Microbrewery Control Systems
ARP Microbrewery Control Systems
Control your entire brewery from one system.
Brewhouse. Fermenters. Brite tanks. Glycol. CIP. Utilities. Recipes. Batch history. Remote monitoring.
A brewery control system is one Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI that runs your brew day, holds every fermenter and brite tank at the target you set, watches the glycol loop, and records each batch. ARP builds that controls package for new breweries and for upgrades of the panels you already have.
ARP works with premium vendors such as IFM for instrumentation and Grundfos for utility and dosing pumps, and selects the exact model for each application during engineering.
One process, one automation layer
Your brewing process
- Raw water / HLT
- →
- Mash
- →
- Lauter
- →
- Kettle
- →
- Whirlpool
- →
- Wort cooling
- →
- Fermentation
- →
- Brite tank
- →
- Packaging
ARP automation layer
- Allen-Bradley PLC + HMI
- →
- IFM instrumentation
- →
- Utility & dosing pumps
- →
- IO-Link / EtherNet/IP
- →
- ARP dashboard & batch history
- →
- Remote monitoring
ARP supplies the controls and automation package: the Allen-Bradley control panel, electrical design, PLC/HMI programming, instrumentation, utility and dosing pumps as selected, dashboards, drawings, FAT, and startup support as quoted. In certain applications, ARP can also provide a pump skid. Brewhouse vessels, fermenters, tanks, sanitary process piping, and mechanical skids come from you, your brewhouse manufacturer, or your fabricator, and ARP integrates with them.
Where do you want to start?
Build my brewhouse controls
HLT, mash, lauter, kettle, and whirlpool: temperature, level, pumps, valves, and recipe steps.
Brewhouse AutomationAutomate my fermenters
Every fermenter and brite tank on one screen, with glycol valves, your profiles, trends, and alarms.
Fermentation & GlycolAdd remote monitoring
ARP’s own dashboard and monitoring platform talks natively to Allen-Bradley PLCs: batch status, tank trends, alerts, and records.
Add Remote MonitoringUpgrade my brewery control panel
Replace relays, standalone temperature controllers, or an aging PLC, keeping the vessels and instruments that still work.
Upgrade My PanelInstruments and IO-Link
Temperature, level, flow, and pressure sensing from premium vendors such as IFM, on Allen-Bradley 5032 IO-Link masters.
Brewery SensorsPumps, utilities, and CIP
Utility water, boiler feed, dosing, and the link into ARP’s CIP builder.
Pumps & UtilitiesWhat the ARP brewery controls package includes
Allen-Bradley control panel
PLC, I/O, Allen-Bradley VFDs on EtherNet/IP, network, and power in one panel, with electrical drawings and FAT before shipment.
Brewhouse sequencing
Recipe steps you define, from manual and operator-confirmed to automatic transfers and valve routing.
Cellar and glycol control
Fermenter and brite temperature zones, glycol valves, chiller interface, and pump control.
Instrumentation
Temperature, level, flow, and pressure sensors from premium vendors such as IFM, over IO-Link where it helps.
CIP integration
Brewery cleaning circuits configured in ARP’s CIP builder and run from the same controls.
Batch records and remote monitoring
ARP’s own platform keeps batch history, fermentation trends, alarms, and utility data, with remote access your IT team approves.
Brewery automation questions, answered
How do you automate a microbrewery?
List the vessels, tanks, pumps, valves, and measurements you have, decide how much the system should do on its own, and put them on one PLC and HMI with recipes and data logging.
Many breweries start with temperature control and monitoring and add automatic transfers later. The brewery builder walks you through it.
What should a brewery control panel include?
A PLC, I/O for every sensor, valve, and motor, motor control or VFDs for pumps and agitators, an HMI, network switches, and power supplies.
Add IO-Link masters for smart sensors and a connection for dashboards and records if you want them. The exact content comes from your I/O count.
What PLC is best for a brewery?
The right PLC is the one that fits your I/O count, network devices, and data needs with spare room. ARP builds brewery panels on Allen-Bradley PLCs.
Get your I/O count from the builder, then let ARP’s PLC sizing calculator pick the controller.
Can CompactLogix control a brewery?
Often, yes. Whether the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix family fits depends on your I/O, network nodes, and memory, not on the brewery’s name or batch size.
The PLC sizing calculator checks those limits with ARP’s spare allowance.
How do you retrofit an existing brewery control system?
Document what you have, keep the vessels and instruments that still work, and replace relays, standalone controllers, or an old PLC with one Allen-Bradley system.
Send panel photos, drawings, or an I/O list with your request, or start the builder in retrofit mode.
How do you automate a 10 or 15 BBL brewery?
The same way as any size: batch size changes the vessels and pumps, not the method. Count the I/O, choose an automation level, and size the PLC from that.
The builder has worked examples, including a 15 BBL three-vessel brewery. See Build My Brewery Control System.
Frequently asked questions
Does ARP build brewhouses, fermenters, or tanks?
No. ARP supplies the controls and automation package and integrates with brewhouse vessels, tanks, and sanitary piping from you, your brewhouse manufacturer, or your fabricator. In certain applications, ARP can also provide a pump skid.
Can ARP automate a brewery that is already running?
Yes. ARP can replace or upgrade the controls on an existing brewery, add sensors and glycol valve control, and add batch records and remote monitoring. Send your existing drawings or panel photos with your request.
Which brands does the ARP brewery package use?
Allen-Bradley PLCs, HMIs, and VFDs, plus instrumentation and pumps from premium vendors ARP works with, such as IFM and Grundfos. ARP selects the exact models during engineering.
Does ARP set my brewing recipes?
No. ARP programs the targets you set. The tools on these pages never decide brewing parameters such as temperatures, times, or fermentation profiles.
How fast can ARP deliver?
Qualifying standard configurations are quoted, designed, programmed, and shipped in 7–10 business days.
Talk to ARP about your brewery controls
ARP supplies the controls and automation package: the Allen-Bradley control panel, electrical design, PLC/HMI programming, instrumentation, utility and dosing pumps as selected, dashboards, drawings, FAT, and startup support as quoted. In certain applications, ARP can also provide a pump skid. Brewhouse vessels, fermenters, tanks, sanitary process piping, and mechanical skids come from you, your brewhouse manufacturer, or your fabricator, and ARP integrates with them.
Qualifying standard configurations are quoted, designed, programmed, and shipped in 7–10 business days.
Have drawings, P&IDs, panel photos, or I/O lists? Send them with your request.