Feeding kieselguhr and further media within the beverage industry / foodstuffs industry

Before a beer can be enjoyed by its customer, it must run through a series of precisely controlled natural microbiological and physical processes during production, settling and purification. Examples are fermentation and ripening processes causing suspended substances and impurities due to e.g. the yeast which is used for fermentation. These particles are removed from the beer in various steps of treatment. A brilliant clear beer requires a special filtration: kieselguhr alluvial filtration. For this process a kieselguhr suspension with a concentration of 300 g/l is added to the beer. Main filter elements are e.g. fine stainless steel strainer textures or stainless steel pipes with very small slots. As neither the slots nor the fabric are fine enough, before the filtration of the actual beer, initially only water containing kieselguhr is run through the filter. The kieselguhr is deposited in the filter and forms a finely-divided layer which acts as a micro-filter. This kieselguhr layer then traps the impurities which cause cloudiness in the beer.

Kieselguhr is a mealy mineral dating from the tertiary era; it is derived from the silicaceous exoskeletons of monocellular algae and diatoms. Kieselguhr, also called diatomaceous earth, is used not only as filter material but also for grinding and polishing. Its suitability as a grinding medium indicates that moving parts in contact kieselguhr for dosing purposes require high wearing qualities. Very precise dosing pumps are needed to add the kieselguhr, e.g. special piston pumps with specific operating characteristics and wear-resistant surfaces. The pumps used in breweries must meet the following requirements:

• long, trouble-free operation
• simple construction requiring little maintenance
• consideration of hygienic and process-related requirements (e.g. ensuring that air does not enter the beer)

Lutz-Jesco piston dosing pumps in special brewery versions with materials such as stainless steel, aluminium oxide and ceramics, compatible with foodstuffs and imparting wear-resistance at relevant places and special lip seals. These special pumps optimally fulfil these demands and have been used for decades all around the world as proven dosing devices by reputable brewery installation specialists such as KHS-Prozesstechnik GmbH. Enjoy your beer with Lutz-Jesco dosing pumps !