Brewery Expansion means Steam Equipment Increase
Brewery Expansion means Steam Equipment Increase
Eric McKay and Patrick Murtaugh have been lifelong friends and founded the Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in 2011 bringing so into reality a youthful dream. The two put together though not only their knowledge, their vision and their passion for brewing world class ales and lagers: they additionally pursued consistently their mission for “brewing with purpose”. The ingredients of the recipe are: steadfast quality assurance standards; local sourcing (support the local growers and highlight the Virginia-flavors); environmental stewardship (use of 100% renewable energy and recycled materials, active support of organizations dedicated to environmental awareness and protection); community engagement featuring events that unite the community and educate the guests on the art of making beer; and giving back (Hardywood contributes to over 50 local and national non-profit organizations per year).
In these 6 years after starting brewing in the initial facility in Richmond, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery averaged a 100% growth per year, earned international acclaim with medals at the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, opened a new taproom in Charlottesville (2017) and launched a $28 million investment in land, landscaping, brewing and packaging facilities and equipment. comprising furthermore a taproom and beer garden, agricultural fields and infrastructure for leisure and recreation activities such as community events space, walking paths and an amphitheater for live events, concerts and performances.
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, in Richmond, Virginia decided to expand by building a new greenfield brewing facility, the steam equipment needed to supply a four-vessel, 60-barrel BrauKon brewhouse also increased to reach 70,000 barrels annual minimum capacity with an initial steam production requirement of 12-14 hours a day, 5 days a week. Space and utilities for applying additional boilers for future expansions have already been planned.
The Production included: Flagship Range available year round (Singel 6.2% ABV, Pils and VIPA both with 5.2% ABV); Canned (Cream Ale 4.4% ABV, Pale Ale 5.6% ABV and The Great Return West Coast Style IPA with 7.7% ABV); a Richmond Lager (American Craft Lager with 5.0% ABV); the Reserve Series, featuring local seasonal ingredients (Farmhouse Pumpkin Wallonian-style Farmhouse Ale Brewed with 8.5% ABV, the Belgian-style White Ale Virginia Blackberry with 6.8% ABV, the Hardywood Christmas Morning Imperial Milk Stout with Spices, Coffee and 9.2% ABV, a Belgian Abbey-Style Tripel Refermented on Peaches with 8.2% ABV, the Quadrahop Imperial IPA with 8.5% ABV, the Gingerbread Stout Imperial Milk Stout Brewed with 9.2% ABV awarded in Virginia and World Beer Cup, as well as the Raspberry Stout Chocolate Stout Brewed with 9.2% ABV awarded in the States and Australia); the Series matured in wooden Barrels (White Wine, Bourbon, Rum, Rye and Apple Brandy Barrels), not to mention the Pilot Batches and the collaborative Projects of the Brewer and Artist Series.
The Solution
One Universal TC 1500 natural gas with 100 BHP, together with a CERTUSS Supply Unit CVE (settled for a future expansion with two further Universal TC 1500 with 100 BHP each).
CERTUSS America took on the project in November 2016 through their local Sales & Service Partner Power and Heat Systems, LLC, located in Ashland, VA.
The supply
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery had already announced a spring 2017 opening for the planned 60,000 squarefoot production facility in a 24 acre plot in West Creek Business Park, Goochland. Nevertheless the work took longer than anticipated due to issues with the soil on the building site. Hardywood, the Richmond brewery sourcing 100% of its power from renewables (solar, wind and biomass) and committed to minimize its ecological footprint, preferred to push back the project instead of chemically treating the soil – postponing thus into a new opening target for spring 2018. The official order for the equipment including full commissioning was placed in June 2017 for a delivery end of same year, after the soil issues were definitely been resolved with natural means.
The CERTUSS equipment supplies the brewhouse with a 70,000 barrels initial capacity, natural gas fuel supply and steam production requirement of 12-14 hours a day, 5 days a week. The modular design of CERTUSS permits gradually doubling and even tripling the initial steam capacity in the next years without major modifications in the equipment, other than incrementally installing two more Universal TC 1500 as soon as the brewing requirements demand it. CERTUSS modular steam plant would fit the blueprint of the new facility, while the reduced installation footprint allows the future expansions without any space issues. The steam serves mainly the brewing processes, the mash kettle and the boil kettle. Future uses could cover the steam sanitation on a keg line as well as the wood barrel sanitation.
Whereas the old facilities including existing equipment in Richmond will be further used for small batches, experimental new projects and the local consume, West Creek will constitute the large scale production site serving the Hardywood distribution and even allowing the introduction of new production methods, such as an openair fermentation.
Apart from the increased production capacity itself, Hardywood’s choice of the best equipment they could get aims into ensuring elevated quality assurance and the necessary consistency.
Brian Nelson, Head Brewer of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, named four criteria when asked about the choice of CERTUSS boilers as best equipment for their large scale new facility: “size, maintenance, service, efficiency” – in all four categories CERTUSS scored 100 points.
drink Technology + Marketing · March 2019
