Whether you’re expanding your distillery or starting up a brand-new operation, you know just how important it is to have the right still in place for your work. Especially if you’re just getting your distillery off the ground, you’ll need to consider some important questions when determining what kind of still you’ll get.
With this in mind, here are some things to consider when ordering a new still or other distillery equipment in Eugene, OR:
Type of spirits: What type of spirits do you plan to make in your still? Depending on the liquor you want to make, you might need some different equipment. Common choices include whiskey, bourbon, gin, brandy, vodka and absinthe.
Amount: How much of your spirits do you want to make? If you’re just getting started out, you’re likely to have a smaller operation. Consider proof gallons or barrels per day, week, month or year as part of your selection process.
Your current operation: Consider what you already have in terms of equipment, and what you’re doing at your facility. Are you distilling or just brewing? Is this your first distillery, or do you have another operation elsewhere? Is your goal just to get started up, or is this part of an expansion? You should also consider how feasible future expansion will be, and how soon that could potentially occur.
Work hours: For some people, a distillery starts off as being a part-time operation before it turns into more of a full-time venture. Therefore, you also need to factor in how much you want to work. How many days per week do you plan on distilling, and how many shifts will the work happen in? This will tie in to how much booze you want to distill in a given time period.
Whiskey and bourbon: There are some additional requirements that exist for bourbon and whiskey that don’t exist for other types of liquors at distilleries. If you plan to make bourbon or whiskey at your facility, you should consider how many barrels per day you want to make. A 1,000-gallon pot still is capable of making about two barrels per day. If you want to make more than two barrels per day, you should consider a continuous column still instead of a batch pot still, but with one to two barrels per day, a batch pot still should be more than sufficient.
Potential tours: Will you be allowing guests inside to tour your facility? It’s become quite popular around the country for distilleries to offer tours that showcase their operations and how they make their liquor. Usually there are some liquor samples involved as well. If this is something you’re interested in, you might also want to consider the aesthetics of the still you choose.
For more information about the things you’ll need to consider when purchasing a new still for your distillery, we encourage you to reach out to American Refrigeration Inc. about our distillery equipment in Eugene, OR. We look forward to answering your questions.
Winery chillers play an important role in the winemaking process. They regulate the temperature of the wine as it goes through the production and fermentation process, ensuring consistency and quality. Although you can certainly make wine without them, any winemaking project on a commercial level will probably require a winery chiller to preserve your Eugene, OR winery’s considerable time and financial investment.
What winery chillers do
When wine is made, it needs to ferment—that’s when the yeast converts sugars into alcohol and other byproducts. The higher the temperature, the faster the yeast gets the job done. Faster isn’t always better, however, and a longer fermentation process can often lead to better wine. That’s where winery chillers come in. Because the fermentation process generates heat on its own, just sticking the wine in a dark, cool room is not going to do the trick. Winery chillers allow winemakers to control the temperature of each winemaking process, even when the processes cause it to fluctuate, so results are consistently amazing.
This is achieved by glycol—in fact, you may have heard winery chillers referred to as glycol chillers. Propylene glycol is an antifreeze agent that can chill products to very low temperatures without freezing. Most winemaking processes need to be kept between 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why an antifreeze glycol chiller is ideal. Glycol can be chilled below 32 degrees Fahrenheit without freezing, allowing it to be pumped through the refrigeration tubes to maintain the desired temperature. This also provides extra lubrication for the chiller’s pumps.
Why you’ll love your winery chiller
In addition to guaranteeing fantastic, high-quality wine throughout the entire winemaking process, we think you’ll love your chiller for these reasons, too:
Customizable size: There’s no one-size-fits-all option here. You can pick the size of chiller that suits your needs, whether you’re a hobbyist looking to take your work professional, or you’ve been in the business for decades. Just talk to a product specialist to find out more.
Piping options: If you’re looking to save money, you can opt for plastic piping over copper—it won’t last as long, but if you’re just starting out, that’s one way to reduce the total cost.
Easy maintenance (with the help of a pro): Finally, your winery chiller is easy to maintain when you enlist the help of an HVAC pro. They’ll be able to maintain your chiller, advise you of any potential problems and even recommend new products if it’s time to upgrade.
Winery chillers in Eugene, OR
Getting your own winery chiller is a sign you’re ready to take your winemaking business big time. When you invest in a glycol winery chiller in Eugene, OR, you need to guarantee the best product as well as honest and dependable installation and care. That’s where American Refrigeration Inc. comes in. We are Eugene’s top provider for commercial HVAC services, from installation to repair and maintenance. Call us today to find out what it will take to outfit your winery with the equipment it needs.
A cold storage room can be an incredibly useful feature for a number of different industries and businesses, including restaurants, wineries and grocery stores. Cold storage rooms in Eugene, OR are mainly used to prevent food spoilage, especially fruits and vegetables. Here are some of the biggest benefits of having a cold storage room on your premises:
Wide range of uses: Typically, cold storage is used for food and food prep businesses, but their applications can range from a cool place to store fruits and vegetables to an airtight, dehumidifying environment to a blast freezer. All you have to do is pick the temperature setting that works for your current needs, and your storage room will do the rest.
Customizable sizes and settings: The best part about cold storage rooms is that they’re completely customizable, from the size you need to the refrigeration type. Whether you need refrigeration or a deep freezer, you’ll find the right option for you—and they come in both portable and stationary options.
Free up food prep space: Whether at home or work, having enough usable food prep space is always a challenge. In a professional kitchen, cold storage is crucial to always having enough food on hand, but not clogging up the prep space while the chefs and/or cooks are trying to serve others. Inside coolers help, but they take up a lot of space and have a significant heat output. That can make already-boiling kitchens cross the line into completely unbearable. When you have a dedicated cold storage room, you’re saving space and energy in a lot of ways, including your own personal comfort.
Have a backup: There will be times when your refrigerator or freezer will fail, or the power will go out, and that can result in the loss of products. An airtight cold storage room can help you store products until the power comes back on or your refrigerator is repaired, which will save money and time when you need it most.
Save money: Similarly, food spoilage isn’t just wasteful on a resource level—it’s also expensive to replace. Cold storage rooms with moisture control allow your delicate produce to last longer, as well as extend the life of your bulk storage staples, like grains, flour and sugar. The cooler temperatures and lack of light are ideal for many different types of food storage. Between having backup refrigeration and never needing to risk food spoilage, your cold storage room will pay dividends.
Cold storage rooms in Eugene, OR
Ready to install your own custom cold storage room? Now that you know the benefits of having one, pick the best contractor and supplier to get the job done. American Refrigeration Inc. is Eugene’s top destination for honest and dependable commercial HVAC services. We handle installations, repairs and more for our commercial and industrial clients. If you need a cold storage room installed or repaired in Eugene, OR, we can help. Reach out to us today to learn more or schedule an appointment.
A wort chiller is an essential element of brewing beer. It allows the brew to cool quickly after boiling to prevent the onslaught of bacteria. If this is not done, beer either becomes contaminated or fails to ferment properly. However, you have to be careful to use wort chillers in Eugene, OR correctly, or you may compromise the quality of your beer. Here are four tips on using wort chillers:
Choose the right type: You have three options for wort chillers. All types cool beer by running cold water through pipe mechanisms. Immersion wort chillers are the most popular with home brewers because they are easy to use. Made of copper, they merely need to be hooked to a water source and submerged in beer, as the coils cool the beer through circulating water. Counterflow wort chillers cool quickly, but require a pump and more space to operate. Cold plate worts require less room and also cool quickly. They are popular in breweries, but they’re also your most expensive option. If in doubt, choose an immersion chiller. You can always upgrade later when you expand your brewing skills.
Swirl the wort: This technique is used with immersion wort coolers, and you will have to wear heat-resistant gloves. Even though the copper coils are full of cool water, the copper will absorb the heat, and you risk burns if you do not protect your hands. When you submerge the immersion wort chiller in the beer, swirl it around like you are stirring a stew. This works great in areas where ground water is warmer than usual. If that is the case, you may wish to submerge the wort chiller in an ice bath first to speed the cooling process.
Use an ice bath: Another option to help your wort chiller is to place the beer kettle in an ice bath. While there are brewers who use just an ice bath without a wort chiller, this is not nearly as effective as combining the two. If you wish to speed up cooling, it will likely help you brew higher-quality beer. If you try this, be careful not to allow the wort chiller to come in contact with the ice. That risks bringing contaminants into the beer.
Maintain your equipment: The biggest challenge for home brewers especially is keeping equipment clean. Failing to remove dirt or debris from the previous beer batch can contaminate your future brews. Your wort chiller and any tubing associated with it must be cleaned thoroughly with mild detergent when you are done using it. Otherwise, you will defeat the purpose of controlling bacteria by introducing new strains into your next beer batch. As a further precaution, also clean your wort chiller before each use, as you do not know what it was exposed to while in storage.
American Refrigeration Inc. offers essential equipment and services for the brewery industry. Contact us today to learn about your refrigeration options after you successfully use your wort chiller in Eugene, OR.
Oak is the traditional material for wine barrels. However, it is not the only option for aging tanks in Eugene, OR. Stainless steel works well for some varieties of wine, especially white wine. Here are six reasons to consider stainless steel tanks for your winery:
Capture flavors: Oak barrels work best with fuller wines, like pinot noir and other red wines. It often overpowers the flavors of lighter white wines. Many winemakers learn that fermenting their white varieties in stainless steel captures the fruit flavors better. White wines age out with lighter, crisper flavors.
Temperature control: Stainless steel heats up and cools down very rapidly. This allows extraction to happen more quickly, as well. Average fermentation in steel lasts 15 to 17 days. Concrete tanks, which are a more common option, extend fermentation from 24 to 27 days. Wine flavor and aroma is richer with the shorter fermentation in steel tanks. Steel also works well with preserving required temperatures. The optimal temperature ranges from 45 to 65 degrees, and steel proves effective at maintaining that range.
Durability: There is a reason you see planters made from oak barrels for sale at nurseries or roadside attractions. Eventually, they decompose and start depositing debris into the wine. This leaves wine vulnerable to temperature stress, humidity and other adverse conditions. Steel proves impenetrable to all these elements. Also, steel is easy to clean, which further reduces the wear and tear factors. The tanks and barrels hold up well, and often offer a strong resale value if you decide to replace them.
Easier winemaking process: There is less barrel movement when you use stainless steel. When oak is the preferred material for aging tanks, you have to move the wine into different containers as it reaches new stages in the fermentation process. With stainless steel barrels, you can complete all stages without moving the wine. This makes winemaking more efficient, and you do not have to buy as many barrels to run your operation.
Design options: Stainless steel tanks are available in a variety of sizes and designs. Variable volume tanks contain lids that can be set at any level so you can accommodate different levels of wine. The lid and bladder move down the tank to ensure an airtight fit that prevents contamination. Sealed tanks are fixed volume tanks and must be filled completely. They are a great option if your volume levels are consistent. There are also flat or conical tanks. That choice depends on whether you wish to ensure you rack all the wine out of the storage tank.
Add-on options: Technology comes standard with stainless steel tanks. You can purchase tanks with a variety of add-ons, including thermometers, cooling jackets, leveling feet, sight gauges, pump-over systems and fermentation manways. This allows you to customize your winemaking experience and reduces the need for extra equipment.
American Refrigeration Inc. offers winery chillers for your aging tanks in the Eugene, OR area. Contact us today to see what equipment you need for your winery or distillery.
