Modern brewing technology for a trendy après-ski beer
Alpine mountaineering and skiing are the two main tourist attractions of Austria's Zillertal. But did you know that the village of Zell is home to the oldest private brewery in the Tyrol and its ultramodern brewhouse?
Brewing beer for tourists
Zell am Ziller, home to some 1,800 people, is just under an hour away from Innsbruck by car. In 1500 the oldest brewery in the Tyrol was founded there. It is now known as Zillertaler Bier GmbH. Today, it is a regional brewery, supplying speciality beers to customers in a radius of 100 km. 85 percent of the 60,000 hectolitres produced are sold to the hotel and restaurant sector. Two thirds are sold in barrels and one third in returnable bottles. The region depends on tourism. Ski and snowboard fans flock to the Zillertal Alps, especially in the months of December to April. This is also the time when Zillertaler Bier GmbH makes around 55 percent of its annual sales.
Eckdaten
- Jährlicher Bierausstoss von rund 60.000 hl Bier
- Brauwasser: kristallklares Quellwasser
- Komfortable, vollautomatische Reinigung durch CIP-Verteiler
- Im Vergleich zur alten Braustätte spart das vollautomatisierte neue Sudhaus bezogen auf die Kaltwürze über 30 Prozent Wärme und über 34 Prozent Strom ein
Strong partners, efficient technology
Since mid-2013, the company has only been brewing beer in its recently constructed Steinecker brewhouse, most of which was built by Krones AG from Neutraubling, Germany.
The building focuses on energy-efficient brewing by recycling thermal energy in the brewing process. The EquiTherm procedure developed by Krones Steinecker combines the demand for heat when mashing with the excess heat produced when wort cooling. It therefore ensures efficient use of energy in the brewhouse and a vastly reduced demand for primary energy.
As a long-standing partner to the renowned Krones AG, ProMinent GmbH also has role to play in the brewing technology and the optimum quality of the end products. The Heidelberg-based experts supplied a batching station with two tanks, including stirrer, and two metering stations standardised to Krones' requirements. These systems are designed as brackets for wall mounting with integrated drip tray and are equipped with the robust motor driven metering pumps Sigma/ 2 basic type. The stroke length of the pumps can be adjusted manually and they are designed for a maximum pump capacity of 130 l/h with a back pressure of 10 bar. Their patented multi-layer safety diaphragm with visual signals and an integrated relief valve for protecting against overload guarantee extremely good process reliability
A beer for every taste
The fully automated brewhouse belonging to Zillertaler Bier GmbH, where the only manual tasks involved are adding the hops and lab work, is designed for ten brews a day. Ten grades of beer are now brewed here, resulting in 13 different types of beer and beer mixes including Pils, weiss beer, dark weiss beer, Märzen (March beer) and dark beer. So the only dilemma facing the tourists and thirsty sportsmen and -women is which to try. Whichever you go for: Cheers!