Heateflex Corporation, a California-based manufacturer of high-purity industrial heating systems, recently introduced a new product, Gambrinus, designed to reduce Total Package Oxygen (TPO) in beer-bottling lines. The initial Gambrinus unit has been installed and tested in a high-volume commercial brewery and bottling plant in the Southeast region of the United States, and has been shown to reduce the TPO in a beer bottle from 70 parts per million (PPM) to 30 PPM, increasing the shelf life of the beer and improving its quality and flavor consistency.
The Gambrinus product from Heateflex is a stainless steel in-line heater that injects a very small and precise amount of filtered water into each beer bottle to induce correct foam characteristics and displace oxygen. The heater connects to a jetting tip when installed in a beer filling subsystem in the plant’s bottling line. The heating process keeps the jetting tip clean because the heat leaves it dry and sterile. Gambrinus is constructed using an ASME-certified pressure vessel (U-stamped), and employs a patented sanitary fitting between the heating element cap and the housing to further inhibit bacteria growth. The system is available with or without a control package.