HIGHLAND BREWING INCREASES OUTPUT AND CUTS ENERGY COSTS WITH MIURA
How one brewery reduced its energy costs by $1200 per month
With a brewhouse boasting a 50-barrel brewing system, 26 fermentation tanks, seven brite tanks, and its own bottling, can line, and kegging system, Highland Brewing Company is North Carolina’s largest independent brewery of fine craft beers.
Once a basement start-up using retrofitted dairy equipment, today, Highland Brewing Company occupies a large, efficient brewhouse that produces an array of popular ales and is considered a pioneer in Asheville’s craft beer scene and a leader in southern beer.
“The founders decided on the Miura boilers early on as part of our sustainability thrust. You have to think big; you have to be able to reinvest your money into what’s important to make your beer high quality,” shared Brock Ashburn, current VP of Operations.
A key turning point in the family-owned brewery’s growth in production capacity was the addition of a Miura boiler to its equipment for beer brewing. Highland’s choice of the Miura gas-fired LX-100 steam boiler has proven pivotal in its success and expansion goals. After installing its first Miura boiler, Highland Brewing Company increased its output by 20 percent, lowered overhead costs, and reduced energy costs by $1200/month.
WHY HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY CHOOSES MIURA BOILERS
According to Kevin Wheeler, Highland’s former Director of Operations, the choice of a Miura boiler came down to a reputation that preceded them. “When we decided to increase our brewing capacity,” he said, “we spoke to other craft brewers and learned of Miura’s great reputation. Miura met our needs in terms of energy savings, on-demand steam, low emissions, and a smaller footprint.”
MIURA’S ENERGY EFFICIENT BOILER SOLUTIONS
Craft breweries brew multiple varieties in batch process and demand can spike overnight, which is why the need for scalable on-demand steam is so important. Highland Brewing Company’s two LX-series Miura boilers meet those needs with remarkable efficiency, while furthering the company’s goals and priorities.
“We use that steam for so many things here. We keep our hot liquor tank hot, and our cleaning systems rely on hot water and steam. We use it for our keg line – the efficiency of the boiler is paramount for that,” said Ashburn.
Miura’s energy efficient modular steam boiler systems are an optimal solution on multiple levels.
- Flexibility for varying demands. Breweries require steam on demand, but traditional steam boilers typically require several hours to heat up before use. Miura’s compact low-water design allows it to go from a cold start to producing steam in five minutes, rather than taking hours to produce steam and needing to remain in idle when not needed.
- Reduced energy costs while increasing output. Although Highland installed its first Miura LX-100 to help boost production, the brewer has also saved money on its energy bills due to the boiler’s unique energy-efficient design. Miura boilers are designed to be efficient in multiple ways – quick start-ups, their once-thru design, as well as PV heat capture. According to Wheeler, “the boiler probably paid for itself in energy savings in the first year and a half it was installed.”
- Scalability. A Miura boiler’s compact size means it has a smaller footprint than a traditional boiler. Its modular design makes it easy to scale steam production to help a craft brewer meet growing production needs. “The scalability is amazing,” shared Andrew Klonsinski, Highland’s Operations Director. “Now that we have not just the one but have added a second – you can keep “daisy-chaining” these things almost as much as you’d like. It can scale with us; if we grow again, we can put in number three.”
- Environmental responsibility. One of Highland’s top commitments as a company is to pursue environmental sustainability as much as possible. Since Miura boilers emit far fewer greenhouse gases, like CO2 and nitrogen oxides, than their competitors, the choice of the LX-100 fell in line with company priorities. “We are just an hour from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park… We like to ‘walk the walk’ and ‘talk the talk’ about being environmentally responsible, and our Miura boiler helps us do that.”
- Complete Steam Solutions. Miura’s commitment to helping customers get the most out of their boiler rooms hasn’t gone unnoticed at Highland Brewing Company. “The greatest interaction with Miura over the past several years has been their on-site training at Rockmart, Georgia,” shared Klonsinski, “You get to see the factory first-hand, the internals being fabricated. Talking with the experts, the designers, and the people who coach you on the operation, maintenance, and service of a Miura boiler, leaves you with a deeper appreciation for what Miura does, not just from an equipment standpoint, but how they deliver one of our most sustainable assets at the brewery.” Miura strives to produce reliable, efficient and safe steam generation systems for breweries. Their philosophy is to keep your brewery operating at peak efficiency, and help manage the items surrounding the boiler room.
“When I started at Highland, I was introduced to Miura for the first time: small footprint, high efficiency, quick startup, quick shutdown. My gosh, this thing, it ticks all the boxes… If another brewery were interested in enhancing its knowledge of a Miura boiler, just call, just ask. Any of us would gladly show the equipment and how we utilize it.” – Andrew Klonsinski, Operations Director, Highland Brewing Company
To learn more about Miura boilers, contact us at 1-855-817-3722 or locate a Miura rep in your area.
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