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  • Pre Centrifuge operations

    Hello collective!

    We got our new centrifuge in and I was wondering what others were doing to your tanks prior to separation. We are not able to spin down our cones yet and were really wanting to be able to do that. The hop load in our IPA's is really high and it gums up the strainers on the centrifuge.

    I have been thinking about some kind of pre-strainer but need some ideas on what and where I can get something that can handle the 165 pounds of hops in the beer.
    Mike Pensinger
    General Manager/Brewmaster
    Parkway Brewing Company
    Salem, VA

  • #2
    Which centrifuge do you have? You should be able to run everything, but you can not just run from the bottom of the cone. You need a input stream with relatively constant solids load and within a range of solids to liquids ratio. Your manufacturer should be able to run you through all of this.

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    • #3
      It is an SPX on a procarb frame. They have been helping us but the stainer going in is too fine. Jams up with hops so tight they get pressed dry.

      Figured if i could separate the really heavy stuff out pre centrifuge then it woul work better.

      Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
      Mike Pensinger
      General Manager/Brewmaster
      Parkway Brewing Company
      Salem, VA

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      • #4
        This seems odd to me, I have not seen centrifuges with strainers before the bowl(GEA or Alfa), that is what the unit is for. Do you send the beer straight from the cone or do you blend from the racking arm and the cone to create a more fluid stream? I checked out the SPX unit you probably have, you should be able to purge out the solids as needed from the strainer. I all the talks I have had with GEA and Alfa, never have we discussed a strainer in line, always just controlling the amount of solids in the input stream to keep it as constant as possible.
        Last edited by jebzter; 06-16-2016, 01:24 PM.

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        • #5
          I have an SPX + procarb coming, and I've had them modify that pre-strainer screen. There's no reason that screen shouldn't be like 1/4" holes - the reason we buy centrifuges is so we CAN run things like hops thru. I was told it was meant to catch "screws or anything that might get in there" .. I flew to a brewery to watch one run and I saw the screen plugging, which is when I asked them about it. Ask them for a new screen.

          R

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          • #6
            That is what i think too. We bought the one off the floor at CBC. They sent a new strainer but it still only has like 2mm holes. Thier service guy Kyle and i have spent a lot of time trying to make it right. I feel like no screen and slow running till the cone is clear is the answer. The cone holds 1.6 liters of solids so it does fill up pretty quick. If we are just running the beer from the top of the fermenter it rocks through it. Spot on carb and ready to package instantly. Just need the extra beer from the cone to help pay for the machine.

            Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
            Mike Pensinger
            General Manager/Brewmaster
            Parkway Brewing Company
            Salem, VA

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            • #7
              Screws?

              I'm confused why there would be a screen at the inlet to the unit. It's not like you're sending sacks of malt through it that may contain metal fragments and such.
              My understanding is that you need to effectively "dose" the cone solids into the stream of clearish beer by pulling from a racking arm or higher tank port.
              Is that what you're doing?

              On another note, are you getting clear beer without any post filtration and how accurate is the carbonation? I like the idea of those pro carb units, but I'm skeptical when a company that specializes in gas infusion adds a centrifugal separator to their offerings. I'd love to hear some feedback from people who are running them.

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              • #8
                As jebzter mentioned, you should be able to dose the bottom of the cone inline with the racking arm. We setup a 'T' w/ sight glass at the racking arm and bottom of the tank. During a run, we gradually close the racking arm valve until we're pulling completely from the bottom. The sight glass is used to monitor yeast/hop trub being dosed in.

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