ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the range of equipment and processes that are currently in use in brewhouses throughout the world. This includes "old-fashioned" traditional equipment that is still used for historical reasons, current best practice technology, and new systems that have recently come into use. The advantages and disadvantages of the various systems being employed will be compared and contrasted. Brewers must be aware that whatever system is in use, the brewhouse process must be optimized in a way that ensures people power, energy, raw materials, and water efficiency for the production of good quality wort. The chapter shows the various processes, inputs, and products of a brewhouse. It describes the various brewhouse operations, events, and pieces of equipment in the order that they are encountered as the raw materials are transformed into wort. Where necessary, background information on the engineering principles is provided. This begins with a general overview of heat transfer, a concept crucial to the whole brewing process.
