| Columbia Brewing Process |
| Bringing the Glacier Fresh taste to life |
| Take the photo tour Brewing Process Slideshow |
| Mash Mixer |
| Mash mixer is where the brewing process begins and the ground malted barley and water are mixed. Natural enzymes in the malt break down starches into sugars, which are used by the yeast to produce alcohol during fermentation. This mash mixes for approximately 2 hours where it is then pumped to the lauter tun. |
| Lauter Tun |
| The Lauter Tun filters mash into two components: Mash (remains) Wort Filtration process takes up to two hours as the wort is moved through the bottom of lauter tun onto the Brew Kettle |
| Brew Kettle |
| The wort boils in the Brew Kettle at temperatures of 100° C or 212° F. At this point: Color develops Wort is sterilized Excess water boils off Hops are added The Brewery uses specially selected hops which are added at certain intervals and add aroma as well as a slightly bittering taste |
| Hot Wort Tank |
| Hot wort leaves the brew kettle and travels to the Hot Wort Tank Wort sits here briefly, giving time for leftover hops or protein to settle before being pumped to Wort Cooler |
| Wort Cooler |
| The wort cooler acts as a heat exchange It is made up of vertical chilled water plates and when the wort enters it's a temperature of 98° C, and leaves at a much cooler 13.5° |
| Fermenter |
| The fermenter holds the wort while the yeast is added Yeast ferments the sugar in the wort into alcohol, which is the step which creates beer This process takes anywhere from six to ten days depending on the type of beer |
| Centrifuge |
| The next step is the aging process As the beer is transferred to the aging tanks, the centrifuge separates the yeast from the fermented beer The removed yeast is stored in refrigerated tanks which is reusable ten to twelve times |
| Aging Tanks |
| The beer is then chilled in the Aging Tanks It remains here anywhere from one to three weeks depending on the type of beer There are 25 aging tanks in the brewery. |
| Beer Filter |
| The Beer Filter removes any yeast that's left, this is the stage that gives the beer a bright and
clear appearance The filter itself is made up of vertical stainless steel mesh screens coated with celite The filtered beer is then carbonated by adding CO2 as it is transferred to the bottling or kegging tanks The alcohol content is then checked to ensure it is within the correct parameters |
| Beer Tank |
| The finished beer is then held in a Bright Beer Tank This is where quality tests are performed When the beer meets all the quality requirements it is cleared to enter the bottleshop The filler will draw the beer from the tanks via pumps and lines where it will then be bottled |
| The Bottleshop |
| The bottleshop is where the beer is bottled before and packaged before being distributed The entire bottling process takes approximately 2hrs 40minutes |
| Depalletizer |
| The depal removes returned cases from pallets stacked seven tiers high It then sweeps each tier off one at a time onto the de-scrambling table The operator then directs the cases onto the conveyor that takes them to the bottom saw |
| Uncasing/Saw |
| The bottom saw cuts off the bottom of the cases as they pass by The saw operator removes the case remains as they pass by The bottles are then picked up by the debris remover and discharged onto the bottlewasher’s supply conveyor |
| Bottlewasher |
| The bottlewasher acts similar to a giant dishwasher It removes labels and thoroughly cleans the bottles both inside and out with a hot caustic solution It takes bottles 28 minutes to pass through the washer |
| Bottle Filler |
| The bottle filler controls the entire functionality of the bottleshop This is where the beer is bottled The filler operator: Ensures bottles are filled to proper levels Correct crown torque and crimp values are applied Ensures correct C02 levels in the beer (alcohol- content) |
| Pasteurizer |
| Pasteurization is the process of heating that protects the flavor and consistency of the beer It destroys any stray yeast cells leftover in the beer Bottles are slowly raised to a temperature of 61°C then cooled back down to room temperature This process takes approximately 40 minutes |
| Labeler |
| In the labeler, the label is picked up and applied to the bottle with a fast-drying glue The label is then smoothed over the bottle |
| Case Packer |
| The Brewery cases its beer in 6, 12, 15, 18, and 24 packs The cases are unfolded, the beer dropped or slid into the case and then folded and glued in place A similar fast drying glue is used to seal the cases Each case is coded to identify its production date which is so precise it is coded down to the very minute it is cased |
| Palletizer |
| The palletizer stacks the cases on a pallet and spin wraps them in stretch wrap for protection
and security The process is now complete and the beer is ready for distribution |
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