w INDUSTRY FOCUS Food & Beverage
Overcoming the top four pumping challenges
The brewing and distilling industry needs to address its pump challenges, writes Peter McGarian, Managing Director of Seepex UK
T
he appetite for beer and spirits remains strong at all times. For breweries, this has been driven in part by consumer taste for craft beers, while in the distilling sector, there’s a demand for authentic and fl avoured spirits such as artisan gin. Nevertheless, ring fencing already tight profi t margins is critical if producers are to shoulder any economic burdens.
The many challenges faced throughout
the brewing or distilling process can be divided into three major areas: raw materials handling, and production and waste handling. Each requires accurate control of product fl ow to keep quality consistently high. Pumps are integral to brewing and distilling operations, yet not all are created equal. Here, we explain how switching to a progressive cavity (PC) pump can deliver effi ciency, productivity and energy gains to help brewers and distillers thrive.
1. Grist mixing and transfer The brewing or distilling process starts by mixing milled grain (grist) with water in a vessel known as a mash or lauter tun, where starch is converted to sugar. Traditionally, the grain is cracked and stored in a grist case and then gravity- fed into a ‘masher’, where it is mixed with hot water prior to entering the mash tun. However, in newer or smaller breweries, the grist case often sits below the mash tun, with a conveyor system transferring the grist to the masher. This is not only costly, but adds complexity to
30 April 2021 | Automation
the conveying system, leading to mixing problems – water is often added unevenly, resulting in a mix that is not homogenous and reduces the yield.
An ideal alternative to complex conveyor systems are PC pumps in Seepex’s BT range. These off er installation and mashing-in fl exibility, allowing the grist to be mixed with hot water and then pumped into the mash tun. Comprising a feed hopper and an auger feed screw, the pitch and diameter of the auger can be adjusted for optimal product feed, ensuring a homogenous mix and a stable yield.
One producer already enjoying the
benefi ts is Ringwood Brewery in Dorset. Thanks to the installation of a Seepex BT pump underneath the grist case, its grist is now carried safely, eff ectively and consistently to the mash tun. The time taken for transfer has been halved, improving production and nearly doubling mashing capacity. In addition, the pump system has been fi tted with Smart Conveying Technology (SCT) – an innovation from Seepex that enables rapid dismantling and cleaning, increasing pump stator life by up to 200% and reducing maintenance time by up to 85%.
2. Yeast handling A critical process for any brewery or distillery is the fermentation stage – when yeast is added to the wort to convert simple sugars into alcohol. Yeast is shear- sensitive so requires very gentle and hygienic handling to avoid damaging
it, which would ultimately have a detrimental eff ect on the taste of the beer or spirit. Choosing the right yeast pump is therefore crucial. Peristaltic pumps are sometimes used at this stage, but their pulsating action can have a negative eff ect on the quality of shear-sensitive products like yeast. By contrast, Seepex’s BCF range of PC pumps off ers more gentle and hygienic handling, better preserving the yeast quality for fermentation. This is because PC pumps move the product through the pump in a series of cavities, which prevents slip from the discharge back through the pump. Slip creates shear, so compared to other pump designs which have clearances between the lobes, screws or gears, PC pumps have a very low shear action. They are also good at handling entrained air and foam, important for brewers and distillers as the yeast can gain a foamy consistency at this stage.
At the end of the fermentation process, yeast can also be recovered for re-use (known as harvesting) by discharging from the conical base of closed vessels (bottom cropping) or skimming from the surface of open vessels (top cropping). In either case, the low shear characteristics of the BCF range off er advantages over alternative pumped methods or ineffi cient manual procedures.
3. Flavour and colour dosing The addition of fl avours and colours into beers and spirits must be done accurately and constantly to ensure even distribution
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