Following the success of speaking at the James B. Beam Institute‘s 5th Industry conference at the University of Kentucky., we were invited to present the topic of practical high temperature heat pumps at the 2024 World Brewing Congress in Minneapolis.

Download a free, full-size copy of our poster here.

World Brewing Congress 2024

The congress is a rare gathering of brewing and distilling communities from around the world. A truly collaborative effort, the World Brewing Congress (WBC) is presented by the American Society of Brewing Chemists and Master Brewers Association of the Americas with active participation from the Brewery Convention of Japan, the European Brewery Convention, and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. We’ll have more on some of our highlights from the congress in another post.

The Engine Room proudly presented our poster, “The Future of Fire – Powering Breweries with Practical High Temperature Heat Pumps.” The WBC is a global event that brings together brewers, researchers, and innovators to explore the latest advancements in brewing science and technology, and our poster was designed to highlight one of the most exciting developments in energy efficiency for breweries: high-temperature heat pumps.

Heat Pumps Explained

High-temperature heat pumps represent a sustainable solution for the brewing industry, where energy use for heating and cooling processes is a major concern. These systems capture low-grade waste heat, such as from fermenter cooling or glycol returns, and convert it into high-grade heat suitable for key brewing operations, including heating hot liquor tanks (HLTs) or generating steam. This approach not only reduces the reliance on fossil fuels but also significantly lowers operational costs by improving energy efficiency. A heat pump’s efficiency is measured through its Coefficient of Performance (COP), and some advanced systems can deliver a COP of over 5, meaning they provide five times the amount of energy relative to their input.

To make this complex technology accessible to a broad audience, our poster took a structured, easy-to-follow approach. We broke down how heat pumps work, explaining key concepts such as “lift,” which is the process of upgrading low-grade heat to higher temperatures, and the COP, which measures how efficiently this transfer is performed. Additionally, we incorporated two real-world case studies to demonstrate the practical benefits of integrating heat pumps into brewery operations.

One case study featured Cygnet Brewing, a 50-barrel brewery that needed to expand its cooling and heating capacity but was constrained by high electricity costs and limits on natural gas use. By installing a high-temperature heat pump, they were able to increase their hot water storage and reduce strain on their cooling system, all while saving energy. The second case, Sol Pint, a small brewery committed to renewable energy, used a heat pump system to efficiently heat and cool its operations using a combination of solar energy and heat harvested from a nearby pond. This example showed the amazing potential of creating steam, the king of brewery heating sources, out of a truly renewable energy source!

What made our presentation stand out at WBC 2024 was its balance of technical depth and accessibility. We used humor to lighten the technical explanations, with AI-generated illustrations of impractical heat pump designs serving as lighthearted examples of how easy it is to misunderstand complex systems. This playful approach helped participants engage with the material while still learning the core principles behind the technology.

At The Engine Room, we believe in combining innovation with practicality, and our WBC presentation reflected our commitment to creating sustainable, energy-efficient brewing solutions for the future. We’re excited to continue helping breweries reduce their carbon footprint and achieve greater energy efficiency, one system at a time.