Have you been thinking about starting a brewery project for a few months now? You are probably feeling lost in the range of equipment, support services offered, and numerous issues to consider. Indeed, it is not easy to find your way in such a vast project as the setting up of a brewery.
This is why we wanted to present to you how, at Coenco, we work closely with you to develop a turnkey project: from designing the equipment adapted to your project to starting the brewing process. Our goal is to create your brewery, by your side, in complete serenity… So, here are the 6 steps of a turnkey project!
Step 1: analysis of your needs
Initially, we take the time to meet with you, to exchange ideas, to better understand you and your project. In order to provide you with a preliminary quote and a preliminary layout sketch, we need to obtain some answers to the following questions:
- What volume of beer do you plan to sell per year? To answer this, we strongly advise you to draft a business plan. It is not a matter of choosing a random volume to sell. On the contrary, this figure must be built according to your monthly expenses, your loans, etc.
- What is the surface of your premises / building? And what height do you have available?
- What degree of automation do you want? A fully automated equipment will be different from a semi-automated equipment, in terms of operation, production time, costs… Questions to ask yourself beforehand to be able to answer this question.
Based on your responses, we will provide you with a quote and a layout sketch. We usually make several versions before we find the best solution for your specific situation! In this way, we co-create your microbrewery together!
Step 2: engineering
After validating the quote and the layout sketch, we translate your needs into technical solutions. We refine the final layout sketch by indicating all the utilities, in a very detailed manner. We develop a 2D and 3D design of the machines, an ideal tool for you to fully project yourself in your future brewery. Finally, we design a Process Flow Diagram, i.e. a graphical representation of how your equipment will operate. This modeling presents the sequencing of brewing process tasks on your equipment.
At this stage, your needs have materialized, and you can visualize what your brewery will be like. It’s a bit like the first ultrasound
Step 3: construction of your equipment and preparations for your building
In order to start manufacturing your equipment, we start the construction of the “naked” tanks at our partners’ production facility. All this is done under our own supervision and with our own quality control.
At the same time, we order the necessary materials to have a functional brewery. All our suppliers are selected for their rigor, seriousness, and quality of work. For example, it is the German company Beckhoff that takes care of automation. The Spanish Inoxpa manufactures pumps, the Swedish Alfa Laval takes care of plate heat exchangers, the German Khröhne of flow meters…
After receiving the loose parts, we start assembling your brewery in our workshop in Oostkamp, near Bruges. We pay a lot of attention to details during this construction, nothing is left to chance. We assemble the different materials and where needed, our experienced welders weld them with great care. We also carry out the final tests in our workshop, to make sure that your brewing equipment works properly.
You then come into play at this time by coming to see the equipment to give us the final validation, before installation in your future brewery.
In the preceding months, you also have work to do to prepare your building. We indicate the necessary adjustments to you and we discuss them closely with your architect. All of this together is like a 9-month ultrasound!
Step 4: installation
This is the moment you’ve been looking forward to the most: the installation of the equipment in your future brewery. Under the supervision of our project manager, a team of technicians takes care of the complete installation of the equipment. Their experience and know-how allow them to accomplish this mission with efficiency and seriousness.
Here is a concrete example of how an installation takes place. It starts with the shipment of all the equipment built in our workshop. Upon receiving the equipment, we unload it with your collaboration. Then, we position all the material in the building – according to the plan defined beforehand – and we make the connections of the material to the utilities provided. We also take care of the interconnections of the different elements: for example, the malt mill with the brewhouse, the gas burner with the brewhouse, the cooling unit with the fermentation tanks… So we also get you covered for all the piping and insulation.
Finally, we do the final water test to make sure we can start brewing the first beers. The equipment is then installed in your brewery, your dream starts to come true: all we have to do is brew!
Step 5: start-up and training
To reassure you and to start in a serene way, we launch the first brew, together, thanks to the participation of our brewmaster, specialist of the brewing on the Coenco equipment. Our goal during this step is to transmit all our knowledge to you for an optimal use of the equipment. At the end of this training, we want you to feel confident in using your equipment. During these days, we will also work with you on your recipes, in order to adjust them to your brand new equipment.
We typically spend three days on this step. The first day is dedicated to the Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) of the equipment.
This big cleaning should allow us to brew for the next two days. Here, we teach you all the tips and tricks to get the best out of your equipment! The first day we are in charge and you follow along. The second day is up to you and we support! We also optimize your recipes with you, adapting them to the new equipment. It’s always a pleasure to share this first brew with you! We also offer you, if you feel the need, a brew day to optimize the equipment, usually one month after starting up. This can be combined with the commissioning of the bottling line, for example.
Step 6: what next? The follow-up, the services, the Coenco Family!
Did you think we would abandon you after the installation of the equipment? We won’t! You are now part of the Coenco Family. That’s why our after sales service team is always available for your questions or if you have any problems. In addition to our mobile service team, we also have a large warehouse with common spare parts at your disposal! So you can count on a durable and professional 24/7 service, tailored to your needs. After all, your success is our success!
Finally, we offer numerous resources for the Coenco family. First, we regularly share masterclasses so that you can progress over time, learn more about your equipment, etc. We also remain present at numerous trade shows, always happy to see you again or to answer your needs.
At Coenco, we don’t just install brewing equipment, we offer support, daily guidance and membership in our Coenco family group!
So, if you also want to be part of this great family, do not hesitate to fill out a contact form.
