O-rings offer a wide range of applications, and many people aren’t aware of just how versatile an o-ring can be. When working with o-ring suppliers in the UK, you’ll soon find out that we supply these to a range of businesses, including to breweries. Today we’re going to share the key things to keep in mind when using a seal ring gasket to produce beer to ensure that your beer tastes and looks its best moving forward.
O-Rings Within the Food and Beverage Industry
There are many reasons why companies need to use o-rings for food and drink production. The medical industry also heavily relies on these products for a similar reason, and today we’re going to look at how they impact the quality of products. O-rings are used for beer production, but you need to be incredibly careful when using these in this manner. When the rubber starts to bleed out into the drink, it can change the taste and texture of the drink and can really lower the quality of the beer. Rubber seals could be the reason that you get a poor quality batch of beer from a producer, as opposed to an issue with the ingredients that they are using.
Many tests have been carried out in recent years by breweries to find the best types of seals and o-rings for breweries. They strived to find a solution that offers a minimal swell and will create a very effective seal for the production process. The ingredients which are in the seal material can change the taste of the beer, so choosing the right o-ring material based on what you are making is essential for success. Over the years, materials including nitrile, fluorocarbon, and LSR have been tested, and they’ve been used with a wide variety of craft beers. By mixing and matching the different pairings, breweries have worked to find a solution that works for any type of brewing process.
Testing O-Rings for Breweries
As well as testing craft beers, another consideration is looking at how cider impacts the use of o-rings. These tend to be more acidic, which can impact on how effective the gasket seal is during the production process. The swell of the material is the first thing to look at when it comes to testing o-rings. There can also be a negative swell, which means that something is extracted from the rubber. This is a huge concern for manufacturers, as this means the chemicals end up in the beer, which impacts its taste and quality. The seal will also start to shrink when this happens, which means it’s more likely to leak in the end.
As well as the look of the beer, a taste test will be needed when you first start using a new seal. Your taste tester should have a good idea of the quality of the product and sometimes, the taste of the o-ring remnants will be so strong that you can even smell them before taking a sip. This is something no beer producer wants to deal with, as it will no doubt end up with many complaints from their customers in the long run. When changing o-rings for your brewing process this year, take the time to test every product as much as possible to avoid further issues.
What is the Best O-Ring Material for Breweries?
With so many tests taking place to look at o-rings for breweries, you’ll find that silicone typically comes out on top and doesn’t impact the beer at all. However, you’ll find that the main concern is when brewing acidic beers. These are more likely to have an issue with o-ring suppliers in the UK, and it can be harder to find a quality seal that will work with your brewery. So many companies don’t take the time to think about all the little details which go into impacting their overall finished product. If you think it might be your ingredients causing issues with your beer’s taste or smell, think again. It might just be time to switch over to different o-rings which can support you during the brewing process.
It might come as a surprise to some people in the brewing industry that o-rings could cause so many problems in their production process. However, you’ll find that in the long run, finding the right o-ring material for each brew will save you a lot of quality control problems We encourage you to work with our team to find the right o-rings for your needs, and we’ll be happy to guide you through the process of setting up your brewery for success this year. Contact us today for further information about working with o-rings and the best option for your business operations in 2022.
