Glycol Chillers 101: Understanding the Basics for Optimal Beer Dispensing

Are you looking for equipment to maintain the perfect storage and serving temperature for your draft beer? Then, it would be best to look at the glycol chiller – the type of equipment specially designed for this task.

Unlike other cooling systems, brewery glycol chiller works much faster, allowing you to cool alcoholic beverages quickly. The cooler is the best solution for companies where beer is stored and dispensed at a considerable distance from each other.

In this article, we will delve into the basics of glycol coolers for beer dispensing so that you will better understand the advantages of such a cooling system and how to find the best option for your enterprise.

What does a glycol chiller do?

A glycol beer chiller is a refrigeration system commonly used in commercial and industrial environments such as breweries, wineries, and food processing plants.

It uses water and glycol to maintain a constant and precise temperature for various applications.

How does a glycol chiller work?

The glycol chiller working principle is the circulation of glycol and water mixture  along a closed circuit:

• This refrigeration system is based on a compressor that increases the refrigerant pressure.
• As the refrigerant moves through the system, it changes from liquid to gas, absorbing and emitting heat.
• The glycol solution flows through the heat exchanger, absorbing heat from the target area.
• The warm glycol then passes through the refrigeration unit, where the heat is released, and the glycol is cooled again before returning to the target area to continue the cooling process.

Is glycol better than water cooling?

A glycol chiller is not the only type of cooling system.

So, brewers have long debated which is better: glycol chiller vs water chiller. Let’s figure it out together:

• Glycol has a lower freezing temperature than water, making it more effective in cold climates where water cooling systems will be subject to freezing, which may damage your entire draft beer system.
• Glycol also provides corrosion protection, extending the life of the cooling system’s components.
• On the other hand, water is an excellent conductor of heat and is widely available, making it an economically more profitable option.
• Water has a better ability to keep and conduct heat than glycol.

The best option is to use a cooler operating on a mixture of glycol and water in a 60/40 ratio. The higher percentage of glycol significantly increases the antifreeze properties of the mix. It is helpful in cases where rapid cooling is required.

What is the difference between glycol and refrigerant?

Glycol and refrigerant are essential components of different cooling systems. Understanding the difference between the two substances is necessary to ensure the correct functioning of such systems:

• Refrigerants are substances used in refrigeration cycles to transfer heat from one area to another. They undergo phase changes from liquid to gas and back to facilitate heat absorption and release.
• The glycol is a heat carrier, transferring heat energy from one place to another without undergoing a phase transition. It is useful in systems with a risk of freezing because it reduces the solution’s freezing temperature, preventing system damage at lower temperatures.

How cold can glycol get?

Glycol chiller temperature range is from -99.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-73 degrees Celsius) to 50°F (10°C).

It is important to note that various factors, such as glycol concentration in water, pressure, and other chemicals, can affect the freezing temperature.

Glycol allows you to define even the narrowest temperature ranges with an oscillation of 1°C.

Looking for a glycol chiller for sale? Look no further than UBC Group USA!

This brand offers a large selection of quality brewing equipment and will gladly advise you on all the nuances of its selection.

So, when buying refrigeration equipment, it is essential to understand how to correctly determine the glycol chiller sizing, which depends on the power of the device, its size, and cost. You will find the answers to all these and other questions by contacting UBC Group USA.

To see the wholesale glycol chiller price, register on the company website. We are sure you will be satisfied with their price policy, quality, and diverse range!