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  • Packaging pump

    Hello,

    When we bottle and keg we use quite a lot of Co2 as we're using Co2 to move beer into our kegs or gravity filler. I am considering using a pump instead after provision the beer in the tank with a blanket of Co2 and using for instance a peristaltic pump or similar. We are not super scared of foaming or oxydation as all our beer is flat at packaging time and refermented in the keg or bottle.

    Can anybody recommend a procedure and equipment for this.

    -Christian

  • #2
    Originally posted by ChristianSA View Post
    Hello,

    When we bottle and keg we use quite a lot of Co2 as we're using Co2 to move beer into our kegs or gravity filler. I am considering using a pump instead after provision the beer in the tank with a blanket of Co2 and using for instance a peristaltic pump or similar. We are not super scared of foaming or oxydation as all our beer is flat at packaging time and refermented in the keg or bottle.

    Can anybody recommend a procedure and equipment for this.

    -Christian
    I'd suggest a diaphragm pump. Peristaltic pumps are not likely to reach the flow rate you need. I have a Yamada NDP-20 polypropylene pump that flows up to 31 gpm, though you'll want to size yours so your flow is somewhere near the middle. Max flow is difficult to reach if you have longer hoses or any back pressure. I picked mine up for a song off Craigslist, but it has NPT ports. You'll probably want one of the sanitary models, with triclamps built in. Here's a link to the type I'm talking about (I'm not endorsing the distributor--I've no knowledge of them):


    Diaphragm pumps have very low sheer, and will run until shutoff head is reached, and then the pump stalls, maintaining pressure in the outlet line. When demand resumes (e.g. you begin filling bottles or kegs), the pressure decreases in the outlet and the pump will start to cycle. It essentially delivers from zero to whatever flow rate you set based on the air pressure, without the need for adjusting it. When running at shutoff head, it stops, so you don't have an impeller thrashing your beer.

    These are standard issue in the wine industry, especially for racking.

    Regards,
    Mike

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    • #3
      Originally posted by ChristianSA View Post
      Hello,

      When we bottle and keg we use quite a lot of Co2 as we're using Co2 to move beer into our kegs or gravity filler. I am considering using a pump instead after provision the beer in the tank with a blanket of Co2 and using for instance a peristaltic pump or similar. We are not super scared of foaming or oxydation as all our beer is flat at packaging time and refermented in the keg or bottle.

      Can anybody recommend a procedure and equipment for this.

      -Christian
      This doesn't really answer your question (the above post does) but you should always be concerned about oxidation even if the beer is flat and being refermented. Foaming needs to be a concern for efficiency/loss. Additionally, foaming when transferring a flat beer is usually indicative of air being pulled in. Unless you like the taste of wet cardboard this should be on your radar

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