Vigo flash pasteurisers

The flash pasteurisation method:

The purpose of pasteurisation is to destroy organisms that will spoil the product – primarily yeasts that will cause fermentation.

Flash pasteurisers allow you to dramatically increase your rate of production, when compared with the in bottle pasteurisation method. The apple juice is heated very quickly to a temperature of around 80°C in a heat exchanger before being bottled or bagged (bag-in-box) while hot.

Cold product is drawn from a holding vessel into the Vigo flash pasteuriser by the product supply pump and delivered to the product balance tank. The hot water system is a pressurised closed circuit. Water is heated in the boiler and circulated through the heat exchanger and associated pipelines by a pump. The product is drawn from the balance tank by a second product pump and passes through the heat exchanger where the heat transfer from water to juice takes place. A valve diverts product that has reached the desired temperature to the hand operated or automatic filling machine (supplied separately) where bottles or bags (for bag in box) are filled while the product is still hot – destroying any bacteria or yeasts in the bottle or bag too. If the product leaving the pasteuriser has not reached the desired temperature or the filler tank is full it is diverted back to the balance tank.

Products which have been flash pasteurised have the same long shelf life as products pasteurised in the bottle (for apple juice in glass bottles this can be up to 2 years).

NB The pasteurisation temperature and shelf life range above are a guide only. We strongly recommend that you seek qualified independent advice to determine the temperature suitable for pasteurising your particular product and for advice on shelf-life. For quality control, records should be kept of each batch pasteurised - the Vigo flash pasteuriser includes computer control which allows you to do this.

The Case Study below is only one example of the many Vigo flash pasteurisers we have supplied:

Hunt's Farm Cider

• User-friendly touch-screen PLC controls
• Product flow level infinitely adjustable (up to 750 litres per hour for 750 lph model: up to 1500 litres per hour for 1500 lph model)
• Flow meter – flow rate displayed on touch screen
• Stainless steel chassis
• Stainless steel product and hot water pipe work
• 2 variable speed product pumps
• Balance tank with dry-run protection
• Product temperature control typically within 1°C consistent accuracy
• Oil or gas fired pressurised boiler
• Pneumatic valve operation
• Increased flowrate for CIP (cleaning cycle)
• In-line 1mm stainless steel mesh product filter (pump and heat exchanger protection)
• Product maximum particulate size: 1mm
• Anti-freeze program – automatically starts hot water system in potentially freezing conditions

Optional functions:

• Clean-in-place (CIP) system, operated by the touch screen of the pasteuriser
• Low temperature alarm for the product in the filler tank
• Data logging of temperature

750 litre per hour Vigo flash pasteuriser

• Dimensions: Width 1500 x Depth 1260 x Height 1970 mm
• Oil consumption: Up to 7.6 litres per hour (at max. product output)
• Flue size: 200 mm Ø
• Power: 230 V, 50 Hz, 6 amp, 1.4 kW
• Air requirement: 6 bar, 10 cfm
• Weight: Approx 480 kg
• Flow rate: Up to 750 litres per hour (at 80°C juice temperature differential)
• Threaded connections 1"RJT male as standard, otherwise to your specification

1500 litre per hour Vigo flash pasteuriser

• Dimensions: Width 1500 x Depth 1800 x Height 1930 mm
• Oil consumption: Up to 15-20 litres per hour (at max. product output)
• Flue size: 250 mm Ø
• Power: 230 V, 50 Hz, 6 amp, 1.4 kW
• Air requirement: 6 bar, 10 cfm
• Weight: Approx 610 kg
• Flow rate: Up to 1500 litres per hour (at 80°C juice temperature differential)
• Threaded connections 1"RJT male as standard, otherwise to your specification