Seepex – a partner for the brewing and distilling industries.
Years ago moving spent grain in breweries and distilleries was all a matter of paddles and barrows. Then came conveyors and pondorf units. But now a number of brewers and distillers have recognised that a seepex progressive cavity pump is by far the most effective option, often being used in a volume-reducing manner, replacing the conveyors – or using compressed air – to move the process waste away from the production environment. In addition seepex pumps are being used increasingly in the safe movement of grists within the production area.
The starting situation
At Ringwood Brewery in Dorset they produce high quality, cask conditioned beer, which they supply to pub chains, free houses and many leading supermarkets.
Here, as in so many such plants, the process of creating mash involved building a tower with hot and cold liquor feeding down to a grist case and thence into the mash tun. This involved a tall tower so that the whole process was gravity fed.
But sometimes physical constraints meant that the grist case had to be below the mash tun, so often a conveyor system was set up to convey the grist to the steels masher. This, however, involved high incremental costs and mixing problems, with water often being added unevenly, resulting in a mix that was not homogenous, so reducing the yield.
The solution
Now, they have installed a seepex pump underneath the grist case. So completely safely, with no risk of explosions and no spills or dust, the grist gets carried safely, effectively and consistently to the mash tun.
The benefit
For any brewery or distillery wanting to upgrade its production or waste disposal operations, as Ringwood have, a seepex pump is going to be a wise investment that pays back quickly. And as well as making sound financial sense, seepex pumps can allow expansion of sites without upsetting the local planners – ever taller towers no longer being necessary – with issues such as noise pollution, cleanliness and energy consumption also being effectively addressed.