Chapter 24

Brewery Pumps

Pump Types and Application

Breweries move lots of liquids around the plant including wort, beer, spent grain, clean-in-place (CIP) solutions, process chemicals, and utility/service waters. For each application there are pumps available to optimize the process. Essentially, in the world of pumps there are two basic categories, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, each containing different types that can be tailored to different applications. The difference is that centrifugal pumps spins at a high speed and transfers centrifugal or kinetic energy into the liquid in the form of velocity and pressure. The positive displacement pump, on the other hand, transfers a precise measured amount of liquid from the inlet to the outlet for each rotation or stroke of the pump. In the brewing industry, centrifugal pumps are the most commonly used pump and are generally employed for the transfer of low viscosity fluids with minimal solids concentration at high volumes and relatively low pressures. Positive displacement pumps are generally employed to transfer thick fluids with high solids concentrations at elevated pressures with relatively low flow rates and where flow accuracy is required.

Pump Application

Breweries handle all sorts of liquids in the production process including solutions for CIP, rinse water, finings, DE filter body feed, and more in addition to wort and beer. For each application, there are pumps that are more suitable for the job.

Click on the following topics for more information on brewery pumps.