A Guide To Brewery Pump Selection And Maintenance

Whether you are a small brewery or a large industrial brewery, the brewing pump you use is one of the most important parts of your brewing equipment and determines the success of your product. Once it is in operation, the pump must be properly maintained to maintain optimal performance. Pumps can be divided into two major categories: centrifugal pumps and positive displacement pumps.

What is a beer pump?

The basic purpose of a beer pump is to move beer from a keg or other container to a tap. This is an alternative to using air pressure to move beer. Instead, a beer pump uses mechanical force to move beer to the tap. Beer pumps are common in beer piping systems and must achieve pressures above 35 or 40 psi to produce a steady flow.

Which is better, a centrifugal pump or a positive displacement pump?

Centrifugal Pumps

In the brewing industry, sanitary centrifugal pumps are the most commonly used pumps for moving low viscosity, low solids concentration fluids at high flow rates and low pressures (less than 7 bar). There are many different types of centrifugal pumps, including multistage pumps, open impeller pumps, liquid ring pumps, and submersible pumps.

Typical applications where sanitary centrifugal pumps are recommended include:

• Hot wort transfer

• Hot liquid transfer

• CIP pumping and purging

• Tank to tank transfers

• Tank cleaning

Positive displacement pumps

The most commonly used solvent pumps (PD) in the brewing industry include positive rotation pumps, flexible impeller pumps, progressive cavity pumps, air-operated diaphragm pumps, and twin screw pumps. These pumps are typically suitable for conveying viscous fluids with high solids concentrations at low flow rates at high pressures, and where flow accuracy is required.

Typical applications where a positive displacement pump such as a peristaltic or diaphragm pump is recommended include:

• Mash recovery

• Liquid sugar transfer

• Wort

• Yeast mash transfer

• Bottling, kegging, and canning

• Syrup transfer

Why do I need a pump?

Whenever you need to move wort into or out of a brewing vessel, a pump kicks in. For example, if you have a three-vessel setup, a pump can help you transfer wort from the mash tun or lauter tun to the boiler. A pump makes this job easy, safe, and clean for all but the smallest batches of beer.

You can also use a pump to circulate wort in a single vessel. You can do this during the mashing process, which helps increase efficiency. You can also do it at the end of the boil, creating a vortex that collects all the dregs (and any granular hops) into the center of the vessel so you can pump clear wort out the edges.

Pump Sizing

Determine Flow Rate

To size and select a centrifugal pump, you must first determine the flow rate. Pipe diameter is an important factor in determining flow rates in beer processes. Most fluid transfer operations are best performed within the recommended flow rate range to achieve non-turbulent flow and reduce friction pressure losses. To prevent turbulence in the pipe, laminar flow must be maintained by keeping the flow rate below the critical velocity.

Determine Total Head

The friction head depends on the flow rate, pipe size and length, and liquid viscosity. The total head is the pressure that the pump needs to generate to deliver the required flow rate and is equal to the sum of the static head (positive or negative head) and the friction head.

Pump Power

The pump drive is usually an electric motor, diesel engine or steam turbine. It is sized by determining the power required: Pump Power = Flow x Total Head x Liquid Density x Acceleration due to Gravity ÷ Pump Efficiency.

How do I clean my pump?

• Daily inspections: Perform daily pump inspections and record any anomalies, including changes in pump sound, sudden changes in bearing temperature, and seal chamber leaks.

• Leaks: Check for new or severe leaks, especially from gaskets. Inspect the pump housing, seal chamber, and piping.

• Noise: If cavitation and bearing noise are present, make sure the noise is no louder than normal. Lubricate the bearings.

• Heating and cooling: Monitor the pump temperature daily to ensure it is operating at optimal temperatures. The type of fluid determines the ideal temperature, so make sure the temperature does not fluctuate from day to day.