Ep42 - Chillers, Heat Recovery & OpEx: What Every Brewer Needs to Know - Jon Keyte - Refcool

This year alone, I’ve seen multiple breweries unknowingly bleed cash through their refrigeration systems.

Why?

Because chillers are often misunderstood, undersized or poorly maintained. And they happen to be one of the biggest operational costs in any brewery.

In this episode, I sit down with Jon Keyte from RefCool, one of the sharpest minds in refrigeration, to break down everything a brewer needs to know about chillers. From sizing to heat recovery, operational efficiency and how you can use your chiller to heat water to 50c.

If you're buying a chiller, running a chiller, or trying to save energy in your brewery, this is essential listening.

What we cover:
•⁠ ⁠Why chillers are often over sized and draining your margins
•⁠ ⁠How to correctly size a chiller (it’s not what you think)
•⁠ ⁠The truth about compressor types, ambient temperatures and glycol tanks
•⁠ ⁠Heat recovery that turns cooling into hot water
•⁠ ⁠How to monitor, maintain and future-proof your system
•⁠ ⁠Real world CapEx versus OpEx comparisons that could save you thousands

This one is practical, no nonsense and deeply important for any brewer looking at a new chiller or looking to reduce their operational costs.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to the Modern Brewer Podcast
00:24 Highlights from the CIBD Sustainability Conference
02:42 Chris's Controversial Presentation
05:02 We Are Beer Industry Expo
06:35 Brewing World Updates
07:23 Exciting News from Francesco Lo Bue
08:34 Introduction to Today's Episode
09:48 Understanding Brewery Refrigeration
11:09 Meet John Keyte, Refrigeration Expert
13:34 The Importance of Correct Chiller Sizing
24:02 Types of Compressors and Their Impact
24:29 The Role of Ambient Temperature
27:42 Glycol Buffer Tanks and Efficient Chiller Operation
32:55 Monitoring and Optimising Chiller Performance
34:15 Choosing the Right Chiller for Your Brewery
35:15 Efficiency of Running Multiple Chillers
37:14 Assessing Chiller Operational Costs
40:18 Calculating Chilling Power and COP
41:59 CapEx vs. OpEx in Chiller Selection
42:35 Refrigerant Gases and Their Impact
49:19 Heat Recovery in Refrigeration Systems
57:38 Resilience and Maintenance of Chillers
01:03:16 Top Tips for Brewers on Refrigeration
01:05:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Thank you to our amazing show sponsors, Brewing Trade - The hop market, owned by brewers.

Exclusive Brewing Trade offer - £17.33 p/kg Talus on Brewing Trade -
https://shorturl.at/c11Qt

Weekly Education Email on Hops - Francesco Lo Bue
https://mailchi.mp/a0061f87b942/frenz...

Refrigeration Circuit link - https://www.refcool.co.uk/blog/main-s...

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