Portable Jabsco VeraFlex Pump Cart for specialist breweries halves spin fermentation time of high-gravity beer

Phil Black - PII Editor 19/11/2012

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Leading global water technology provider Xylem has released an applications note on its VeraFlex Pump Cart, a multi-tasking flexible impeller pump (FIP) mounted on a lightweight, easily manoeuvrable cart designed for specialist breweries, meaderies and cider makers. Smaller scale brewing demands the same and sometimes more processes as large-scale production with many tasks being carried out manually. The VeraFlex Pump Cart automates many of these labour-intensive processes, saving time and money.

Xylem was approached by a customer in the specialist brewing industry who wanted a pump to transfer beer and other liquids from totes, re-circulate beer during the fermentation cycle and clean lines and tanks. The solution had to be portable, easy to clean and have low maintenance requirements. Xylem developed the Jabsco VeraFlex pump cart, a self-priming positive displacement FIP pump mounted on a stainless steel trolley with large pneumatic tyres. Jabsco was the inventor of FIP pump technology, which allows viscous fluids and soft solids to pass through without emulsifying or damage. Proven and reliable, competitively priced Jabsco FIPs are simple to maintain with minimal down time, again a crucial factor for artisan brewers.

The VeraFlex Pump Cart FIP can be turned down to 250 rpm for spin fermentation of high-gravity beers, allowing it to be recirculated gently and oxygen injected during the fermentation cycle. This means that the beer reaches its final gravity in six days, compared to 12 – 14 days using conventional methods. An ideal solution for multiple tasks, the pump easily transfers beer and liquid adjuncts from totes and can also be used for honey, molasses and other similar ingredients. For CIP of lines and tanks, the VeraFlex FIP gives higher pressure than centrifugal pumps.

Product features include: 316 stainless steel hygienic body and washdown motor; 3A food grade neoprene impeller; rheostat-controlled reversible speed drive adjusts flow rates from 0 to 228 LPM; pumps forward and reverse; optional wireless remote option; removable handle for storage. For more information, please visit us at www.xyleminc.com.