A brewery uses compressed air from fermentation through packaging, and much of that air can contact the product. Aeration of wort, yeast handling, filling, capping, keg washing and pneumatic controls all run on compressed air, so purity is a food-safety issue.
Air quality
Breweries specify ISO 8573-1 Class 0 oil-free air for product contact, with drying to a low dew point and filtration for particles. Control air for valves should also be dry to prevent moisture entering instrument lines and affecting filling accuracy.
Key applications
- Wort aeration and fermentation air
- Bottle and can filling and capping
- Keg washing and pressurisation
- Pneumatic conveying of malt and adjuncts
- Packaging and palletising
System design
Use oil-free compression with adsorption drying, stainless or hygienic pipework, and point-of-use sterile filtration at filling stations. Avoid dead legs in the pipe runs and manage condensate carefully. Redundancy keeps production moving during service intervals.