The maintenance of your brewing pump is just as important as choosing the right process pump and equipment. On average, 68 litres of beer is being consumed per capita in the UK, proving that the demand for high-quality beer is on the rise. Proper care and regular maintenance is vital to extend the life of your brewing equipment, contributing to the consistency and quality of your final brew. This will also improve profitability on the process line, as less maintenance and downtime mean less money spent on spare parts, explains Shiley McPherson at Tapflo Pumps.

Here’s a list of maintenance tips and best practices for maintaining your brewing pump.

The Importance of Cleaning & Sanitisation:

Sanitise Your Pump Before Use

Before each brewing session, sanitise your pump and equipment to ensure a clean and sterile environment. Use a common food-grade sanitiser, such as Caustic Soda (preferred and used 99% of the time) or a Hot Water rinse, to eliminate any bacteria or wild yeast that could potentially contaminate your product.

Clean Your Pump After Each Use

Thoroughly clean your brewing pump after each use. This includes hoses, the pump housing, and any other components that come into contact with the media. Residual sugars, proteins, and other organic materials left behind can increase the risk of bacterial growth. This highlights the importance of using a Sanitary Pump. Common practice in the industry is using a non-sanitary pump in conjunction with a CIP pump, however using a pump with all-sanitary components capable of CIP tasks ensures a cleaner line throughout. 

Maintenance & Regular Inspection Routines:

Important note: The below are recommended across the industry and we advise checking the IOM Manual provided alongside the pump for a more in-depth troubleshooting experience and to ensure the procedures are being correctly followed.

Seals and Gaskets

Regularly inspect the seals, gaskets, and O-rings on your pumps for wear and tear. Damaged or worn seals can lead to leaks or loss of pressure, and potentially cause the seal to rupture/split and contaminate the product if there’s no filtration element.

Thermometers and Gauges

Confirm the accuracy of your thermometers and pressure gauges. Inaccurate readings could lead to temperature fluctuations which affects mashing, boiling, and fermentation processes. We recommend recalibrating/replacing faulty components when needed.

Moving Parts

For moving parts and valves, use a food-grade lubricant for smooth pumping. Regular lubrication reduces friction and prevents unnecessary strain on your equipment.

Heating Elements

If your brewing pump and equipment has heating elements such as electric kettles or heat exchangers, regular descaling is recommended. Mineral deposits build up over time which could reduce the efficiency of the heating process.

Document Maintenance

Keep a maintenance log, noting each cleaning, sanitising, and maintenance activity performed. This log helps track any ongoing and recurring issues, and provides useful information for troubleshooting in future.

Common Problems & How to Fix Them:

Loss of Prime

Loss of prime occurs when the pump fails to create sufficient suction to draw liquid into it. Causes of this include air leaks in the pump or a clogged impeller. If you cannot identify any visible issues, disassemble the pump and thoroughly clean it.

Cavitation

Cavitation takes place when the pressure inside the pump falls below the vapour pressure of the liquid, causing bubbles to form. Cavitation can wreak havoc on the impeller and other components of the pump. Cavitation has a very distinct noise too; imagine stainless steel beads flowing through the pipework). To prevent cavitation, ensure the pump is appropriately primed and there are no air leaks in the system, and adjust the speed of the pump to avoid overworking it. Additionally, we would recommend getting your system audited/assessed by a qualified pump mechanic to ensure the best efficiencies for your application.

Motor Issues

Over time, the motor can wear out or get damaged, causing the pump to malfunction. To extend your pump’s lifespan while ensuring continuous operation, it’s crucial to regularly inspect and replace damaged motor components. Using monitoring equipment such as Dry Run Protection and a PTC Thermistor can safeguard the pump and enhance longevity. Additionally, for processes involving frequent starts/stops, such as batching, using an inverter with soft-start functionality is advised to minimise wear and extend motor life. In cases where the pump encounters extreme frequencies, consider installing external ventilation systems to keep the pump cool and prevent overheating. 

Clogging & Impeller Damage

Clogging and damage to the impeller happen when debris or solid particles enter the pump. Regularly clean the pump and inspect it for any signs of damage. In the event of a blockage, disassemble the pump and clean it thoroughly. In severe cases, you may need to replace the impeller or other internal components. An additional consideration, should it be sufficient for your process, is the use of an inline filter to prevent these foreign objects from getting into the pump. It’s important to note that this may also increase pipework losses so it is highly recommended to have a professional assist with the installation. 

Maintenance Tips for Common Brewing Pumps:

When it comes to brewing operations, there are 3 commonly used types of pumps: Centrifugal, Sanitary Diaphragm, and Peristaltic Pumps. While each of these pumps offers features that make them well-suited to brewing applications, there are a few maintenance tasks to consider:

Centrifugal Pumps

Commonly used for transferring low-viscosity fluids with minimal solids concentration at high volumes and relatively low pressures, suited to Hot Wort Transfer, Hot Liquor Transfer, CIP pumping, Tank to Tank Transfer, and Tank Cleaning.

• Inspect impellers and shafts for signs of wear and tear
• Ensure all moving parts are well-lubricated 
• Check all components are correctly aligned
• Inspect the electrical system such as wiring, motor controls and connections to prevent failures
• Ensure the pump is operating at its Best Efficiency Point (BEP) to prevent cavitation

Sanitary Diaphragm Pumps

Handles thick fluids with high solids concentrations, often at elevated pressures with relatively low flow rates, suited to Mash-in-Wort, Mash Recirculation, Liquid Sugar Transfer, Syrup Transfer, Yeast Slurry Transfer, Bottling, Casking, and Canning.

• Inspect pump and components for signs of wear, tear, and leaks
• Ensure the pump’s nuts and bolts are correctly tightened 
• Regularly check the air filter and exhaust muffler, ensuring they are free from obstruction
• Inspect the diaphragms, valve balls and seats for signs of wear or damage
• Ensure the suction and discharge is free from blockages, and monitor pressure gauges 

Peristaltic Pumps

Ideal for micro-breweries and small breweries as they can handle smaller flow rates at high pressure. Features FDA-compliant components for optimal hygiene levels and minimal wearing parts helping to reduce the overall cost ownership.

• Inspect the hose for signs of wear, cracks and leaks
• Ensure the hose is fitted correctly to maintain proper tension
• Lubricate the shoes and bearings to reduce friction

Additional Considerations:

Temperature Maintenance

Ensure your pump can handle the maximum temperature of the fluid being pumped. For brewing systems, the maximum temperature should be greater than 80°C for mashing and 100°C+ for boiling and cooling processes. If your application has the requirement to maintain a certain temperature, consider heat-traced pipework to ensure the media does not cool down during transfer.

Safety Tips

• Always ensure pumps are electrically earthed and all mains leads are kept away from fluids
• Use earth leakage trips for added protection
• When closing valves on a pumped circuit, do it slowly to avoid surges and potential damage
• Avoid using standard water Centrifugal Pumps – these pumps don’t have the necessary hygiene ratings, can introduce contaminants and are commonly made from lower-grade materials where the surface roughness is not suitable for hygienic applications (this could increase the potential for bacteria growth within micro indentations)

Maintaining your brewing pump is essential, and by adopting these simple but effective tips, you can keep your equipment in optimal working condition, enhance the quality of your brews, and ensure a long and rewarding brewing journey.