MillerCoors | Golden, CO
The whole beer processing project replaces the existing evaporation and condensing operation at the MillerCoors Brewery with more efficient and streamlined technology. One of the key challenges of the project was integrating aging brewery infrastructure and storage facilities with modern processing equipment and an online processing plant.
Overall, the whole beer project adds equipment to the front end of existing separation systems so whole beer can be processed continuously in one integrated system. Distillation is used to produce beer distillate that is then processed in downstream purification equipment. One of the existing stripper towers was converted into a beer column to produce the beer distillate and separate non-condensable vapors, entrained solids, and excess water. Solids entering with the whole beer feed stream are removed and routed to storage for sale as beer syrup/solids. Excess water is treated and cleaned to recycle to the plant.
Merrick performed complete engineering services, along with a sensitivity analysis to optimize technology selection and a capital cost estimate to accurately baseline the project.