Bredel hose pumps settle yeast problems

In the Fermentation Room at Scottish Courage Brewing, eight Bredel SP65 pumps are used on the yeast cropping lines. Up to 750 barrels of Kronenbourg and Fosters lager are produced at the brewery every day. The pumps draw settled yeast from the bottom of conical fermentation vessels and deliver to centrifuges where the high gravity beer is extracted and yeast is recycled for further use, either in brewing or in the manufacture of products such as Marmite.

Consistent pump performance with minimal slip despite wide variation in the viscosity of the pumped product is crucial to the success of the operation. When the pump starts, the yeast at the bottom of the vessel is highly viscous - up to 3000cP with solids content up to 75%. At the end of the cycle, viscosity is water-like with solid content minimal.

The SP65 pumps replace trolley-mounted lobe-rotor pumps, which, using flexible hoses, were wheeled from tank to tank. The Bredel pumps however are installed permanently with suction pipework and valving design so that each can serve several tanks. Watson-Marlow Bredel pumps are also used for yeast dosing and skimming at the Reading plant.