Brewhouse Troubleshooting: Causes & Fixes

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Problems on this page:

Lautering slow or stuck Extract yield lower than expected Boil not reaching a full rolling boil Whirlpool not separating trub Wort cooler not reaching temperature Mill or grain handling stops Cleaning cycle failing Recipe steps run inconsistently

Lautering slow or stuck

Hits OEE: Performance

Symptoms: Wort runs off slowly from the lauter tun, and the brew cycle overruns.

Grain crushed too fine

Check the mill gap and the crush against the specification for the lauter tun.

Raking machine settings wrong for the bed

Check the rake height and speed program for the recipe.

False bottom slots blocked

Clean the false bottom thoroughly and check the cleaning spray reaches it.

Mash temperature or pH outside the recipe

Check mash temperatures and pH at each rest against the recipe.

Prevention: Lautering time recorded per brew so slow runs stand out.

Extract yield lower than expected

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Less extract reaches the kettle than the recipe expects, and brews need adjusting.

Crush too coarse

Check the mill gap and the crush analysis.

Sparge water temperature or volume wrong

Check the sparge water temperature and the volume used.

Mash rests shortened

Compare the actual rest times with the recipe.

Malt quality changed

Check the malt specification of the new lot.

Prevention: Brewhouse yield calculated for each brew.

Boil not reaching a full rolling boil

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: The wort boil is weak, and evaporation or wort quality suffers.

Steam supply pressure low

Check the steam pressure at the kettle heater.

Internal or external boiler fouled

Clean the heating surfaces during the brewhouse cleaning cycle.

Condensate not draining from the heater

Check the steam trap on the kettle heater.

Kettle loaded above its working volume

Check the wort volume against the kettle design.

Prevention: Evaporation rate recorded per brew.

Whirlpool not separating trub

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Trub carries over into the wort cooler and fermenter.

Whirlpool inflow speed wrong

Check the pump speed and the inlet position for the whirlpool.

Rest time in the whirlpool too short

Allow the rest time the recipe sets before cast-out.

Hop dosage high, making a loose cone

Check the hop dosing and form.

Run-off started too fast

Start the run-off slowly so the cone stays in place.

Prevention: Trub carry-over checked visually at each cast-out.

Wort cooler not reaching temperature

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Wort reaches the fermenter warmer than the pitching temperature.

Plate heat exchanger fouled

Clean the wort cooler with the cleaning program and inspect plates at intervals.

Glycol or chilled water too warm or low flow

Check the coolant temperature and flow.

Wort flow too fast for the cooler

Check the cast-out flow rate.

Ice water tank not recovered from the last brew

Check the ice water tank temperature before cast-out.

Prevention: Wort temperature at the fermenter inlet logged per brew.

Mill or grain handling stops

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: The malt mill or grain conveyors block and delay mashing-in.

Foreign material in the malt

Check the destoner and magnets ahead of the mill; stones damage mill rolls.

Mill rolls worn

Measure the rolls and plan their regrinding.

Conveyor or elevator overloaded

Check the feed rate.

Dust extraction weak, making a dust hazard

Check the extraction and filters in the milling area; malt dust is an explosion risk.

Prevention: Mill stops and roll condition recorded.

Cleaning cycle failing

Hits OEE: Availability

Symptoms: Vessels or lines are not clean after the cleaning cycle.

Caustic concentration or temperature low

Measure the cleaning solution during the cycle.

Spray devices blocked

Check that every spray device turns and is not blocked.

Cleaning time cut short

Check that each step runs for its full time.

Heavy burnt-on deposits in the kettle

Check the heating surfaces for burn-on and the cause of it.

Prevention: Cleaning records reviewed for each cycle.

Recipe steps run inconsistently

Hits OEE: Quality

Symptoms: Brews of the same beer differ in temperature steps and timing.

Manual steps done differently by each brewer

Write the manual steps into the brew sheet with target values.

Automation recipe edited without control

Restrict recipe edits and keep a change record.

Temperature sensors drifting

Check the vessel sensors against a reference.

Steam valves not controlling well

Check the control valves and their tuning.

Prevention: Brew records compared against the recipe weekly.

Guidance only. Always follow lockout/tagout and your site's safe-work procedures, and verify against OEM manuals before acting.

Related equipment guides: fermentation tank · heat exchanger · steam boiler · CIP system · grinding mill

Stop the same fault coming back

Recurring brewhouse stops usually trace to a cause you cannot see by hand. The partner we recommend is Fabrico: it tracks OEE and downtime live from PLCs, IoT sensors or AI cameras; where cameras are fitted, the video of a stop sits next to its machine data so the cause can be reviewed; and a technician opens the work order from the stop in the same system. Data is hosted in the AWS EU region, and Fabrico and the company behind it hold ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO 9001.

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Methods that cut recurring stops: the six big losses · root cause analysis · preventive vs predictive maintenance · TPM · SMED & changeover