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Certa Pumps Eradicate Yeast Handling Issues At German Brewery
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Certa Pumps Eradicate Yeast Handling Issues At German Brewery

Photo of Watson Marlow Watson Marlow Send an email 23/03/2021
407 2 minutes read
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Certa Sine pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) have replaced rotary lobe pumps at the family-owned Hofmann brewery in Germany, eliminating gassing issues and boosting pump efficiency.

In the brewing process, once fermentation is complete, the yeast is recovered (or harvested) for re-use. However, much of this yeast settles at the bottom of the fermentation tank where it can set into compacted bulk so pumps with high suction capabilities are required to draw the solid yeast from the tank.

Gas locking

Yeast naturally forms bubbles during fermentation and can cause gassing-off (gas locking) issues for the pumps used to harvest it.  Gas locking had serious and ongoing effects for the lobe pumps at the Hofmann brewery, including a reduction in flow rate. This effect was particularly noticeable due to the need for long suction lines between multiple yeast tanks and the pump station.

To overcome these challenges, Hofmann invited WMFTG to assess the application and make its recommendations. Several stipulations were involved, including the requirement to handle various yeast viscosities, the need for self-priming, and no gas locking.  With these thoughts in mind, Hofmann was advised to adopt a MasoSine Certa 200 series pump.

Certa offers both high suction capability and high flow. This performance level is consistent even with different yeast strains/viscosities and pipework runs. In fact, even compacted yeast is easily drawn from the fermentation vessel.

pumps eradicate yeast handling hofmann

Controlled process

Certa pumping technology is virtually pulse-free, providing consistent flows despite varying product and system conditions, thus facilitating controlled yeast transfer. Due to the continuous and smooth pumping action, the pump draws the yeast from the bottom of the tank and avoids any turbulence that would cause the beer to mix with the settled yeast. This clarity enables the brewmaster to recognise immediately when the yeast removal process is complete and can stop the pump before losing beer.

A further advantage of Certa technology is low-shear pumping. The presence of high shear can lead to poor quality beer, as well as high yeast usage and costs – issues avoided with the use of Certa pumps.

It was a combination of these factors that prompted Hofmann to install Certa 200 pumps, which duly led to successful and continuous yeast harvesting. The brewmaster has since stated that ease of maintenance by the brewery’s personnel, and rapid CIP cleaning, are added advantages. Here, the simplicity of the Certa pumps reduces CIP cycles and the amount of water and cleaning agents required.

www.wmftg.com

Watson Marlow
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Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.

We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.

The only part of the pump to come into contact with the product is the tube or hose. This means there are no seals or valves that can wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose can be performed quickly and safely. Peristaltic pump benefits include:

Total fluid containment with no seals No ancillaries Handle viscous and abrasive slurries and sludge Self-priming capability Dry running without damage to the pump In addition to their range of positive displacement pumps, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group has added PTFE-lined chemical and industrial hoses to their range. Aflex hoses are reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions and use.

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Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America

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Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater

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Photo of Watson Marlow Watson Marlow Send an email 23/03/2021
407 2 minutes read
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