Lesson 4 - Wort Cooling and Oxygenation Technology
This lesson will firstly compare the design and operation of different wort cooling systems, and will give you enough information to help you describe why you would choose one wort cooling system over another. It will then move on to wort oxygenation systems, giving you enough information to help you make the same decision regarding this type of system.
Lesson Sign-Off
This lesson dealt with wort cooling and oxygenation technologies. It encouraged you to compare both different wort cooling systems, and different wort oxygenation systems. It then gave you enough information about each type of system, to allow you to consider which type of each system you would use and say why.
The intended learning outcomes were as follows:
1. Describe the design and operational principles of a plate heat exchanger; describe its use of secondary coolants and dilution water addition.
2. Explain the relevance of controlling cold break formation.
3. Explain wort aeration for yeast requirements (sterol and fatty acid synthesis). Describe the implications of oxygen deficiency and how oxygen is dissolved.
4. Compare injecting oxygen against injecting air into the wort.
5. Compare injecting oxygen into hot wort against injecting it into cold wort. Discuss the best practice of adding oxygen at cold temperatures.
6. List the typical dissolved oxygen and wort temperatures at yeast pitching for both ales and lagers; recognise the requirements of using dried yeast.
A self-assessment lesson now follows, which will allow you to determine the level to which you have attained the above outcomes.