce grows beyond an owner/operator configuration, it also
falls within workers compensation requirements. And any brewer, regardless of size, needs to secure
liquor liability insurance. Although regulations vary in each state, a brewer may be liable for the actions of
someone consuming its beverage — regardless of where the drink was consumed. Liability could even
arise from a keg donated to a charity event.
There is hope for brewery survival, however. In what is perhaps reflected in the decreased number of
small brewery and brewpub closures in 2011, even the smallest start-ups have shown a sophistication

28. and business know-how that many lacked in the last microbrewery boom — and subsequent demise — in
the early 1990s.
Peter Whalen, owner and president of Whalen Insurance Agency, which specializes in coverage for craft
breweries, says the latest crop of dream-struck newcomers are coming to him with experience, business
plans and a true understanding of the whole picture of running a business. “They are a smarter group,” he
said. “I’ve been really impressed.”
Well-run establishments make for an appealing business to insurers, which has led to plentiful coverage
options for the craft brewing industry as a whole.
Getting Bigger, Getting Riskier
The transition from small to serious risk consideration passes quickly. Whether increasing the amount of
beer produced, moving into new facilities or expanding across untapped markets, the compounded
exposures of the larger craft brewery do not necessarily correlate to the scale of its growth.
As an entrepreneur makes the transition from glorified homebrew kit to regional brewery, threats to the
business become not only more severe but more complex. And it happens on an exponential scale. The
same insurance required when it was a start-up now encompasses — and costs — much more. Essential
coverages, such as auto, workers comp and umbrella, must be added. And each risk may be subject to
renewed, finite inspection: that quaint, oak-lined tasting room can suddenly become a threatening liability.
As the larger craft brewers polish their risk image, a cultural dilemma arises: How do you mix the laid-
back attitude of craft brewing with the straight-laced world of risk management?
“Most businesses have their heart in the right place,” said Matt Stinchfield, a brewery safety consultant.
“People enjoy the work at any level. It’s a cool job to have. And the happier workforce does relate to lower
safety incidents.”
But when it comes to laying down the risk management law? “It’s like parenting,” he said. “Pick your
battles. Be consistent. And start early.”
The craft brewing industry by and large has room to improve the consistency of its risk management
enforcement. As Whalen notes, when struggling to meet product demand, there is not a lot of time to put
together a formal risk management plan. This puts those that start risk-centric planning in an operation’s
infancy at a distinct advantage as it grows.
Still, the industry has become more attuned to the issue. At the 2012 Craft Brewers Conference, Bricker
gave a presentation on risk management. To his knowledge, this was a first at the event. And Stinchfield
notes that attendance at conference safety sessions has grown from a handful to hundreds in just a few
years. Back at the factory, larger craft breweries have begun to carve out safety management positions.

29. Safety Is the First Ingredient
The close-knit community also lends itself to risk management lessons through oft-repeated stories. Did
you hear about the brewer who was changing out hoses while wearing shorts? When the valves
unexpectedly opened, boiling liquid poured over the tops of her boots and she ended up in the hospital
with third-degree burns on her feet. How about the brewpub whose neglected, clogged pressure valves
led to a tank explosion? Or the brewery where fumes from a whiskey barrel used for aging beer ignited
and blew the barrel across the room?
As such, worker safety is a common area of concern. Although recorded injury rates for the craft brewing
industry are favorably low, tragedies do occur. In April, for example, a worker died when a keg exploded
at the Red Hook Ale brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Despite incidents like this, some believe
that many other accidents go unreported, reflecting underdeveloped risk management policies within
many operations.
Whalen used to warn clients about another safety risk with a hypothetical example: glass chips in a bottle
of beer. When this actually happened in 2008 to the Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams,
leading to a recall that cost more than $20 million, he found his cautionary tale for the need to procure
recall insurance unfortunately justified.
Swapping these near-miss and horror stories often does inspire a new interest in risk management and
insurance. When breweries do institute a new risk management protocol, however, they try to stay hip.
“We can manage a risk without turning everyone into safety cops,” said Jeff Fanno, environmental health
and safety manager at Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California.
His approach is to make risk important to each employee. Follow these standard operating procedures,
he tells workers, so your friends and family do not get the call that begins with “there’s been an accident.”
“Developing an effective risk management program across all areas of the company allows craft brewers
to focus more on the cool side of craft brewing,” said Eric Ottaway, chief operating officer of Brooklyn
Brewery in New York. “The more time spent dealing with risk crises, the less time there is to be creative.”
Safety, however, is not necessarily the most unique challenge larger craft breweries face. Regulatory
issues that vary from state-to-state offer a dizzying array of ever-changing requirements that affect
everything from labels to what kind of beer you can produce. And the simple task of procuring ingredients
can be harder than you might imagine.
Supplies are increasingly difficult to come by as the craft brewing industry grows, according to Ithaca’s
Mitchell. Larger brewers with purchasing power, he explains, use long-term contracts for everything from
hops and malt to kegs and bottles.

30. The “forward hop contract,” for example, sets a price and amount of specific hop varieties that a brewery
will purchase from a producer in the years ahead. Given the vagaries of the hop market, the farmer
benefits from guaranteed sales and the brewery has to do some maneuvering to make sure it is first in
line to receive the ingredients essential to the unique taste and aromas of its carefully crafted beers.
Beer Emergency
Whether due to freak accidents or the unforeseeable wrath of Mother Nature, sometimes no amount of
risk management can insulate a company from loss. At times like these, the craft brewing industry
benefits from its particular personality.
Creativity is the core of any successful craft brewery, whether it is the collaboration of ideas for the perfect
recipe or the irreverent jokes generated for label designs and beer monikers. And the craft brewers’
community of artful cleverness has proved inspirational to crisis management and loss mitigation.
In May 2009, at the Drie Fonteinen brewery in Beersel, Belgium, a thermostat suffered a fatal spasm. In a
storeroom stocked with one year’s worth of aging specialty sour beers called lambics and gueuze, the
temperature spiked to sauna-like levels for 36 hours. More than 13,000 gallons of beer were ruined and
3,000 bottles exploded. The small, family-run operation faced bankruptcy.
But a creative turn of mind and the close-knit brewing community came to the rescue. First, volunteers —
brewers, neighbors, beer-loving tourists — uncorked 100,000 bottles and poured out 36,000 liters of beer.
Then, inspired by a friend’s suggestion, owner and brewer Armand De Belder distilled the spoiled booze,
turning it into 6,000 bottles of Armand’Spirit, a premium fruit brandy known as eau de vie. A simple case
of turning lemons (undrinkable beer) into lemonade (a high-end 80-proof liqueur) saved the brewery and
has De Belder contending with happier problems like developing a succession plan so he can one day
retire.
This is far from the only tale of creative risk management in the industry. Last August, John and Jen
Kimmich, the husband and wife owners of the Alchemist Brewery in Waterbury, Vermont, watched raging
floods tear through their town. When the Winooski River waters retreated, they faced floating beer
vessels in their basement brewery and the loss of approximately $200,000 in equipment, ingredients and
product. The limits of flood insurance offered little assistance for their financial and emotional heartache,
but once again the culture of community among the craft brewers would save the day.
From the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont, general manager Steve Miller sent empty kegs to fill
with what beer could be salvaged. He then offered to keep them in cold storage at the Harpoon facility.
Later, with some ingredient calculations from another local brewer, the beer was bottled and sold at Rock
Art Brewery in Morrisville, Vermont, by founder Matthew Nadeau. The $15,000 they raised helped
Alchemist survive the ordeal, allowing it to open a previously planned new facility and live to brew another
day.

31. “The money was not only needed, but a great psychological boost at a time when we were struggling with
our insurance claim,” says Jen Kimmich. “At the end of our challenging experience, we felt more fortunate
than ever to be a part of the national and local brewing communities.”
The lesson: never underestimate the psychological boost of a good risk management response and don’t
forget that good risk management can spring from creativity and community. Now that is something worth
toasting — preferably with your favorite craft beer.

32. HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN THE BREWING AND DISTILLING
INDUSTRIES
The UK brewing and distilling industry contributes significantly to the Food and Drink sector, which is
estimated to be worth some £80 billion annually and represents around 7% of UK GDP.(1) The
production of beer and spirits produces solutions of ethanol, which is a highly flammable liquid in an
undilutedstate andeveninsolution.Raw materialsforfermentationandmashingprocessesinvolve the
handling,storage,andmillingof wheatandbarley,whichgenerate flammable dust,while grain roasting
and drying require huge quantities of fuel, which is usually natural gas. Hence, all types of flammable
materials (vapour, dust and gas) necessary for fire and explosion are present in beer and spirits
manufacturingfacilities.Since the introduction of the EU ATEX 1999/92EC Directive(2) (incorporated in
the UK underDSEAR2002 (DangerousSubstancesExplosive AtmospheresRegulations(3))), a systematic
hazard andrisk assessmenthastobe undertakentoensure personnel andthe publicare notat riskfrom
fire andexplosion.Inthispaper,problemsunique tothe brewing and distilling industries are aired and
the systematichazardassessmentapproachisdiscussedsocompaniescancomply with EU Directives to
keep personnel and public safe.
Introduction:
Alcoholicdrinkproductionrequiresonlya few raw materials; cereal grain plus yeast plus water, which
are heated,fermented,maturedanddecanted,producingethanolliquor.Thus,itwouldappearonlythe
final productisflammable andif the ethanol issufficientlydiluted,inthe case of beers, lagers and other
alcoholic beverages, no flammable atmospheres exist. If only it were that simple! Most brewers and
distillersnow buy their malt from specialist suppliers, with malt grains delivered to site by road truck,
tipped,andconveyedtothe mill house orstorage silos.Itisthenelevatedtoupperfloorsof mill houses
for destoning,sievingandmilling.Milling breaks the grain to reveal the inner cotyledon containing the
carbohydratesandsugars. In the conveying, sieving and milling processes dust is generated, including
fines,whichcanformflammable dustclouds,bothinside equipmentandif notwell sealed,externally as
well.Dustisgenerallyextractedtoindependentdustcollectorsystems.Milledmaltor‘grist’isconveyed
to and storedinsilosreadyforproductioninthe ‘masher’where waterisadded.The intermediate beer
brewingandspiritmashingprocessesare thenlargelywaterbasedandthusflammable atmospheresare
no longer present. Spirit manufacture uses similar raw materials. Malt grains have the outer husk and
bran removedbefore millingtoproduce grist.Ina ‘mashtun’stirringencouragessugars to form and the
liquoristhenaddedtoa “washback”where yeastisaddedbefore the fermentationprocesstakesplace.
The resultant liquor contains less than 10% ABV (alcohol by volume) and is now passed to the ‘Still’,
where concentration of alcohol takes place to create a maximum strength of 94.8% ABV.

33. The Law:
Brewersanddistillershandle flammable (explosible) materials so are subject to national law in Europe
in the form of ATEX 1999/92/EC Directive or in the UK DSEAR 2002 Regulations. These force employers
to ensure workplaces are safe from fire and explosion risk. ATEX and DSEAR, in effect, state a
hierarchical approachof ‘Three Rules’:1.Do not have a flammable atmosphere,butif youdo… 2. Do not
ignite it, but if you do… 3. Do not hurt anyone. To show compliance with the law, for existing plant a
suitable hazard and risk assessment is necessary, which should document the following: 9 Flammable
materialsonsite 9 HazardousArea Classification(HAC) forall areas9 Assessmentof ignitionsourcesand
their elimination in hazardous areas 9 Assessments for “equipment” (i.e. mechanical and electrical
equipment) 9If flammable atmosphere(s) and or ignition sources cannot be eliminated with certainty
then:9 Explosionprotectioninconjunctionwithexplosionisolationisnecessary.Eachprocessrequiresa
“Basis of Safety”, for both normal and expected abnormal operation, which may be: a) Avoidance of
flammable atmospheres,and/orb) Avoidance of ignitionsources,c) If a) and or b) are not suitable, then
explosion protection with explosion isolation is required. Corrective recommendations, if necessary,
shouldbe includedineachsectionbythe assessor.Fornew buildorplantmodifications,all of the above
should be undertaken as well as ensuring only suitable ATEX-certified equipment is installed in
designatedhazardousareas.Overall explosionsafetyshouldbe verified by a Competent Person before
going into operation for the first time.
Flammable atmosphere:
Fuel explosions(i.e.gases,vapoursmists,dusts,andhybrids((mixturesof flammable materialse.g.dust
and vapour)) occur in fractions of a second. In order to control the hazard, all flammable atmospheres
mustto be identified.Forflammable dust,there hastobe sufficientfinedustina dust cloud at or above
the ‘MinimumExplosible Concentration’.Material safetydatasheets (MSDS) can be used but rarely can
specificdustdatabe foundon MSDS’s.Literature sourcescan be misleading as grain type, whether raw
or roasted,particle size,andmoisture content,all affectignitionsensitivity.Thus, care is required when
generic data are used and it is always recommended to undertake specific ignition sensitivity and
explosionseveritytesting.Flammability data required may include Minimum Explosion Concentration
(MEC); Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE); Minimum Ignition Temperature (MIT); and Layer Ignition
Temperature (LIT), Maximum Pressure (Pmax); and severity constant (KSt), with all the required data
dependentuponthe definedBasisof Safety.Itisoftenarguedasgrainmoisture contentishighand thus
ignitionsensitivityislow,anignitionisanunlikely occurrence. However, in the Blaye(4) dust explosion
incident, the moisture content was greater than 10% by weight. For ethanol, flash point for both
solutions and concentrate, lower and upper explosion limits (LEL/UEL) and auto ignition temperature
(AIT) are required.Ethanol dataare readilyavailable fromliterature and data for any flammable gases,
whether in bulk or in cylinders, should also be obtained where applicable. Preventing flammable
atmospheres by inert gas, e.g. nitrogen, which is commonly used in pharmaceutical and fine chemical
industries,isnotappropriate forthe brewinganddistillingsector.Equipmentisoftennotsuitablysealed

34. and introducing nitrogen (an asphyxiant) into an operational culture unused to handling it, prese nts
increased hazards.
Hazardous area classification:
Once flammable materials(vapour,gases,dust,etc.) havebeenidentified,the presence of a hazardous
explosive atmosphere must be identified. This is based upon frequency or probability of release or
‘Grades of Release’, which are: 9 ‘Continuous’ - present greater than 10% a year, e.g. inside vessels 9
‘Primary’ - presentbetween10%and 1% a year or onlyoccasionallyin‘normal operation’, e.g. sampling
operations9 ‘Secondary’ present 1 % of a year, only in ‘expected abnormal operation’, e.g. leaks from
vesselsHazardousandnon-hazardousareasshould be identified for dust, vapour and gases within the
site andfindingsshouldbe documentedandsite drawingsmade.Once the sourcesand grade of release
have been identified, Zone designation and extent can be assigned for gases and vapours. These are
Zone 0 (Continuous grade), Zone 1 (Primary grade) & Zone 2 (Secondary grade) and for dusts Zones 20
(Continuous grade), Zone 21 (Primary grade), & Zone 22 (Secondary grade). Blanket zoning of
workplacesshouldbe avoided - remember the hierarchical approach above. Dusty mill houses are not
acceptable. Layers of dust on floors, pipelines, and walls is fuel waiting to be raised into a dust cloud.
Increasing the zone severity, say from non-hazardous to Zone 22 or Zone 21 to cater for layers means
accepting personnel working in explosible atmospheres in normal operation.
That means a dust concentration greater than 50 g/m3 in the workplace in normal operation, which is
obviously unsatisfactory when occupational hygiene levels are in the mg/m3 level.
Keepingthe fuel insidethe equipmentshouldbe the primaryaimbykeeping plant sealed through good
design and maintenance, and the use of secondary flexible connections also reduces leakage. There
should be a focus of careful cleaning (avoiding dust clouds of course), sealing plant and improving
extractionsystems.Similarlyfordistilleries,inspirithandlingareas,pumprooms,etc.vapoursshouldbe
eliminated by good ventilation removing heavier than air vapour at low points. These measures have
real benefitsonthe workingenvironment,reducing secondary explosion hazards in the workplace and
can reduce the cost of equipment by using non-ATEX equipment, e.g. lighting. Minimising the sizes of
external hazardous areas in the workplace should be the aim of all brewing and distilling companies.
Finally, hazardous areas should be properly identified by using the ATEX EX (explosible atmosphere)
symbol atall entrances,soall personnelunderstandspecialprecautions are necessary. Ignition sources
EN1127-Part 1 lists thirteen types of ignition source. Usually in the brewing and distilling sector 1 to 8
are relevant but all 13 should be assessed: 1. Flames/hot gases (including hot particles) 2.
Unsuitable/malfunctioning electrical plant 3. Hot surfaces 4. Mechanically generated sparks 5. Static

35. electricity 6. Thermal decomposition (dust selfignition) 7. Lightning – atmospheric static 8. Stray
currents, cathodic protection 9. RF electromagnetic waves 10. Visible light electromagnetic waves 11.
Ionising radiation 12. Ultrasonics 13. Adiabatic compression and shock waves. An ignition source
assessment requires applicable flammability data. An “effective” ignition source has to have more
energy than the minimum necessary to ignite the fuel, for example electrostatic discharges are a real
hazard withvapouror gas, butless so for grain dust. Mechanical ignition is one of the main hazards for
dust. Elevators, conveyors, mills etc. can all be potent sources of mechanical friction and sparks if a
malfunction occurs. A preventative maintenance scheme should be in place for all mechanical
equipment, including bucket elevators. Explosion protection in grain handling Where there is a high
probability of a flammable atmosphere and reliably eliminating ignition sources cannot be achieved,
thensome formof explosionprotectionisnecessary:9Venting9 Suppression9ContainmentThe above
measures should be combined with suitable measures to prevent explosion propagation. Protection
systems are covered under ATEX and thus have to be suitably certified. During grain conveying, for
example,bucketelevatorsare explosionvented,whichisacceptable providedthey vent to a prohibited
“safe”area. (see image below).Explosionventinginto the workplace is not acceptable under ATEX, but
issometimesobservedinthe brewinganddistillingsector.Ventinginsideincreasesriskof seriousinjury,
and secondary dust explosions (see HAC above), and is a common issue found in the industry during
assessments.However,explosion-ventingindoorscanbe permittedbyusingflameless venting devices.
(See image below) However, they are not ‘fit and forget’ items - they require regular inspection and
maintenance toensure theydonotbecome choked.Whethergrainsilosrequire explosion protection is
oftendebateddue tolowdustconcentration, large particle size and absence of ignition sources. Many
newbuildsilos are explosion-vented but existing silos are generally of unknown strength, so whether
retrofittedventscanbe fittedisnotalwayseasy to verify. In these cases, precautions to minimise dust
and control all effectiveignitionsourcesare essential, together with the exclusion of personnel during
filling,whichiswhenthe maindustexplosion risk exists. Suppression systems are another satisfactory
methodof protectingplant,butspecialistcompaniesare neededtodesign,supply,fit,and maintain the
equipment. Their use in brewing and distilling is increasing as there is no release of products of
combustion, and systems always include explosion isolation such as chemical barriers, whereas in
vented systems, explosion isolation has to be separately considered. Building plant with sufficie nt
strengthto containexplosionsisnotgenerallyundertakeninbrewinganddistilling: many plants are too
large and the extra installation costs would be high. This is nevertheless becoming common in some
otherindustrieswheresmaller plant is used, materials are toxic and full containment is required at all
times.Explosionisolationof dustcollectorsystems(andotherplantitems) fittedwithexplosion venting
fromnon-protectedplantisoftenoverlooked.If adust collectoris not “decoupled” and an explosion in
this higher risk item occurs, it can propagate back through the entire plant system. Simple explosion
diverters that stop pressure-piling effects can be used, but these may not stop flame propagation.
Alternatively,some flapvalves,chemical barriers,Ventexvalves,slam-shutvalves,etc.,canbe used. It is
oftenpoorlyunderstoodthatexplosion-protected plant should not be opened when it is in operation.
Examples include opening silo manways for level checking or inspection. The image below shows a
hingedflaponthe bootof a bucketelevatorthatisopeneddailyformanual material feedwherethere is
no explosionbarrier.Spirit Manufacture The ‘Basis of Safety’ for spirit manufacturing includes ignition
source controls which includes: 9 good earthing and bonding (which includes ensuring operators are

36. suitablyearthed) 9avoidingsplashfillingtanks9 avoidinghotwork9preventingmechanicallygenerated
sparks9 ensuringthe use of suitable equipment 9 good ventilation 9 use of flame arresters on outside
ventsEmergencyrelief ventsystemshave tobe carefullydesigned,so releases of flammable liquid and
vapours cannot not be made to the workplace. Often, spirit tanks are found indoors with the vent
indoors, and flame arresters not suitably maintained. In older distilleries, hazardous areas should be
reviewedwhere blanket zoning has been used, as often the size of Zones can be reduced. Ventilation
effectivenessshouldalso be reviewed and all existing electrical and mechanical equipment should be
assessed for suitability. Often, this is a case of individual item inspections and a judgement call made
item by item. As equipment is replaced in hazardous areas, it should be to the appropriate ATEX
categoryand installedandmaintained by competent, appropriately trained personnel. In the UK most
distilleries produce Scotch whisky, which has to be matured for at least three years, and typically 10
years or more for unblended malt whisky. This has to be stored in wooden casks at 60% to 65% ABV
(flashpoint~~ 20 °C) andis stackedinwarehouses.Casksare porousand evaporation occurs so ethanol
vapour is released to atmosphere by natural ventilation. Thus, warehouses are hazardous areas but
oftenthere isnolightingormechanical ventilation so forklift trucks are often the only ATEX Category 3
equipment.Where lightingisused,sometimesnon-Ex lightingcanbe justifieddue tothe vapourdensity
of ethanol.Inbondedwarehouses,insurerstendtodictate the safetyrequirements.However, it shoul d
alsobe ensuredthatpersonneltake innoignitionsources,thusall torches,communicationsequipment,
etc.,shouldbe certifiedassuitable.Once matured, whisky has to be filtered, sometimes blended, and
bottled.Bottlingplantsare oftenseparatedfromdistilleriesandtheyreceive spiritbyroadtanker,which
isthenstoredbefore dilutiontofinal bottle strength(typically40% ABV,26 °C flashpoint,sooftendoes
not formflammable concentrationsatambienttemperatures(depending on plant location)). However,
realistichazardousareasassociatedwithall of these activitiesmustbe establishedandrisk assessments
undertaken.ConclusionInthe brewinganddistillingindustry,boththe raw ingredients and the finished
product can form hazardous explosive atmospheres. It is important to minimise these explosive
atmospheres, especially those external to plant items. However, poor plant layout can lead to the
formation of an explosive atmosphere indoors, for example by venting spirit tanks indoors. Other
problems with venting often include a lack of design calculations and explosion isolation devices.
Ignition source control is important within the explosive atmospheres. Earthing of persons handling
ethanol andthe correct ingressprotectiononelectricalequipmentare oftenoverlooked. Finally, where
the presence of an explosive atmosphere and an ignition source cannot be avoided then explosion
protection is required.
Keepingthe fuel insidethe equipmentshouldbe the primaryaimbykeeping plant sealed through good
design and maintenance, and the use of secondary flexible connections also reduces leakage. There
should be a focus of careful cleaning (avoiding dust clouds of course), sealing plant and improving
extractionsystems.Similarlyfordistilleries,inspirithandlingareas,pumprooms,etc.vapoursshouldbe
eliminated by good ventilation removing heavier than air vapour at low points. These measures have
real benefitsonthe workingenvironment,reducing secondary explosion hazards in the workplace and
can reduce the cost of equipment by using non-ATEX equipment, e.g. lighting. Minimising the sizes of
external hazardous areas in the workplace should be the aim of all brewing and distilling companies.

37. Finally, hazardous areas should be properly identified by using the ATEX EX (explosible atmosphere)
symbol at all entrances, so all personnel understand special precautions are necessary.
Ignition sources:
EN1127-Part 1 lists thirteen types of ignition source. Usually in the brewing and distilling sector 1 to 8
are relevant but all 13 should be assessed: 1. Flames/hot gases (including hot particles) 2.
Unsuitable/malfunctioning electrical plant 3. Hot surfaces 4. Mechanically generated sparks 5. Static
electricity 6. Thermal decomposition (dust selfignition) 7. Lightning – atmospheric static 8. Stray
currents, cathodic protection 9. RF electromagnetic waves 10. Visible light electromagnetic waves 11.
Ionising radiation 12. Ultrasonics 13. Adiabatic compression and shock waves. An ignition source
assessment requires applicable flammability data. An “effective” ignition source has to have more
energy than the minimum necessary to ignite the fuel, for example electrostatic discharges are a real
hazard withvapouror gas, butless so for grain dust. Mechanical ignition is one of the main hazards for
dust. Elevators, conveyors, mills etc. can all be potent sources of mechanical friction and sparks if a
malfunction occurs. A preventative maintenance scheme should be in place for all mechanical
equipment, including bucket elevators.
Explosion protection in grain handling:
Where there isa highprobabilityof aflammable atmosphere and reliably eliminating ignition sources
cannot be achieved, then some form of explosion protection is necessary: 9 Venting 9 Suppression 9
Containment The above measures should be combined with suitable measures to prevent explosion
propagation.Protectionsystemsare coveredunder ATEX and thus have to be suitably certified. During
grainconveying,forexample,bucketelevatorsare explosionvented,whichis acceptable provided they
vent to a prohibited “safe” area. (see image below). Explosion venting into the workplace is not
acceptable underATEX,butissometimes observed in the brewing and distilling sector. Venting inside
increasesriskof seriousinjury,andsecondarydustexplosions (see HAC above), and is a common issue
found in the industry during assessments. However, explosion-venting indoors can be permitted by
usingflamelessventingdevices. (See image below) However, they are not ‘fit and forget’ items - they
require regularinspectionandmaintenance toensure theydonot become choked. Whether grain silos
require explosion protection is often debated due to low dust concentration, large particle size and
absence of ignitionsources.Manynewbuildsilosare explosion-ventedbutexistingsilosare generally of
unknownstrength,sowhetherretrofittedventscanbe fittedisnotalwayseasytoverify.Inthese cases,
precautionstominimisedustand control all effective ignition sources are essential, together with the

38. exclusion of personnel during filling, which is when the main dust explosion risk exists. Suppression
systems are another satisfactory method of protecting plant, but specialist companies are needed to
design,supply,fit,andmaintainthe equipment.Theiruse inbrewinganddistilling is increasing as there
isno release of productsof combustion,andsystemsalwaysinclude explosionisolationsuchaschemical
barriers,whereasinventedsystems,explosionisolationhastobe separately considered. Building plant
withsufficientstrengthtocontainexplosionsisnotgenerallyundertakeninbrewinganddistilling:many
plants are too large and the extra installation costs would be high.
Thisis neverthelessbecomingcommoninsome otherindustries where smaller plant is used, materials
are toxicandfull containmentisrequiredatall times.Explosionisolation of dust collector systems (and
otherplantitems) fittedwithexplosionventingfromnon-protected plant is often overlooked. If a dust
collector is not “decoupled” and an explosion in this higher risk item occurs, it can propagate back
through the entire plant system. Simple explosion diverters that stop pressure-piling effects can be
used, but these may not stop flame propagation. Alternatively, some flap valves, chemical barriers,
Ventex valves,slam-shutvalves,etc.,canbe used.Itis oftenpoorlyunderstoodthatexplosionprotected
plant should not be opened when it is in operation. Examples include opening silo manways for level
checking or inspection. The image below shows a hinged flap on the boot of a bucket elevator that is
opened daily for manual material feed where there is no explosion barrier.
Spirit Manufacture:
The ‘Basis of Safety’ for spirit manufacturing includes ignition source controls which includes: 9 good
earthingandbonding(whichincludesensuring operators are suitably earthed) 9 avoiding splash filling
tanks 9 avoiding hotwork 9 preventing mechanically generated sparks 9 ensuring the use of suitable
equipment9goodventilation9use of flame arresters on outside vents Emergency relief vent systems
have to be carefullydesigned, so releases of flammable liquid and vapours cannot not be made to the
workplace.Often,spirittanksare foundindoorswiththe vent indoors, and flame arresters not suitably
maintained. In older distilleries, hazardous areas should be reviewed where blanket zoning has been
used,as oftenthe size of Zonescanbe reduced.Ventilationeffectiveness should also be reviewed and
all existingelectrical andmechanical equipmentshouldbe assessedforsuitability.Often,thisisacase of
individual item inspections and a judgement call made item by item. As equipment is replaced in
hazardous areas, it should be to the appropriate ATEX category and installed and maintained by
competent,appropriately trained personnel. In the UK most distilleries produce Scotch whisky, which
has to be matured for at least three years, and typically 10 years or more for unblended malt whisky.
This has to be stored in wooden casks at 60% to 65% ABV (flash point ~~ 20 °C) and is stacked in
warehouses.Casksare porous and evaporation occurs so ethanol vapour is released to atmosphere by