Swiss Brauerei Rosengarten on the road to success with KHS keg technology
Innokeg Till CombiKeg leaves nothing to be desired
Lutz Müller*Rainer Deutschmann**
Alois Gmür, master brewer and joint owner of Brauerei Rosengarten AG in the little Swiss town of Einsiedeln, is extremely satisfied. He is very pleased with how the family brewery has developed, now in its fourth generation and the only one in the Swiss canton of Schwyz to have survived the passage of time. He's also delighted that the Swiss beer market is very fond of its specialty beers produced by regional breweries, giving rise to another gratifying factor: the brewery's healthy sales growth, which despite Switzerland's sluggish beer consumption is still managing to rise by about 3% per year. And, last but not least, Alois Gmür is very pleased that he decided to opt for innovative KHS keg technology. "With our Innokeg Till CombiKeg we're actively safeguarding our future," he smiles. "This rotary machine has allowed us to practically double our keg output while giving us particularly high-quality racking results, although it takes up less space than our previous kegging system. Compared to our former setup, which was definitely showing its age, we also save about half the amount of media used. And with this compact KHS kegging line we also have a much lower operator involvement."
Four brothers working together
Founded in 1872, the brewery with the idyllic-sounding name of "rose garden" has been under family ownership since 1905, when the great-grandfather of the present proprietors, a German master brewer with roots in Munich, bought the company. Brauerei Rosengarten has been a family corporation since 1956. Now in its fourth generation, the brewery is today run by Alois Gmür and his three brothers: Viktor Gmür (sales), Daniel Gmür (logistics), and Stefan Gmür (finance and accounting). "We act democratically, making any decisions together," claims Alois Gmür. He also applies this successful formula to other areas he is actively involved in; Alois is not only master brewer of the family business but also a member of the Swiss National Council and president of the Swiss Syndicate of Independent Small and Medium-Sized Breweries.
* Manager of KHS GmbH Switzerland, Wolfwil. Phone: +41 629 262313.
** Director of Kegging Global Product Account Management, KHS GmbH,
Bad Kreuznach, Germany. Phone: +49 671 852 2977.
100% sales increase in ten years
Brauerei Rosengarten currently outputs 20,000 hectoliters of beer per year, making the company number 10 among Switzerland's breweries as far as sales volume is concerned. Despite the per capita consumption of beer in Switzerland stagnating over the last ten years at around 57 liters per annum, the brewery has actually managed to boost its output during this period from 10,000 to 20,000 hectoliters – an increase of 100%.
Success strategy: "we go our own way"
"Our strategy for success is to go our own way and sell the market specialty beers," states Alois Gmür. "For instance, 30 years ago we were the first brewery in Switzerland to launch a maize beer to market – our Maisgold – after Switzerland dropped the purity law. To this very day we've been extremely successful with this beer, with it making up approximately 35% of our total beer sales." Other specialty beers in the company portfolio include Dinkel (spelt beer), Alpenbier, Schwyzer Bock hell (light), and Spezialbier in a light and dark variety. These beers make up 56% of total sales, with 44% allocated to classic lager in both its light and dark form.
70% of beer sold in the local region
Around 70% of the brewery's output is sold in the local region between Lake Lucerne and Lake Zürich, with the remaining 30% destined for other areas in Switzerland. Exports are not planned; according to Alois Gmür, there's still plenty to be done in his native country. For example, sales to the retail trade are to be further enforced in the future. At present this channel of distribution only accounts for about 20% of total sales, with 80% going to the hospitality trade.
The right beer for every customer
The brewery's brand beers target all sections of the adult Swiss population. While maize beer and Alpenbier are popular with young adults in particular, spelt beer is a favorite with women of all ages. Lager, Spezialbeer and Schwyzer Bock light are readily consumed by middle-aged males and older gents. Says Alois Gmür, "We want the right product for every customer – and will continue to apply this motto to all of our new specialty beers. We could envisage a wheat beer being our next development as we believe that this style of beer isn't sufficiently represented in Switzerland. This would also consistently further the niche market strategy our company has adopted."
Niche strategy also applied to containers
This niche strategy is not only applied to the brewery's products but also to its containers. Fifty percent of its beer is sold in 0.58, 0.5, and 0.35-liter clip-lock bottles, 5% in 0.33-liter PET bottles with crown corks, and just 45% leaves the brewery in classic 0.3 and 0.33-liter glass bottles with crown corks. There are also a few surprises in store when we look at the range of kegs the brewery racks 30% of its beer in. For instance, large classic kegs holding 30 and 50 liters are consciously omitted from the range of containers. Alois Gmür explains. "We want to make sure that the restaurant businesses we supply can handle our kegs easily. Our largest keg – and also our bestseller – is the slim keg that contains just 20 liters." Brauerei Rosengarten also racks 10-liter slim kegs and the party keg equipped with a Bavarian-style tapping system holding 10 or 20 liters. Another keg 'specialty' in use at the brewery is the 10-liter CoolKeg, especially popular during the summer months, in which beer cools down to the required temperature of its own accord within a very short space of time.
Keg capacity practically doubled
"As we have a very strong presence in the hospitality trade, kegs play a major part in the success of our company," explains Alois Gmür. "That's why we had a very good look at the market before investing in new keg technology. What was important to us was being able to increase our capacity from 45 to 85 kegs per hour in the same machine space, maintaining optimum beer quality, sustainability, and ease of operation." Alois Gmür's interest in the Innokeg Till CombiKeg was first awakened at the 2011 Brau Beviale trade show. A visit to the Schönbuch brewery in Germany, who had already invested in the Innokeg Till CombiKeg, gave him the certainty he needed. "The master brewer there confirmed that his Innokeg Till CombiKeg was a robust, reliable piece of equipment that met the highest standards of quality," says Gmür. "We didn't hesitate any longer and placed our order. In retrospect, this was exactly the right decision to make."
Maximum flexibility a given
The Innokeg Till CombiKeg racks all types of beer made at Brauerei Rosengarten in the kegs listed above. If in the future the company wishes to include new variants of keg in its program, this is not an issue; the machinery is perfectly equipped to do so. The line is also flexible when it comes to the product to be racked. Beer, soft drinks, mineral water, fruit juices, or wine can all be processed on this system. Alois Gmür states, "We are and will stay brewers. However, it's good to know that our new keg line is suitable for other products. After all, we're planning on using it for the next two to three decades, and you never know what the future will bring."
Fast installation and commissioning process
The Innokeg Till CombiKeg made a very good impression right from the start. Pascal Meier, second master brewer at Brauerei Rosengarten, tells us why. "The system was delivered ready piped and wired in one container, was installed and commissioned within a week, and has been running perfectly since then. We thus had absolutely no shortages and were able to supply our customers in time as usual with the kegs they required."
Operator involvement significantly reduced
One highlight of the Innokeg Till CombiKeg is that the infeed and discharge conveyors for the kegs are adjacent to one another. This means that one operator can both load and unload the kegs from a single position. The standard infeed and discharge conveyors were lengthened for Brauerei Rosengarten, providing space for 15 kegs (one pallet) at a time on the infeed and discharge segments. At a rate of 85 kegs per hour, after placing the empty kegs on the conveyor the operator can move away from the machine for more than ten minutes, as only after this time has elapsed must the racked kegs be removed. Says Meier, "On our old keg line one operator was completely tied to the machine for loading and unloading, and manual washing of the keg exteriors. As the keg exteriors no longer have to be washed by hand on the Innokeg Till CombiKeg, the operator spends a maximum of 50% of the required time in this position – at twice the line capacity."
Leak test before every interior wash
After a keg has been positioned and fixed by the pressing cylinders on the Innokeg Till CombiKeg, it is first checked for leaks before the first interior wash is initiated. This process is repeated at all other interior washing stations and at the racking station. If leaks are found, the keg is cycled through the machine stations but does not undergo any further treatment. This ensures maximum product safety. If no leaks are found, a residual pressure check is then performed at the first interior washing station. This checks for any damage to the keg and fitting, or whether the keg has been manipulated. Any beer residue is then blown out with sterile air and the keg interior sprayed with mixed water. This gets rid of any coarse soiling in the keg. The benefit for the customer here is that water from the last hot-water spray is used as mixed water, cutting down the amount of water consumed by the machine.
Considerable water savings
The ensuing exterior washing process also helps to save water, as mixed water from the last hot-water spray is used here, too. "Sustainability is a big topic for us," Alois Gmür states. "We thus more than welcome the water-saving concept behind our new keg line."
Integrated exterior washing station even brings a sparkle to the dirtiest kegs
Before the kegs reach the exterior washing station they are partly filled with caustic at the first interior washing station. This is to make optimum use of the time needed for the exterior washing process by letting the caustic soak. The exterior washing station has an integrated driven brush which individually adjusts to the diameter of each type of keg. This brings a sparkle to even the dirtiest of kegs! Maximum hygiene is also ensured by separating the exterior washing station from the interior washer with safety doors. "We can only give our restaurateurs the best goods if we invest in technology that has been carefully thought out right down to the last detail," believes Alois Gmür.
Pulsed spraying for very effective cleaning
Downstream of the exterior washing process the next interior wash begins with any residual caustic being blown out. Caustic is then again sprayed into the keg. As on the first interior washing station, this cleaning process also uses pulsed spraying. Here, however, spraying is carried out alternately with different flow intensities. A high flow rate ensures optimum cleaning of the inner keg walls; a low flow rate provides intensive cleaning of the riser pipe. This ensures that all interior surfaces of the keg that come into contact with product are covered in the second batch of caustic. Pulsed spraying continues in the third interior washing station. At the fourth interior washing station acid comes into play. This removes any inorganic substances from the keg, with the caustic flushing out any organic materials. A pulsed hot-water spray in this fourth interior washing station then disperses any remaining cleaning agents. The fifth interior washing station ends the cleaning process by rinsing the keg with hot water, blowing it out with steam, and then pressurizing it with CO2.
Permanent process monitoring
Of great importance is the fact that all interior washing processes are permanently monitored by the pressure and wet/dry signal probes. Should one of the media pressures drop below the setpoint, or if states are indicated that are not typical of the process, the machine stops. "We feel we're very much on the safe side with this machinery," says Meier. "By the way, we're also very pleased that since using the Innokeg Till CombiKeg we not only need less water for keg washing but also about half the amount of acid and caustic than has previously been the case. This is because media preparation is well thought out, and also because the second batch of caustic is no longer discarded if the degree of soiling is too high, but instead automatically returned to caustic tank 1."
Fast, gentle, economical, low-oxygen racking process with DFC
The Innokeg Till CombiKeg racks beverages using state-of-the-art DFC or Direct Flow Control racking technology, which is based on volumetric flow control. With the DFC racking process, it is generally sufficient to pressurize the keg to a pressure that is slightly above the degree of CO2 saturation. This reduces the consumption of CO2 by up to 40% compared to conventional differential pressure control. A valve in the product infeed regulates the racking process and ensures that it is extremely precise. There is no product loss due to overfilling, and there is also no underfilling. In the DFC process a slow racking phase, which lasts until the fitting is covered with product, is followed by a fast racking phase. The racking speed is monitored at all times, and the oxygen and gas entering the beer are minimized. "The especially low oxygen pickup is of prime importance to us," explains Alois Gmür, "as it maintains the quality of our beer and gives it a long shelf life."
Maximum reliability included
After racking the kegs are transported along the discharge conveyor to the palletizer. If a keg has not passed the pressure test, the operator is informed by a signal. The 'bad' keg can then be reliably removed from the process.
Innovative KHS keg technology a boon in all respects
Back to Alois Gmür. "Investing in our Innokeg Till CombiKeg has proved to be a boon in all respects," he says. "With this top technology we've improved on product quality, performance, space requirements, and operator involvement, and thus in effect secured the future of our brewery. The benefits couldn't be greater."
Perfectly prepared for more success and the fifth generation
Brauerei Rosengarten intends to continue growing in the future – not too quickly, but not too slowly either. "We'll be very happy if we can continue to notch up an annual plus of between 2% and 4%," smiles Alois Gmür. "Despite the stagnation of the Swiss beer market, this seems perfectly feasible if we consciously stick to our niche market strategy." The plan is to introduce new specialty beers to market every three years or so. "When all's said and done, we aim to hand Brauerei Rosengarten over to the fifth generation as a successful, medium-sized Swiss brewery." The fifth generation is already raring to go. Alois Gmür's son is currently studying to become a master brewer at the Doemens Academy and has already announced that he will be joining the family business. This will mean another milestone in the continuing success story of the family brewery. And KHS technology will be a part of it.
