Maintaining Craft Brew Quality with Laminar Flow Hoods

Craft brews are a rising trend, and at Mystaire, we recognize the crucial role laminar flow hoods play in ensuring the superior quality of these brews. We offer laminar flow hoods and workstations that create a safe, dedicated, and clean work environment to aid in creating high-quality craft beers.

The Role of Laminar Flow Hoods in Craft Brewing

The craft brewing process demands a controlled and sterile environment. This is where laminar flow hoods come in, as they are essential tools in creating a contaminant-free space. A laminar flow hood, also known as a clean bench, facilitates a controlled environment by generating a steady stream of filtered air over the workspace. Laminar flow hoods are rated by the level of cleanliness they provide during operation. Mystaire offers ISO Class 5, or Class 100, laminar flow hoods, meaning that the air quality inside the hood has less than 3,520 particles per cubic meter (100 particles per cubic foot), at 0.5 microns in size or larger.

How does a laminar flow hood achieve this? It operates on the principle of laminar airflow, where air flows unidirectionally, typically from top to bottom, after passing through either a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter or a series of HEPA filters to remove airborne particles. Using laminar airflow hoods in craft breweries brings substantial benefits, such as providing a clean workspace that minimizes contamination risks, preventing cross-contamination between batches, and creating a safer environment for brewers. Yeast is a crucial ingredient and plays a critical role in the fermentation process of brewing beer. Contaminated yeast can give undesirable characteristics, such as bad taste or smell, leading to discarding an entire batch. Contamination can also disrupt the fermentation process, causing lower or higher alcohol content and other potential issues during brewing.

Selecting the Ideal Laminar Flow Hood

Choosing a laminar flow hood requires the careful consideration of several factors. The hood type, airflow velocity, filtration system, material, and size are all critical features to consider.

There are two main types of laminar flow hoods: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal laminar airflow hoods, such as the CleanPrep Plus+ Horizontal Laminar Flow Clean Bench, are a top choice for applications that require a sterile work surface, like craft brewing. Meanwhile, vertical laminar flow hoods, like the MY-ISO 5 Vertical Laminar Flow Workstation, are ideal for cross-contamination protection applications.

A hood used for craft brewing should offer uniform laminar airflow, possess a robust air filtration system, be made from durable, non-reactive materials, and be easy to clean and maintain. The hood size should also fit your requirements, providing adequate workspace and easy access. Considering these factors, you can select the laminar flow hood for your needs. Contact Mystaire at (919) 229-8511 or using this online form to discover our range of high-quality laminar flow hoods.