A Smarter Brine Process for Johnson Foods

Engineering partnership drives energy savings and process upgrades

Johnson Foods partnered with Spokane Stainless Technologies to rethink a legacy brining process. Together, they created a fully insulated, custom-engineered brine tank that cut energy costs, reduced operational strain, and opened the door to further plant-wide improvements.

Project Overview

Client Name: Johnson Foods Inc.

Industry: Food & Beverage

Location: Washington State

Project Scope: Redesign and modernize a brining system to improve energy efficiency, reduce equipment wear, and optimize production.

Solution Provided: Spokane Stainless Technologies engineered and delivered a fully insulated, jacketed brine tank tailored to Johnson’s needs.

The Challenge

Johnson Foods, a respected name in food manufacturing, was running into limitations with its outdated brining system. The setup relied on an open-top vat and a steam boiler running nearly nonstop just to maintain temperature. This resulted in:

Excessive energy consumption
Steam loss and humidity issues
Corrosion of nearby equipment
Increasing operational costs

As production scaled, these inefficiencies became unsustainable. Johnson Foods brought in a process engineer and began searching for a smarter, more permanent solution.

The Solution

Spokane Stainless Technologies didn’t act as a vendor—they became an engineering partner.

Working closely with Johnson’s process engineer, they analyzed the brining system from hold times to temperature targets and co-designed a smarter solution:

A fully jacketed internal heating layer
Two inches of Rockwool insulation
14-gauge stainless cladding for durability and thermal retention

The result was a high-performance, insulated brine tank built specifically for Johnson’s needs. After initial heat-up, the system retained temperature so well that the brine was still within one degree the next morning—without any boiler input.

The Results

Key Performance Indicators to highlight success:

Significant energy cost savings
Extended boiler lifespan
Reduced environmental wear and corrosion
Laid the groundwork for broader process improvements

Following this successful project, Johnson Foods initiated additional upgrades—such as automating cherry extraction using a conveyor system to reduce manual labor and improve throughput.