Nitrogen generators, a CO2 alternative for breweries

Beer brewing requires expertise, carefully selected ingredients, and the right equipment. With the worldwide shortage of carbon dioxide (CO2), the food and beverage industry is struggling with the rising CO2 supply costs and availability. This is where on site nitrogen generation can help. 

Nitrogen plays a key role in this process, especially in packaging and in tank purging. That is why it is crucial to have access to top-quality nitrogen for breweries. Pneumatech is the gas generation expert and partner that can deliver a nitrogen solution that meets the specific needs of every brewery, large or small. 

Brewers often say, “oxygen is beer’s worst enemy.” As an inert gas, nitrogen prevents potential quality problems that would arise from beer contamination with oxygen. Nitrogen is a great alternative to CO2 to move beer between vessels and to blanket tanks to control the conditioning stage. When kegs are cleaned between use, they are often filled with nitrogen. 

Both nitrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) are inert gases used to flush, purge, infuse and package beer. For many processes, CO2 can be replaced with nitrogen. In fact, nitrogen is the preferred solution, except for carbonation requirements. Some breweries prefer nitrogen over CO2 to nitrogenate their beer, as it creates a smoother texture with fine bubbles. In addition, as CO2 is highly soluble in beer, it could introduce excess carbonation.

From a commercial point of view, nitrogen can offer brewers huge cost savings. On site produced nitrogen is much less expensive than CO2, and it isn't subject to CO2’s volatile pricing. In addition, CO2 tends to experience supply chain issues, leaving breweries without the inert gas they need. An on-site nitrogen generator eliminates this production roadblock. 

Because of the many uses of nitrogen gas throughout the production and packaging process, breweries have a specific set of nitrogen requirements:

• Food-grade nitrogen: Breweries must follow European and global standards for food-grade nitrogen. They must prevent any oxygen contamination and the loss of entire batches of beer.
• Flexibility: Any brewery nitrogen solution must meet the demands of all its nitrogen applications, from blanketing and purging to packaging. It must cater to the needs of different sizes of breweries, from large operations to craft breweries.
• Sustainable production: Sustainability has become a key condition that nitrogen solutions must meet.
• Reliability: Nitrogen plays a key role in the brewing and packaging process. Any nitrogen solution must be reliable in performance, quality and purity.
• Cost reduction: Margins are typically tight in the brewery business. The right nitrogen solution will contribute to keeping operational costs in check. 

Many breweries still purchase their nitrogen in a similar fashion to CO2 via their supply chain. Just like CO2 supplied in canisters and tanks, nitrogen supply carries higher costs and creates potential risks to the continuity of beer production.

With on-site nitrogen generation, brewers can reduce their production risks and obtain other benefits such as:

• Greater cost-efficiency
• Reducing carbon footprint
• Taking charge of their own nitrogen supply
• Removing supply chain and logistics issues

When it comes to nitrogen for breweries, one size doesn't fit all. Pneumatech knows that the realities of a large production facility are much different from the requirements of a small craft brewery. That is why we don’t offer a uniform brewery solution that would work for only a few. Fortunately, our nitrogen generator product range is extensive and flexible, allowing us to present every brewery with a solution that meets its specific needs.

Pneumatech offers you more than “just” the best nitrogen generator for breweries available on the market. We can also provide food-grade compressed air and process filters. 

Contact us with the details about your brewery, such as your nitrogen usage or the size of generator you need. Our industry experts will put together the best on-site gas solution for you. If you don’t have that information, don’t worry, we will help you through the specification process.