Screw Feeder for Metering Grain at Garrison Brothers Distillery

General Description

Garrison Brothers Distillery is a Texas distillery located north of San Antonio and between the towns of Johnson City and Fredericksburg. It is the first, and oldest legal distillery in Texas. Garrison Brothers has won over 60 awards in the last 11 years. There are nine varieties of bourbon that are produced, many winning multiple awards.

Bourbon is a type of whiskey that is fermented from corn, barley, wheat, and rye. The mixture must contain at least 51% corn and can’t contain any flavorings or additives. Every distiller has their own recipe for their bourbon mash. The mash is made from the chosen grains and then heated and stirred, with water and yeast. It is then fermented for weeks to make alcohol. The solids are strained off and discarded, while the liquid is used to make the bourbon. The liquid is then twice distilled to boost the alcohol content and remove impurities. The distilled alcohol is then aged in charred barrels, which add flavor, color, and caramelizes the sugars.

Garrison Brothers uses screw feeders and conveyors for many material handling operations. KWS has worked with Garrison Brothers on multiple projects and specifically a screw feeder was required to meter grain from a grain receiver to the mill. Grain is then milled and conveyed into the production process of making bourbon.

Design Parameters

1. Product Type: Whole Grain Corn or Wheat
2. Material Density: 35 to 40 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
3. Capacity: 57 Cubic Feet per Hour
4. Duty: 24 Hours per Day, 7 Days per Week

KWS Advantages

KWS manufactures equipment for many distilleries around the nation and brought knowledge and experience to the Garrison Brothers project. KWS has also supplied other conveying equipment for Garrison Brothers in other areas of their process. Garrison Brothers came back to KWS due to our high quality, superior standards, and exceptional performance.

KWS Special Features

The new KWS screw feeder was provided with a round inlet and discharge for connecting to existing equipment. A feeder shroud helps control flow and accurately meter grains to the mill. Accurate metering is important for the grain to be ground to a uniform consistency. KWS supplied a shaft mount drive as a compact and cost-effective alternative when compared to belt-drive screw conveyor drives. The KWS direct-drive shaft mount design is mounted directly to a standard CEMA trough end. Rotational speeds can be fine-tuned using a variable frequency drive.

Excluder rings were installed on the shafts to prevent bulk materials from leaking from the trough. KWS checks and straightens every screw section to exacting standards. Dial indicators are used to measure the run-out in the bearing area of the shaft. Straightening the screw removes excess deflection and extends the life of the screw, bearings, seals, and drive components. Straightening also minimizes vibration. Safety bolts were installed on opposite corners of each cover to prevent untrained personnel from accessing the rotating screw.