Flash pasteurization is an alternative means of pasteurization, typically employed for dairy produce, fruit juice and related products such as tea, and occasionally beer. Within the beer industry, flash pasteurization is more likely to be used for keg lines than for can or bottle systems.

Flash pasteurization works by rapidly heating a beverage to a temperature of around 160 -180ºF prior to the filling and capping process. The beverage will remain at this temperature for less than 20 seconds prior to being rapidly cooled via another heat exchanger. This process has some space and cost advantages due to handling the beverage in bulk before filling. The major disadvantage of flash pasteurization when compared to tunnel pasteurization is that it requires sterile filling and sterile containers. Keeping the containers and filling system sterile is complex, difficult and expensive. By comparison, a tunnel pasteurizer processes the beverage once it is sealed in its container; this way it is certain that there are no contamination issues and shelf life can be guaranteed. For this reason, the vast majority of beer bottles and cans continue to pass through a tunnel pasteurizer.

If you are interested in acquiring a flash pasteurizer for your facility, please contact us and we can develop the best solution to meet your company's needs.