How QBOIL® works
QBOIL® uses a specialized stripping column combined with a heat exchanger that functions as a vapor condenser and wort pre-heater.
Our energy saving design continuously feeds wort into the kettle, bringing it to a boil as the lauter tun is still operating. The energy from boiling wort is released as steam and used to preheat fresh wort as it is added.
This steam also removes volatile, unwanted compounds (such as DMS) by stripping liquid wort in the distillation column, while maintaining a low total evaporation.
QBOIL® benefits at a glance
- Energy saving – cuts energy consumption by 35%, making it more effective than other energy recovery systems.
- Enhanced volatile substances removal – maximum efficiency in removal of unwanted volatile components allows low total evaporation.
- Increased efficiency – wort boiling time may be reduced to just 45 minutes, creating faster brewing cycles and increased production (depending on malt quality).
- Seamless retrofitting – update brewing practices and upgrade existing brew plants with minimal disruption.
- Consistent quality – final product quality is improved by reducing the thermal load on wort.
- Sustainability – reduced energy consumption helps lower costs, supports sustainable business practices and appeals to environmentally conscious consumers.
Resource-efficient solution
As one of our most resource-efficient solutions, GEA QBOIL carries the Add Better label.*
QBOIL enables energy efficient wort heating and boiling. This reduces energy consumption by 35% compared to other energy recovery systems for wort heating and boiling, resulting in a higher energy efficiency, less carbon emission and reduced thermal stress.
*The Add Better label relates to the serial product GEA QBOIL, released in August 2025. The comparison refers to its predecessor model, other energy recovery systems on the market e.g. mechanical vapor recompression for wort boiling.
Technical highlights
- Wort stripping – the secret to our low evaporation rate is the distillation column, where a sophisticated system of counter flows and distillation trays removes all the unwanted volatile compounds.
- Fed-batch process – the fed-batch process allows us to directly recover energy spent for wort boiling for pre-heating.
GEA Insights
Innovating for impact: shaping better solutions for customers
Industrial production is being asked to use fewer resources, become smarter and keep equipment productive for longer. At GEA, that is changing how innovation happens: engineering, customer insight, digital expertise and service come together earlier – when a solution can still be shaped at its core.
