German brewery switches to new filtration system
11 Nov 2010
Ludwigshafen, Germany - The Welde brewery in Plankstadt, Germany has switched its entire production process to BASF’s Crosspure filtration technology.
The German brewer will use the product to filter about 100,000 hectoliters of beer every year – the first commercial-scale application for the filtration aid anywhere in the world. Various other breweries are currently in the process of trialing Crosspure, added BASF.
Beer contains proteins and polyphenols stemming from malt and hops, which depending on the concentration, can quickly form complexes that make beer cloudy and affect the taste. Clarification and separation are, therefore, very important parts of the production process.
According to BASF, Welde chose the Crosspure method because it generates significantly less waste than the diatomaceous earth system, and consumes much less energy consumption than membrane filtration.
BASF products Divergan and Crosspure bind haze-active polyphenols during beer production, providing long-term stability and clarity without changing the taste. Crosspure, however, is simultaneously used for the removal of yeast and can replace diatomaceous earth.
The product, said BASF, is regenerable and suitable for use in existing filtration plants with only minor adjustments.
Insoluble Crosspure is removed completely from the beer after filtration, regenerated and reused, whereas diatomaceous earth requires disposal after use.
