How to Choose a Distillery Steam Boiler
If you work in a distillery, you should know how important your steam boiler is to the alcohol creation process, as well as the bottling process. You could even go as far as to say that boiler steam is a key ingredient in most spirits. This makes a new boiler a critical investment for distilleries of all sizes. Not every distillery will have the same exact needs, but for the most part, they’ll have the same things in mind when looking for a boiler. Here is a close look at the most important factors a distillery should consider when choosing a steam boiler.
Startup Time
Most craft distilleries aren’t running 24/7, which means they need to be able to turn their boilers on and off every day. Otherwise, the boiler is running idle all the time, which is a waste of money and energy. As a result, most distilleries will benefit from a boiler that can be turned on first thing in the morning and be producing steam in just a few minutes. That’s exactly what they’ll get from Miura’s modular boilers, which can be producing steam from a cold startup in less than five minutes.
Size
Outside of a few major brands, most craft distilleries don’t have a lot of space to operate. The last thing they need is a massive boiler that can barely fit in the distillery itself, especially if they want more space to give tours and invite guests to sit down and taste their spirits. This makes modern boilers like the ones manufactured by Miura ideal. Some of Miura’s boilers are 50% smaller than traditional fire tube boilers used by companies that are lagging behind the times. For most distilleries, smaller is better as it relates to boilers.
Energy Efficiency
All distilleries are better off pouring most of their money into buying quality ingredients, not wasting it on high energy bills. Every distillery should pay close attention to their fuel costs and find a boiler that can keep those costs down as much as possible. With Miura’s boilers, for instance, the type of fuel used to power the boiler is interchangeable, so it’s possible to switch back and forth between fuels depending on what one is cheaper. A distillery that switches to Miura boilers can save up to 20 or 30% on its energy bills every month, a difference that adds up to a significant amount over time.
Ease of Maintenance
Smaller distilleries typically run on a single boiler, two at most. This means when the boiler is shut down for repairs or maintenance, the entire operation comes to a screeching halt. For most boilers, routine maintenance means shutting everything down for at least a couple days, which hurts business. Of course, if you don’t shut down your boiler for regular inspections, you end up paying for it later in the form of repairs and inefficiency. Fortunately, Miura’s boilers provide a solution to this problem, as they only take a few hours to undergo a full inspection. This helps to get distillery operations up and running as quickly as possible while ensuring the steam boiler remains in good running condition for years to come.
Environmental Impact
All companies nowadays should be taking a closer look at their environmental impact, including distilleries. Obviously, this won’t be among the top priorities, but many craft distilleries are conscientious when it comes to the environment. Older fire tube boilers are known for emitting large amounts of harmful substances like NOx into the air. However, newer boiler models from Miura can drastically reduce emissions of NOx to as low as 9 ppm. This is great news for any distillery, especially ones that have to comply with regulated emission restrictions.
Having the right steam boiler can make a huge difference, helping your distillery save both time and money. Contact a Miura representative today and let us help you pick out the perfect boiler for your distillery.
