KIWL Tunnel Pasteuriser
A tunnel pasteuriser that delivers a measured 15-25 PU to sealed bottles or cans, giving retail shelf stability without the flavour cost of flash pasteurisation.
Key Specifications
| Rated output | 6,000 / 12,000 / 24,000 / 36,000 containers per hour |
|---|---|
| Pasteurisation | 15 / 20 / 25 PU, programmable |
| Zones | Pre-heat, pasteurisation, hold, cooling |
| Control | Per-zone temperature with PU calculation |
| Heat recovery | Up to 60 percent of heating energy |
| Water consumption | Closed loop with make-up |
| Container types | Glass bottles and aluminium cans |
PU is a calculated dose, not a temperature
Pasteurisation units combine temperature and time: 60 degrees C for one minute is about 1 PU, and lethality rises roughly tenfold for each 7 degrees C. A tunnel with four zones lets you reach 15-25 PU with a gentle ramp, which is what protects flavour compared with a hard flash treatment.
Why ramp rate matters as much as total PU
A fast ramp creates a large temperature difference across the bottle wall, which is where breakage starts. Zoned pre-heating brings the whole package up gradually, so the same PU is delivered with far less thermal shock.
Heat recovery pays on steam
Cooling water from the exit end is used to pre-heat incoming packages. Recovering 60 percent of heating energy is realistic on a well-zoned tunnel and shows up directly as reduced boiler load.
Typical Applications
- Breweries shipping to ambient markets — 15-25 PU gives microbiological stability where cold chain cannot be guaranteed through distribution.
- Breweries with retail shelf-life requirements — Retailers commonly require 6-9 months at ambient; pasteurisation is the standard route to that.
- Lines running cans and bottles — The same tunnel handles both with different carrier bars, which matters for mixed-format breweries.
Related Equipment
Frequently Asked Questions
Does pasteurisation change the taste?
At 15-25 PU the change is measurable but small; the bigger flavour risk is oxygen pickup, which is why pasteurisation and oxygen control are specified together.
Can I skip pasteurisation?
Yes, if the beer is sterile-filtered and distributed cold. For ambient retail distribution, pasteurisation or sterile filtration is required.
How long does a tunnel take to reach temperature?
About 30-45 minutes from cold, so it is normally kept at temperature through a production run rather than restarted per shift.
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