GEA QBOIL: From pilot project to industrial benchmark – up to 35% less energy consumption in wort boiling
- Bild-Infos
- Download
- 2 weitere Medieninhalte
Ein Dokument
Brewing is under pressure to cut energy use, and wort boiling is one of the biggest levers. At drinktec 2025, GEA will present its advanced GEA QBOIL system: validated savings of up to 35 percent, retrofit-ready and designed for breweries of every size. Journalists will also have the chance to see the column in full scale – and taste QBOIL beer.
Energy-efficient wort boiling at drinktec 2025
GEA QBOIL: From pilot project to industrial benchmark – up to 35% less energy consumption in wort boiling
- Advanced GEA QBOIL wort boiling system confirms 35 percent lower energy use compared to modern energy storage systems
- Retrofit-ready and compact – suitable for almost any brewery
- Trade fair highlight: stripping column on display and QBOIL beer tasting
Düsseldorf (Germany), September 16, 2025 – At drinktec 2025, GEA will showcase the advanced QBOIL wort boiling system. Since its introduction at BrauBeviale 2023, the system has undergone practical trials and has now been successfully implemented in industrial reference plants. The results confirm the efficiency of GEA QBOIL in the most energy-intensive step of brewing: wort heating and boiling.
Fractionated wort boiling with stripping column
GEA QBOIL combines a stripping column with a fractionated boiling process. This reduces the thermal stress on the wort (TBI), lowers total evaporation from the typical four percent to less than 0.5 percent, and at the same time reliably removes unwanted aroma compounds such as DMS. The result: up to 35 percent energy savings compared even to modern energy storage systems – validated by the GEA Add Better label.
From pilot trials to industrial performance
“Over the past few years, we have generated robust results with QBOIL on an industrial scale. For breweries, this means that the most energy-intensive process step can now run far more resource-efficiently – without compromising on quality, flexibility or flavor,” explains Dr. Daniel Heller, Innovation Manager at GEA.
Following the first pilot trials in 2023, data is now available from an industrial reference plant. These results confirm, and in some cases exceed, the initial forecasts. At drinktec 2025, GEA will present comparative figures between the pilot trials and the industrial reference installation: TBI, total evaporation, energy consumption and DMS concentration.
Retrofit-ready and compact
One major advantage of GEA QBOIL is its easy retrofitting. The system requires little space and can be integrated into existing brewhouse structures with minimal installation effort. This opens up a wide field of application – from medium-sized breweries to large-scale industrial operations.
“Customer feedback from the trials is clear: breweries appreciate that QBOIL can be retrofitted with minimal effort. In times of high energy costs, this is an investment that pays back quickly,” says Peter Sterk, Product Manager at GEA.
Eye-catcher with Kinetic Edge Design
GEA QBOIL also makes an impression with its appearance: the system features GEA’s new Kinetic Edge Design. The column can even be considered for visitor areas of breweries, where traditional copper kettles or modern stainless-steel domes dominate. There, it would set a visual accent signaling the transformation of brewing. “For us, QBOIL connects tradition and future. Positioned among classic copper domes, its futuristic design makes a strong statement for the next generation of brewing,” says Heller.
Trade fair highlight with tasting
With its proven energy savings and the Add Better label, QBOIL joins the range of resource-efficient GEA solutions that support breweries worldwide in achieving their climate goals.
At the booth, GEA will display the column in full size. Visitors will also have the opportunity to taste the results directly with a glass of QBOIL beer. QBOIL is thus set to be one of GEA’s central highlights at drinktec.
GEA at drinktec 2025: Booth 539, Hall B5
Info box:
The QBOIL principle
GEA QBOIL combines a dedicated stripping column with a heat exchanger that functions both as a vapor condenser and as a wort preheater. While lautering is still in progress, the wort is continuously fed into the kettle and brought to a boil. The energy released as vapor is used directly to preheat the incoming wort. The vapor has a dual function: it transfers heat and, in the stripping column, removes volatile unwanted compounds such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) – all while maintaining a very low overall evaporation rate.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
- More information about GEA
- To the GEA Media Center
- Follow GEA on LinkedIn, Youtube
Contact Media Relations GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft Fanny Förster Ulmenstr. 99, 40476 Düsseldorf, Germany Phone +49 211 9136-1504 fanny.foerster @gea.com
About GEA
GEA is one of the world’s largest suppliers of systems and components to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. The international technology group, founded in 1881, focuses on machinery and plants, as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. For instance, every second pharma separator for essential healthcare products such as vaccines or novel biopharmaceuticals is produced by GEA. In food, every fourth package of pasta or every third chicken nugget are processed with GEA technology. With more than 18,000 employees, the group generated revenues of about EUR 5.5 billion in more than 150 countries in the 2024 fiscal year. GEA plants, processes, components and services enhance the efficiency and sustainability of customers’ production. They contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2 emissions, plastic usage and food waste. In doing so, GEA makes a key contribution toward a sustainable future, in line with the company’s purpose: ”Engineering for a better world.”GEA is listed on the German MDAX, the European STOXX® Europe 600 Index and is also a constituent of the leading sustainability indices DAX 50 ESG, MSCI Global Sustainability and Dow Jones Best-in-Class World.
More information can be found online at gea.com.
About the GEA Foundation
The GEA Foundation, established in 2025 by GEA Group, supports global and local projects in STEM education, child poverty reduction, infrastructure access and disaster relief. Through its Mission 30 strategy, GEA commits to donating one percent of annual net profit to build resilient communities.
More information can be found online at gea.com/foundation.
