Why Does A Brewery Need Compressed Air?

Compressed air plays an integral role in breweries both large and small around the world. From start to finish, all details in the brewing process are managed in fine detail and having the right air compressor is no exception.

What Kind of Air Compressor Does My Brewery Need?

Choosing the right air compressor for your brewery is just as important as the amount of hops you add to your latest batch. You must first determine what role or what use the air compressor will have in the brewery.

Piston/Reciprocating Compressors – Piston compressors are best for low-pressure tasks such as keg washing. These air compressors use rotating pistons to generate heat and compress and release air and are most often used in small microbreweries.

Rotary Screw Compressors – Rotary screw compressors are necessary for higher pressure tasks such as bottling or canning, which requires higher than 140 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) .Β 

What Else Can an Air Compressor Accomplish in my Brewery?

In addition to keg washing and bottling/canning, air compressors are also useful tools for other tasks around the brewery. Aeration is an important process in brewing, which involves adding oxygen to the yeast during fermentation. Compressed air is also used to power machinery during the clarifying process. The pressure of the air removes solids and gives a cleaner final product.

If you need help deciding which compressor is right for your brewery, Ash Air you covered. Please contact your local us for assistance on choosing theΒ compressorΒ that’s right for you.


Whether you have questions about which compressor is right for you, or if you’re ready to improve your operations and start saving on expenses. Ash Air has been around in New Zealand since 1979, because we offer reliable and hardworking air compressors, as well as expert advice and support.


Talk to the team today to see how we can help you minimise costs and maximise efficiency.

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Ash Air is here for your business longevity!

Your business performance is what we strive for. Ash Air offers a full range of Chicago Pneumatic and Alup air compressors, tools and on-site solutions. We also provide oil-free compressors and food-grade oil to suit your needs. Ash Air are specialists in vacuum pumps, blowers, and medical gas solutions. Ash Air offers complete quality air solutions as well as advanced piping systems for the performance and efficiency of your compressed air system.


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Who we are and how Ash Air can help your business!

Ash Air has been around in New Zealand since 1979, and we’ve grown into a nationwide company with international support and a reputation for quality and reliability.We look after all things compressed air for your business!

  • Reciprocating, Screw, air compressors
  • Vacuum pumps
  • Nitrogen
  • An extensive line of air treatment components

Ash Air's range of Chicago Pneumatic, Alup, Pneumatech, and Quincy compressors are used extensively around the world in industries ranging from oil and gas to food, automotive and farming, and we bring you these world class compressors here in the land of the long white cloud.Our technicians are compressed air equipment experts and are dedicated to addressing customer needs. Supported by a 13 locations nationwide, Ash Air offers one of the widest selections of compressed air equipment and parts available today in New Zealand.

Reliability and Efficiency

With Ash Air compressors, you can count on reliability and high performance for even the most demanding applications. We focus our efforts on the following:

  • Increasing uptime
  • Reducing unexpected repairs
  • Reducing energy consumption
  • Improving the cleanliness of compressed air


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Did you know that Chicago Pneumatic helped man land on the moon? Notice in this photo of the Apollo 11 landing what appear to be "soccer balls" on top of the capsule. They were inflated through a compressor specially developed by Chicago Pneumatic for NASA.


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Compressed air plays an integral role in breweries both large and small around the world. From start to finish, all details in the brewing process are managed in fine detail and having the right air compressor is no exception.


We Kiwi's love our Coffee! Coffee, like all other food & beverage products, must go through a preservation process to keep the beans fresh during storage and packaging before they reach the consumer. Coffee that is not properly stored after it is roasted will lose a large amount of carbon dioxide, which lessens its' flavor and speeds up the staling process. One of the most common ways to preserve the freshness of coffee is the use of nitrogen gas. Learn more here:

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