Sandwalls Adopts High-Gravity Brewing to Expand Capacity

In 1975, technical manager William Frank introduced high-gravity brewing at Sandwalls Ångbryggeri in Borås, Sweden. Brewers produced and fermented wort stronger than the beer intended for sale, then adjusted it to sales strength with carefully treated, deoxygenated water. The application followed the technique’s development in industrial brewing during the late 1960s. Producing more concentrated beer increased the saleable output obtainable from existing brewing and cellar equipment, reducing the tank space needed per unit of finished beer. Sandwalls used the method as part of a wider capacity expansion that also involved other plant improvements. The economic advantage came with new demands: yeast had to perform in stronger wort, dilution water had to avoid introducing oxygen, and brewers had to maintain the intended flavor and foam.