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JUL 2017 FOOD FOCUSTHAILAND
“Et bliev nix wie et wor” (“Nothing stays as it was”): that’s the
wordingofArticle5 in theKölschConstitution,acompilationofeleven
idioms in the localdialect.And thatalsoapplies to theCologne-based
brewery Privatbrauerei Gaffel: capacities in its previous inner-city
facilitywereexhausted–morespacewasurgently required.Needless
tosay, the family-managedbrewerywanted tokeep its independence
andcontinue toproduceefficiently.SoGaffel tookaboldstep towards
an auspicious future – and merged its two breweries into a single
plant.
It was not so very long ago that Privatbrauerei Gaffel was still
operating twobreweries:since1908, ithadbeenbrewing its traditional
Gaffel-Kölsch right in theheart of Cologne’s inner city, just a stone’s
throw away fromCologneCathedral. And in 1998, it then took over
theRichmodis-Brauerei in thesuburbofPorz-Gremberghoven.Kegs
and “Pittermännchen” (10-litre Kölsch barrels), moreover, are filled
inCologne’s northernBilderstöckchendistrict.
But it was precisely this inner-city location that entailed a few
problemswhich are firstly supplying the brewerywith rawmaterials
and expendables, as well as tanker-truck traffic, grew into a
progressively more difficult logistical challenge, and secondly the
space constraintsentailedby the fact that thebuilding complexwas
located in themiddleof a street near Cologne’smain stationdidnot
permit any expansion. On amere 2,000 squaremetres, Gaffel was
brewingalmost half amillionhectolitres a year.
So therewas only one logical consequence forGaffel: tomerge
its three facilities intoone in themedium term.Thepremisesofwhat
used to be the Richmodis Brewery were downright predestined for
thisplan. Not onlywas theautobahnonly a short distanceawaybut
theexisting infrastructurewas likewisewell-nigh ideal: theproduction
facility is situated in a designated industrial estate –
there are no problems about producing round the
clock there.What’smore, thepremisespossess their
owndeepwellwithcertifiedwater rights.So thiswas
a no-brainer.
TurnkeySolution
No sooner said thandone. Back in2012, Gaffel had
already started tomake plans for the relocation, put
it out to tender in thenormalwayamong thevendors
ofbreweryprocess technology–and in theendopted
for one of the best turnkey solution provider for
breweries 1. “It was not really the most favourable
quotationbut itdefinitelywas thebestoverall technical
solution,” says Reiner Radke, Technology and
LogisticsDirector,andemphasisesa fewmajorpoints
inaddition: “We’re largely usingdouble-seat valves 2
Additional Information
1 KronesAGa leading turnkey solutionprovider for breweries
2 Evoguarddouble-seat valves andpumps
3 Steinecker brewing system
4 BotecF1process control systemwith integratedSiemens-S7 technology
5 Steinecker TFSTwinFlowSystem
throughoutourproductionoperation.Thesearesubstantiallysmaller than
competitors’ models, and all the components can be replaced without
having touse special tools. Similar considerationsapply for thepumps2,
which additionally consume less energy than comparable units. What’s
more, our staff were already familiar with the equipment; the existing
brewingprocess3 installed inourRichmodisbrewhouse, and theprocess
control systemwith an integrated technology4 installed in our Eigelstein
facility.”
SoGaffel placedanorder toaprovider fora turnkeysolution1, except
for thenewboilerhouse,which thebrewery installed itself.Gaffelwanted
tokeeponusingsomeof theexistingRichmodiskit, andsupplement this
withnewunits.Theonlycomponents thatGaffel tookalong from itsoriginal
brewery in theheartofColognewereasheetfilteranda twinflowfiltration
system (TFS)5. “Wewanted to keep the sheet filter becausewe’re filling
incold-sterilemode–noflashpasteurizationeven, letalonepasteurisation
proper,” explainsReiner Radke. “We took a deliberate decision against
membranefiltration foravarietyof reasons, oneof thembeing thatwe’re
assumingwe’ll beable to run theTFSwithcellulose insteadof diatomite
in the not toodistant future.”
Article 10 of the Kölsch Constitution reads: “Drinks de ejne met?”
(“Like tohaveadrinkwithus?”)–ReinerRadke’sanswer to thisquestion
can meanwhile be a confident “Yes”, now that this project has been
successfully concluded.