A Wine Pump can be used in multiple stages of the winemaking process, including pumping grape must where partial solids may be present in the fluid. Therefore, it’s best to know which hygienic pump you will require for your application. If you have a question that hasn’t been answered in this application guide, please get in touch with the team today to discuss your requirements.
It is important for vintners to consider the following when choosing a Wine Pump:
Must is the name given to the residue of crushed grapes during the wine-making process. Must is a blend of fresh grape juice and pomace. It is a fairly thick fluid, Pomace is the solids mixture of grape skins, seeds and stems after they have been crushed whole.
A Must Pump is required to move fluid with solids, meaning it needs wider tubing and bigger pump heads for applications such as transferring from crusher to fermenter. Must pumps require heavy duty motors and high pressures to be able to push the thick must through the pump casing, whereas those pumps referred to as a Wine Pump are used for fluid transfer such as transferring fermented wine, filtration and bottling. Also, in terms of viscosity, they are very different types of fluids that would require completely different pumps. Usually, wine has a very low viscosity of 1 CPS, whereas crushed grapes or grape must come in at around 2000 CPS on the viscosity scale.
Yes. Any pump being used to handle food-grade products must adhere to strict sanitary conditions. Pumps must be manufactured from high grade Stainless Steel to ensure that there are no areas of the pump body where the product can sit and develop bacteria.
Your pump choice should also utilise FDA approved hygienic seals; in the case of a Peristaltic Pump, the hose should be FDA approved.
During winemaking, any Vintner will tell you that introducing air into your product can change the alcohol content and taste, sometimes damaging the product you were aiming to create. Therefore, it is important for a Wine Pump to be slow moving and offer pulse free transfer, which will reduce froth created during the transfer of the product and therefore reduce the amount of air being introduced into the product.
Flexible Impeller Pump
A Flexible Impeller is the pump we’re most likely to recommend to you for wine. Why? The range was designed specifically for the wine market!
The impeller inside a Flexible Impeller rotates, trapping fluid between the impeller vanes. These vanes are flexible and will mould themselves to the pump casing as they rotate. This means the pump is perfect for handling large solids as it does not damage the product.
The Flexible Impeller pushes the product forwards at a slow speed with pulse free operation making it perfect for pumping wine.
Flexible Impeller Benefits:
Our Flexible Impellers can also be supplied with an Automatic Barrel Filling Kit. This accessory is compact and easy to use, with adjustable settings for sensitive filling when handling liquids prone to foaming.
Peristaltic Pump
Peristaltic Pumps are a positive displacement pump with a simple design that only sees the hose coming into contact with the product being pumped. The pump is driven by rollers inside the housing that push onto the hose, creating a force that sends liquid forward whilst creating a vacuum that draws more liquid into the hose. The rollers in our Peristaltic Pumps have adjustable roller pressure, which can prevent your product being damaged and allows our customers to customise the force of the pump to their particular application.
This pump design makes Peristaltic Pumps perfect for effectively transferring delicate fluids or liquids with solids, such as must, without damaging the product.
Peristaltic Pump Benefits:
Did you know that our hoses have 30% longer life than most other peristaltic hose suppliers on the market?
One drawback of using a Peristaltic Pump is the pulsation in the discharge flow, due to the operation design of the pump. However, this can be reduced with a Pulsation Dampener. Ask us about this accessory if you’re interested in purchasing a Peristaltic Pump.
Sanitary Diaphragm Pump
Diaphragm Pumps are another type of Positive Displacement Pump that are driven by compressed air. Diaphragm Pumps are an extremely popular pump in numerous industries due to their versatility.
Sanitary Diaphragm Pumps are ideal for winemaking because they are capable of transferring large volumes of fluid. The no-seal design of the Diaphragm Pump also ensures that air from outside of the pump doesn’t compromise the quality of the wine being made.
Diaphragm Pump Benefits:
Diaphragm Pumps can produce a pulsated flow, however, we supply several options that can reduce the impact of this on your installation.
We can also provide Mobile Decanting Units (MDU) for applications that require a tank to be mobile. Our bespoke systems combine a Diaphragm Pump and a Pneumatic Batcher, mounting them on a trolley that can carry either 20L, 25L or 205L containers.
Sanitary Lobe Pump
Lobe Pumps have rotating lobes in the pump body that do not come into contact with each other. As the lobe rotates, liquid flows in the cavity created by the lobes, and as they continue to rotate, the fluid is trapped and the volume between the lobes decreases, causing the liquid to flow out of the discharge port. This makes them an ideal pumping solution for wine because they do not shake the product, therefore maintaining the quality of the wine.
Our Lobe Pumps are EHEDG compliant and an extremely efficient solution for shear sensitive products.
The pump can be used for filtration, transfer and bottling of wine.
Lobe Pump Benefits:
Whilst Centrifugal Pumps are an extremely popular pump in the beverage industry, and we highly recommend them for brewing beer, they aren’t suitable for winemaking as the centrifugal force in the pump casing causes the wine to oxidise, affecting the taste of the wine.
If you’re in the market for a Wine Pump, get in touch with our team today to discuss your business requirements.
