Thermal de-alcoholization unit

"Alcohol-free beer must taste like beer."

This is the main demand which is always made on the de-alcoholization of beer. For this reason, the gentle treatment of product is of major importance during alcohol reduction.

GEA is one of the most experienced manufacturers in the field of thermal separation technology, and our plants for the de-alcoholization of beer have been successfully sold worldwide thanks to their advantages in view of the process and of the special product features:

Gentle product treatment thanks to process temperatures of less than 40 °C
Very short residence time of the product in the plant
No possibility of germ formation
No direct steam contact
Carbonation within the plant

For feed rates between 10 hl/h and 50 hl/h, directly heated falling film evaporation plants are used. For larger feed rates, GEA designs plants with mechanical vapor recompression. Compared to the former de-alcoholization processes of the market the design is impressive due to its low energy costs.

The plant shown in the picture can be delivered as compact plant or can be installed on site; a design according to ATEX is not required because the alcohol is non-concentrated when being discharged from the plant.

The plant is equipped with the GEA Ecomatrix system, cylindric-conical tanks and the complete piping and control system. The beer product comes from the pressure vessel, is preheated and then evaporated in two effects, subsequently, it is replenished by brewing water, cooled and carbonized.