Whether you're a home brewer or a large brewing company, one of the most important pieces of equipment you will have is your brewery pump. With a vast array of pumps to choose from, deciding what pump best suits your needs can be overwhelming. We have written the below guide to the types of Brewery Pumps we offer to help you along with your decision. Should you require any further information, or have any additional questions then please call us on +44 1332 913500.
Flow Rate
The amount of fluid a pump can expel is measured in either Litres Per Minute (LPM), Gallons Per Minute (GPM) or Cubic Metres Per Minute (m3/hr), this allows you to gauge how quickly a pump can transfer liquid from A to B.
Vertical Suction Lift
This measures the length that a pump can lift liquid up from it's original destination.
If you're pump is sat on a tank, your suction lift would be from the bottom of that tank.
Maximum Head Lift
The head lift relates to how far in height the pump will need to expel the liquid.
If you're pump is on the ground and pumping into a tank, then the head will be the height of the tank.
Maximum Solids
Certain pumps allow for solids to flow through. This is usually measured in millimetres and available on the pump's datasheet.
Passing larger solids than the pumps recomended will result in clogging of the impeller and downtime for your application.
Power
Pumps are available as Air Powered or Electric Powered (in both single and three phase). It's important to know what power you need before looking to purchase a pump.
Electrically Driven Centrifugal Pumps
Perfect For Small / Medium Sized Breweries
Centrifugal pumps are ideal for transferring thin water like products, such as hot liquor (water) & wort (please note that it is not recomended to transfer liquid higher than 90 degrees celsius). Certain pumps are available with either Standard Mechanical Seals or Hard-Faced Mechanical Seals, if you are looking to transfer wort or use the pumps in a CIP application please ensure the pump has a hard face seal and you do not exceed 5% Caustic Soda solution.
The pumps are either closed impeller design, which are ideal for clean liquids, capable of passing solid particles of up to 2mm in diameter or open impeller design, which are ideal for liquids with solid particles in suspension of up to 10mm in diameter, i.e. grain & hop particles. This measurements will vary per pump and manufacturer.
Centrifugal pumps will not tolerate dry running and will need a positive suction head or flooded suction, they do not naturally pull a product up & out of a vessel below the inlet port/centre line of the pump, without being manually primed.
Please also note, if using a centrifugal pump to transfer finished un-carbonated or carbonated beer, these pumps are often selected to operate at 3,000 revolutions per minute (50 Hertz) or 3,600 rpm (60 Hertz), which will whisk & can cause aeration.
Electrically Driven Magnetic Drive Pumps
Perfect For Home Brewers
A magnetic drive pump is where an impeller is not connected directly to the motor. Instead, the motor and impeller are each connected to magnets. As the motor spins its magnet, the other magnet spins which cause the impeller to turn.
The do’s & don’ts of standard centrifugal pumps pretty much applies to magnetic drive centrifugal pumps too, with the exception that they will not tolerate solid particles or dry running in anyway and if this does occur the most likely outcome will be a melted, shattered, un-usable pump.
Electrically Driven Peristaltic Hose Pumps
Perfect For Medium / Large Breweries
Peristaltic hose pumps are a very simple, quiet & hygienic design of pump, using the principle of peristalsis (similar to your intestine), the liquid is simply & easily pushed through a food grade rubber hose, causing minimum disturbance & damage to the product being pumped.
This style of pump shall transfer finished beer from A to B without introducing oxygen or whisking your finished product. These pumps are ideal for transferring live yeast, should you wish to harvest it & re-use the same strain of yeast brew after brew and they are ideal for pumping away hop slurries after dry hopping your beer.
They are what we call true self priming pump, capable of pulling dry suction lifts of 3 metres plus (dependant on size of pump) and are capable of dry running without damage, but like every pump design this is not something we would recommend & would suggest that you avoid if you can.
They can be used to handle a wide range of hot, cold, thick, thin, clean or solid laden, abrasive liquids and are available fully customisaable. There are different options of motors, speed control options, connections, hoses and even castor wheels available.
The downside to peristaltic hose pumps is that they will cause pulsation in your pipe work, but pulsation dampeners are available to eliminate this. The initial capitol purchase price is more expensive that a centrifugal pump, but the pros far out way the cons of a centrifugal pump when it comes to pumping away your finished beer. Peristaltic hose pumps are very energy efficient to run & lifetime ownership is very common.
Air Driven Double Diaphragm Pumps
Perfect For Medium / Large Breweries
Air driven double diaphragm pumps are pretty versatile pieces of equipment that can handle a wide range of hot, cold, thick, thin, clean or solid laden liquids. They are also what we call true self priming pumps, capable of pulling dry suction lifts of 3 metres plus (dependant on size & manufacturer of pump).
These pumps are available in a wide selection of plastic materials (including food grade PE), as well as cast metallic & highly polished hygienic designs (aluminium, cast iron & stainless steel). They can be dry ran for short periods of time without damage. However, this will depend on the air pressure being used to drive the pump, again it’s not something we would recommend & suggest that you avoid.
The downside to air driven double diaphragm pumps is that they require costly compressed/pneumatic air to operate them, and they will cause pulsation through your pipe work, again, pulsation dampeners are available to combat this.
Electrically Driven Double Diaphragm Pumps
Perfect For Medium / Large Breweries
Electrically driven double diaphragm pumps offer all the same benefits of air driven double diaphragms, although they do not require costly compressed/pneumatic air to operate them, they are more expensive investment initially. However, they are far more cost effective to operate & run if you are planning to use them for long periods of time.
They do have the same downside as air operated diaphragm pumps, that they have the ability cause pulsation through your pipe work, again, pulsation dampeners are available to combat this.
It's important to think about your job from start to finish, a pump is a main part of your application but it's important to consider what else you'll need. Below you'll find some items that may be be considered essential, depending on your application. If you're ever unsure on your requirements, our team is available to help you.
Hoses
We sell a wide range of hoses for you to transfer your liquids, including a Clear Braided Hose which is Food Grade.
Air Regulators
If you are using AODD pumps, air line regulators provide controlled, consistent air pressure as required for specific pneumatic equipment connected to the air system.
Trolley
A trolley is especially useful for pumps that you use for more than one application, allowing you to easily maneuver the pump around your space.
Pulsation Dampeners
A pulsation dampener can be used to reduce pulsation and remove pressure variations on the discharge of your pump, ensuring a smoother flow and less disturbance to your product.
Get in touch
Our friendly team of experts are on hand to give you any advice you require for your job. If you require more information or help on choosing the right pump for your application, then fill in the contact form or call us on +44 1332 913500 to speak to a member of our team.
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