Harveys Brewery of Lewes, East Sussex
Harvey & Sons (Lewes) Limited is the oldest independent brewery in Sussex, established in 1790 as a family business, the eighth generation of the family is currently working there.
The Client
Established in 1790 by John Harvey, Harvey & Sons (Lewes) Limited is Sussex’s oldest independent brewery. It has remained a family business, with members of the seventh and eighth generations currently working here. The strong brewing heritage of Harvey’s Brewery dates back to the time of George III, William Blake and Jane Austen. This family-run business is passionate about continuing the traditional craft of brewing. Its commitment to selecting the finest raw materials, employing a highly skilled team, and supporting the local community enables them to consistently produce good beer.
Challenges
The brewery contacted us to investigate the viability of improving the condition and extending the operational life of a number of beer processing and conditioning tanks.
In addition to stainless steel tanks, the brewery regularly uses a number of blue vitreous enamel glass-lined tanks of considerable age. These tanks were most likely manufactured in the 1950s by Enamelled Metal Products Corporation of Levan, Scotland. Glass-lined tanks are a traditional and widely used system in the brewing industry. However, due to the difficulties of repairing the internal lining, not many of these tanks are still in operation today, making them historically significant.
Working with glass-lined tanks can be problematic due to the potential for cracks to spread. Creating a suitable surface to which any repair material can adhere without causing further damage to the tank is quite a challenge! Despite these complications, we performed a detailed inspection of the initial seven tanks. As well as repairs to the glass lining, we detected areas of localised damage and metal loss in each tank. We discovered that the majority of the damage was concentrated around the inner manway door area and the floor of the tank, as is typical of most brewery tanks. In formulating our recommendations, we also had to consider that any repair material had to be non-tainting, appropriate for use with alcohol, and resistant to the chemicals required to clean and sterilise the tanks.
Solution
Our recommendation involved suitable surface preparation, localised patch repairs, and the application of our brewery-grade, glass flake-reinforced coating system. We began by preparing the areas of the tank lining that needed repair.
All traces of historical repairs were removed and replaced. We worked diligently and methodically to reduce the possibility of further damage to the tank lining. After removing all detritus and cleaning the tank, we applied our multi-coat epoxy resin-based brewery tank patch repair system. This included a robust anti-corrosion layer and applications of the glass flake-reinforced epoxy topcoat. All voids and deep craters, which were mainly discovered on the manway entry and tank floor, were filled.
Our robust brewery-grade resin material is intended for use with alcoholic beverages, where it must remain taint-free and withstand the industry’s standard cleaning and sterilisation methods. All the materials used were low-odour, solvent-free and epoxy resin-based, making them easy to work with in confined spaces without the need for additional equipment.
While onsite, we also refurbished the external manways of some of the tanks. This tank lining and coating system is so effective that it tolerates damp surfaces, which benefitted this project as we were able to carry out maintenance on the external tanks without having to empty them or alter the temperature of the cold room. The tanks were then ready for coating in the brewery’s preferred colour scheme.
The Results
We strive to be as low-key and self-contained as possible in all of our projects. We worked closely with the brewery team to ensure that our presence did not disrupt the production schedule.
We refurbished seven glass-lined tanks and handed them back to the brewery within the agreed timeframe. Following a short curing period and final sterilisation, the tanks were returned to full use. Our system has the potential to extend the practical working life of brewery tanks by 25 years or more, allowing Harvey’s Brewery to continue producing Sussex’s finest beers for many years to come. We look forward to supporting the brewery with any future tank lining systems.
Whilst on site we also prepared and applied some of the surfaces and damp tolerant anti-corrosion resin coating the external surfaces around the manways of a few of the tanks that needed it, The tanks were then ready for coating in the brewery’s own preferred colour scheme.
We look forward to providing the brewery with any future tank lining and/or tank lining repair requirements.
