W - like Wash Charger

What is a Wash Charger?

The wash charger is a container in which the wash is temporarily stored, if necessary, on its way from the washback to the still before it enters the distillation process.

What is the capacity of a Wash Charger?

At St. Kilian Distillers, the two wash chargers represent large stainless steel tanks with capacities of 17,550 liters and 12,000 liters, respectively.

Why is the Wash Charger used?

Sometimes a traffic jam occurs in the production process. For example, required washbacks are still occupied. The Wash Charger offers the possibility of pumping the wash (= the beer) from the washback via piping into the stainless steel tank after the main fermentation, where the residual fermentation can then take place. This frees up the washback again, which can then be refilled with wort after cleaning.

What are the advantages of a Wash Charger?

This intermediate storage of the wash in the wash charger allows us to mash in again more quickly and produce new wort in the Mash Tun, which is then fermented in the washbacks released earlier using our M1 whiskey yeast. A total of 2.5 washes can be temporarily stored in our two wash chargers - based on volume. The amount of 2.5 washes corresponds roughly to two days of production. This means that with the help of these buffer tanks and the same technical setup and manpower, we can produce one to three more brews per week - depending on shift operation - and thus increase our production capacity. In its buffer function, however, the Wash Charger can also be used to slow down the production process if necessary.

How is the Wash Charger integrated into the production system?

Our wash chargers are connected to the wooden washbacks via stainless steel lines and pneumatic valves. All lines and buffer tanks are integrated into the cleaning circuit of our production plant, as cleanliness and hygiene are for us the indispensable basis for maximum quality and outstanding productivity.

Is a Wash Charger a German invention?

No. The principle of the wash charger has already proven itself in the whiskey distilleries in Scotland. There, the vast majority of wash chargers are no longer made of wood but of stainless steel, which is easier to clean.