If you’re serious about homebrewing, understanding beer barrel accessories is essential. Here is everything you need to know about brew valves to ensure a successful brewing experience.
The Role of Brew Valves in Beer Crafting
During the brewing process, there are times you will need to transfer the liquid in and out of your beer barrel. This will happen during fermentation, conditioning and serving. Well, during these processes, it’s the brew valves that allow you to control the movement of your beer.
The purpose of brew valves is to ensure a smooth and controlled flow of the beer. For example, when filling a barrel, brew valves help prevent spills and excessive aeration, which can affect the drink’s quality. During dispensing, they ensure that beer flows at the right rate, preventing foaming or waste. Without precise flow control, you could experience wasted ingredients and inconsistent quality. That said, having reliable brew valves in your barrels is critical.
Types of Brew Valves
Brew valves are beer barrel accessories that vary in design, function, material and application. Choosing the right one will depend on your brewing setup and the level of control you need.
Manual vs. Automatic
The valve’s controlling process can be done either manually or automatically. This will depend on the sophistication of your setup. A home brewery setup will generally have manual valves. With this kind of valve, you simply rotate a lever or knob to open or close it. Generally, a locking mechanism is featured within the valve to ensure it’s locked at the desired position. Locking mechanisms can also vary, but they tend to be a position handle, a pull handle or a locking slide for a nut.
Automatic valves, on the other hand, are controlled pneumatically or electrically. They generally use control systems to open, close or regulate liquid flow based on predefined conditions. They are generally used in large-scale breweries and automated brewing setups.
Direct vs. Utility Brew Valves
In the brewing industry, valves are divided into two different categories: direct contact and utility valves. A direct contact valve, as the name suggests, comes into direct contact with the liquid during the brewing process. The utility valve, on the other hand, doesn’t come into direct contact with the product.
A direct contact valve is used when precise flow control is needed to reduce oxidation and unwanted foaming. This includes transferring wort from the mash tun to the boil, moving beer between fermenters or into kegs and serving beer from a keg in a draft system. Generally made from stainless steel, these valves are easy to clean and sanitise, which helps prevent off-flavours and bacterial growth.
A utility valve is generally recommended for controlling non-beer-related functions. This includes controlling water flow in a brewing setup (such as filling mash tuns or kettles), managing gas flow in kegging or carbonation or handling cleaning solutions when brewing equipment. These valves aren’t ideal for beer contact.
Butterfly Valve
This is a type of direct contact valve. It has a handle that when rotated, turns the rotating disc with a stem internally, moving it from the closed to the open position. The steam is located in the middle of the valve, so it doesn’t cause any obstruction to the flow.
Butterfly valves are generally compact in design and have good sealing properties. But they aren’t recommended for high-pressure applications. They are often used on the racking arm, blown-off arm, CIP line and bottom blowout.
Solenoid Valve
Solenoid valves have an electric coil that through an operating voltage, creates an electromagnetic field that forces the plunger to open the flow path. When the voltage is cut, a spring forces the plunger to close. They can be used as both a service utility and a direct contact valve, and due to their quick response time and reliability, they are often implemented in automated bottling processes.
Ball Valve
A ball valve is often used as a service utility valve, but it can also operate as a direct contact valve if well-cleaned on a regular basis. They work through the use of a rotary ball with a bore; the liquid is circulated by rotating the ball 90 degrees along its axis with the handle. This spherical design makes these valves extremely durable and provides a good seal throughout the valve’s lifetime. However, because of the floating ball and internal bore, they must be cleaned frequently and thoroughly to prevent contamination or bacteria from being trapped around the ball in the valve housing.
Brew Valves Material
For direct contact valves, the best material you can choose is stainless steel. This material is durable enough to withstand harsh cleaning agents, high temperatures and pressures and doesn’t give a metallic taste to the beer. For a service utility valve, brass is a good material option as well.
Stay away from plastic valves. Although they are affordable and lightweight, they tend to degrade faster and also absorb flavours.
What Is the Best Brew Valve for a Homebrew Setup?
For a simple setup, the best brew valve is a stainless steel ball valve. It will offer you the durability, ease of use and reliable flow control you need. A half or three-quarters two-piece ball valve is an excellent option for when on a tight budget. A three-piece ball valve can be disassembled completely, making it easier to maintain proper sanitation.
For an automated process, automated solenoid or motorised ball valves can be integrated with a digital control system.
Final Words
When a brew valve is worn out, it can lead to leaks, unexpected spills of hot liquid or even contamination of your brew. Furthermore, it can also cause pressure issues, especially in more advanced setups, increasing the risk of burns or equipment damage. So, make sure you inspect our valves regularly. If any of them is showing signs of wear, corrosion or sticking, make sure to replace them as soon as possible.
Investing in quality valves and maintaining them properly will help ensure a safe, smooth brewing process and protect both your equipment and your brew.