What's not to love about craft beers? At the beginning of this year, ABC News reported that on average a small brewery has opened every week in Australia for the past three years. If you are someone who has brewed craft beer at home for years and is interested in leasing an industrial space to take your microbrewery into a small business venture, you currently have plenty to think about. One factor which needs to be at the forefront of your mind during the brewery design phase is drainage. Brewery plumbing requirements are not necessarily specialist knowledge, but it does pay to know what your microbrewery needs before you meet with your local plumber. Consider these three factors about installing drainage at a microbrewery.
Eliminate Bacteria Buildup
The main reason to design a drainage system where bacteria cannot build up is so you don't have the potential for bacteria to flow back and contaminate other parts of your brewery process. For example, a badly designed drain which overflows puts bacteria on the brewery floor. This contaminant is then potentially picked up with shoes or equipment and carried through to other parts of the brewery. It only takes one employee with bad hygiene habits to then share the bacteria back into the brewing process.
The best way to eliminate bacteria growth in your microbrewery drainage is to install drains that are curved or sloped rather than having 90-degree angles in them. Curved drains have no sharp corners for bacteria to hide inside. If the bacteria cannot grow, then you reduce the chance of it spreading through the work environment.
Drainage Components
There are several different component types you can use for brewery drainage, and these are plastic or stainless steel. There are a couple of reasons why plastic drains should automatically be discounted:
- When your microbrewery is successful and you need to bring in extra equipment such as forklifts, you need durable drains that can handle heavy equipment moving over it.
- The high temperatures used during the brewing process could quickly damage plastic components.
Stainless steel drains and grates are solid, reliable and durable. Stainless steel works because it is resistant to both corrosion and heat. Stainless steel does not expand when exposed to high heat, which means there is no expansion to break the drain or grate. Stainless steel resists chemical attack, so there is no need to worry cleaning chemicals will damage the drain or grate.
When it comes to the stainless steel drainage grate, make sure the plumber installs a filtration basket between the grate and the drainage trench. Solids generated as part of the brewing waste can quickly clog drains which halts production while these are cleared.
Correct Floor Slope
The perfect microbrewery drainage is not going to work if you do not consider the ease of floor liquids flowing into it. A slight slope of the floor into the floor drain means overflow liquid naturally flows into the drain rather than sitting on the floor waiting for assistance to move. Your plumber must liaise with the brewery fit-out contractor to ensure there is enough slope for the liquid to move on its own accord. You do not want standing liquid on the floor as this is a health hazard. Not only can bacteria breed in standing liquid, but there is also a risk of employees slipping and falling.
Pre-planning your microbrewery draining with your plumber and building contractor means you get the job done right the first time. Once it is in place, you can focus more on the fun of having a brewing business and less on where the brewery waste is going.
For more information, get in touch with a company such as Hydro Construction Products.
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