Craft beer is the new trend, and all over the country microbreweries are thriving. In order to keep up with the competition, these small local breweries must stay ahead of the curve in taste, equipment and production. Brewing hundreds of gallons of beer several times a week is a time-consuming process that requires hot water delivered at precise temperatures; deviations from the correct temperatures can influence everything from the beer’s flavor to its production time. Consequently, having a reliable hot water source that outputs at exactly the temperature needed is essential for a brewery’s success.

Time Is Money

Established in February 2015, Abide Brewing Company in Newnan, Ga. is the brainchild of three friends who bonded over their love of home brewing. When selecting equipment for the facility’s build-out, the founders evaluated several water heating options, knowing that the brewery’s system had to produce large quantities of hot water at extreme temperatures to facilitate the brewing process.

Because each brew requires hundreds of gallons of water to be brought to a boil, Abide’s founders needed a system that could consistently output multiple gallons of hot water at the maximum temperature available — the hotter the initial temperature, the less time spent bringing the batch to a boil. They were also interested in an energy-efficient unit that would cost less to run.

Hot Liquor Tank vs. Tankless

While many microbreweries rely on a specific piece of equipment called a hot liquor tank to serve as their hot water source, the Abide team wanted to see if a more general water heating system could work in its place. After careful consideration, they determined that the Rinnai RL94e Tankless Water Heater’s ability to produce 8 gallons of hot water per minute at a maximum temperature of 185 degrees was ideal for their needs, and it served as the perfect alternative to a hot liquor tank. Abide installed the Rinnai unit in advance of the brewery’s opening, and it has been in use since day one of production.

Performance Benefits

Since its installation, the Rinnai tankless water heater has consistently produced the hot water Abide needs for its mash and sparging processes, and the founders say the unit helps them save roughly 2 hours each brew day. According to owner Evan Scanlan, “The Rinnai enables us to continue to brew hundreds of gallons of beer, several times a week without fail. The heater is surely put to the test day after day and has never missed a beat.”

Evan believes Abide saved somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 by using a Rinnai unit instead of purchasing a hot liquor tank. Furthermore, the brewery achieves additional savings because the reduced time to boil translates to less natural gas consumed by the burners. The time, energy and financial savings that resulted from the Rinnai installation have left no question in the team’s mind that they made the right decision.

“We highly recommend any brewery to install a Rinnai Tankless Water Heater in their production facility,” said Evan. “Big or small, Rinnai has products to fit your needs.”