From hobby brewer to an acknowledged beer specialist – using a Flottweg Separator to brew more organic beer from France

Brothers Antoine and Etienne Onorati took over the brewery in Alby-sur-Cheran, France in 2014, and have been brewing organic beer and lemonades ever since. Their focus is on handcrafted brewing, their passion for authentic beers, and their use of 100% organic ingredients.

In the beginning, the brewery started with an annual production of around 200-300 hectoliters (5,283-7,925 gallons), the equivalent of tens of thousands of bottles. A lot has changed since then: In 2022, 8 years after its acquisition by the Onorati brothers, the brewery produces more than 4 million bottles per year, with a volume of around 18,000 hectoliters, or 475,509 gallons. With its production facilities and storage areas for raw materials and bottled products, the brewery site extends over more than 3,000 m², or 32,291 mi². This development has required enormous investments, changes and further developments, especially from a technical standpoint. Flottweg supports Les Brasseurs Savoyards with an AC1200 Separator in the final clarification phase of these organic French beers.

The Brewery Les Brasseurs Savoyards is located in Alby-sur-Cheran, in eastern France .

Organic beer with passion and personality: Les Brasseurs Savoyards

Founded on a passion for organic beers, the Les Brasseurs Savoyards brewery launched in 2014: Both passionate hobby brewers, brothers Antoine and Etienne Onorati took over the insolvent brewery in eastern France. The brothers decided to manufacture only organic beer and devised a new concept for their beers, inspired by the American craft beer scene. "When we started brewing organic beer back in 2014, it was very innovative. There were very few, and hardly any French organic beers available," explains Antoine Onorati, sales manager and co-shareholder. "We set out with the conviction that we could rise above current trends and give our products an original and modern flair." Now, the brewery has a lineup of thirteen different beers, as well as three seasonal beers. Les Brasseurs Savoyards also produces six organic lemonades, which currently account for about 15% of the production volume. This makes Les Brasseurs Savoyards one of 300 French breweries producing organic beer.

But in addition to the decision to brew organic beers, the capacities and framework conditions at Les Brasseurs Savoyards have also changed: Initially, the brewery had three tanks with a production capacity of around 600 hectoliters, or 52,834 gallons. In 2022, 33 tanks with a capacity of around 25.000 hectoliters (660,430 gallons) will be available for production. In 2019, the Onorati brothers and their team decided to replace the bottling line: "We have invested in a more powerful and fully automatic bottling line. After this investment, production increased from 2,000 to 6,000 bottles per hour."

Les Brasseurs Savoyards started brewing beer in 2014.

Clarification of organic beer: The Flottweg AC1200 Separator supports Les Brasseurs Savoyards

In the course of renewing the bottling line, it became apparent that the brewery also required a new centrifuge for the final clarification of the beer. "We already have experience with centrifuges. We bought the first one back in 2017. It was a slightly smaller model, but fit well with our production facility at the time. So when we invested in a new plant in 2019, we needed a centrifuge that was better suited to this new output level," explains Antoine Onorati. That’s why the brewery chose a Flottweg AC1200 Separator.

The Flottweg separator is responsible for the final clarification of the beer. Further process steps such as filtration or stabilization are not required. This also sets the requirement, or challenge, for the separator. Depending on the beer and the desired turbidity to be retained in the beer, Les Brasseurs Savoyards uses the centrifuge in different ways. The AC1200 features the precise Soft Shot^® emptying system, which ensures a high product yield. The system's intuitive control design, fully automated integration into production, and CIP capabilities make it user-friendly and easy to handle.

The Flottweg AC1200 Separator was integrated the process in 2019.

"It's just as if you were here" - Remote maintenance and service by Flottweg

Antoine Onorati is also satisfied with Flottweg's customer service. Since the Flottweg Separator was commissioned, the brewery has been able to contact customer service without fuss. This accessibility allows them to resolve queries or carry out preventive maintenance measures: "Customer service is easily accessible by phone or email. The centrifuge is networked via an IT system, so Flottweg can remotely detect possible malfunctions in order to advise and guide our staff in real-time during maintenance tasks." "Flottweg's technicians can also remotely use the machine's control screen as we do here in the brewery. For example, they can change recipes and parameters."

The french brewery is only using organic ingredients.

Organic beers: continuing to trend in the future

With the brothers' passion and craftsmanship, Les Brasseurs Savoyards proves that organic beers will continue to play an increasingly important role in the beverage world. This is particularly evident now that the French brewery has become a hidden champion, with a capacity of 4 million bottles and around 6,000 hectoliters (158,503 gallons). Growth that also requires the necessary framework conditions and partners: Flottweg’s AC1200 Separator is user-friendly and reliably supports brewery operations. At the same time, Flottweg's support and service are outstanding.