Case Studies

Implementation of a novel continuous wine-degumming process Montréal, Québec, Canada 2009-2010

Client : Kruger Wines and Spirits

The Wines and Spirits business unit was created in September 2006, when Kruger Inc. acquired Maison des Futailles S.E.C, a Québec company. It owes its solid performance to the extensive and invaluable expertise developed since 1922 by the SAQ’s bottling plant (Société des alcools du Québec or Québec liquor board) and to impressive growth over the past decade. Today, this unit distributes approximately 20% of all wines marketed in Québec and continues to expand into other provinces and the United States.

With a portfolio of over 250 products bottled in the country of origin or in Canada, and represented by a highly competent sales team, Kruger Wines and Spirits has a strong presence in several North American markets. Its products are distributed through food networks (grocery and convenience stores), licensed establishments, LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) and SAQ outlets. Very well established in Québec, Kruger Wines and Spirits is now the third largest supplier of the SAQ, a state-owned corporation responsible for the trade of alcoholic beverages.

As part of its bottling activities, Kruger Wines and Spirits also produces wines from various concentrates. The role of Kengtek was to provide a full-scale fermentation process for the new wine fermenters along with an innovative in-line degumming process. This new technology yields reduced processing time and volume, while increasing the net production of the facility with the same equipment.

Project summary:

Client: Kruger Wines and Spirits
Location: Montréal, Canada
Company profile: Canadian public
Technology: Continuous fermentation and clarification of wine
Total project capital investments: $2M (approximate)

Lake State Fermentation Plant Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA Spring 2010

Client : Lallemand Inc.

Kengtek was awarded a process and mechanical engineering contract to refurbish and start-up the second continuous yeast propagator (Waldorf-type fermentor) at the Lake State facility in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA. The fermentation unit had been shut down 30 years ago and the technology needed updating to allow for better product quality and process control.

Kengtek applied its expertise in reactor design to many aspects of the reactor upgrade and commissioning, including heat transfer calculations. Moreover, our role was to review the process and instrumentation diagram, prepare a 3D model of the facility and issue isometrics and general arrangement diagrams for tender and construction.

The company was also managing the construction phase and start-up of the new fermentation unit. “The design of this unique technology is very robust but is not very common in many fields. Our systematic approach to reactor design coupled with our expertise truly contributed to the success of this project by meeting both the budget and schedule”, said Dr. Doucet, CEO of Kengtek Engineering Services.

Project summary:

Client: Lallemand Lake State
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin, USA
Company profile: Canadian private
Technology: Continuous fermentation of torula yeasts
Total project capital investments: N/A

© 2010 Kengtek