Page 34 - Beverage MasterOct Nov 2020

Craft Distillery

All About Boiler Use in

the Distillery By: Alyssa L. Ochs

T here are many different things to think low-pressure boilers produce and supply steam
about when operating a distillery.
below 15 PSI. These boilers come in various
However, one often-overlooked detail is
and cast iron sectionals.
the distillery’s boiler and its quality, condi- designs, including fire-tube, water-tube, tubeless
tion and features. There are various kinds of boilers
available to craft distilleries today, which is why it’s “Some of these boilers are great at handling
a good idea to learn more about them and know low-pressure steam heating loads, such as a church,
what questions to ask before either buying your school or apartment building,” Baughman said.
first boiler or upgrading your current one. “But they aren’t as conducive to a production type
of application.”
The Importance of Distillery Boilers
He also said that the type of boiler used in a dis-
Boilers are used in distilleries to heat the kettle, tillery should be dictated by the distillery equip-
for sanitation and sterilization, for pasteurized ment and the associated steam load requirements.
heating, to maintain precise temperatures and to
meet production demands efficiently. Boilers are “A small craft distillery may be able to utilize a
essential in the distilling process because making boiler that produces steam up to 15 PSI, which is
spirits requires hot water to be at specific tempera- ASME Section IV construction,” Baughman said.
tures, and a boiler helps the distiller control tem- “As the pounds of steam per hour load demand
peratures. The ability to control this heat improves increases with larger distillery equipment, then
the quality of the spirit and ensures the distiller’s a power boiler of ASME Section I construction–
safety. which produces steam greater than 15 PSI–may be
required in order to hold a steady steam pressure
Boilers create high-quality steam that impacts a at the equipment. Holding a steady steam pressure
spirit’s taste and are commonly used to sanitize at the distillery equipment is extremely important
and sterilize distilling equipment. In some instanc- as steam pressure relates to temperature. The dis-
es, boilers can even help control a distillery’s air tillery equipment needs to have steady pressure in
temperature where tastings and tours take place. order to perform properly. If the steam pressure
fluctuates, then temperature fluctuates according-
Boiler Types ly, which affects the performance of the stills and
other distillery equipment.”
Modern water tube boilers start producing steam
faster than older models, while older fire tube Allied Boiler manufactures fire-tube and tubeless
boilers take longer to heat up and can be out of boilers, both Section I and Section IV construction,
commission for longer during servicing. Distilleries from six to 2,000 horsepower. Baughman said
use low-pressure and high-pressure steam boilers that each installation and its particular steam load
or steam injection boilers that are typically afford- determines the type of construction the boiler
able to buy and install, supply steam with no filters needs to be.
needed and provide hot water for various distillery
needs. Low-pressure steam boilers are efficient and Boiler Features
low-cost to operate, less noisy than steam injection
boilers and pass inspections more easily. Many modern boilers are narrow enough to fit
through a standard doorway and easily install into
Dave Baughman, President of Allied Boiler & a distillery building. Boiler companies make over a
Supply, told Beverage Master Magazine that dozen different sizes ranging from five to 150 HP.

32 October - November 2020 BEVERAGE MASTER

BM080920 Main Pages copy.indd 32 9/28/20 1:50 PM