Sinusoidal pumps bring consistency and efficiency to BrewDog’s brewing process

Certa Sine 300 pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions are helping BrewDog maintain the quality of its beers and increase efficiency at the brewer’s Ellon facility, as Flow discovered.

When it comes to handling yeast, breweries cannot compromise on precision and consistency. For BrewDog, the multinational brewery and pub chain, ensuring the gentle and efficient transfer of yeast is critical to maintaining high standards in production of award-winning beers like Punk IPA, Lost Lager, and Hazy Jane at its brewery in Ellon, near Aberdeen, in Scotland.

As part of a cellar upgrade project in 2025, BrewDog replaced traditional lobe pumps with MasoSine Certa Sine 300 pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS) after a successful trial. The switch was driven by the need to protect yeast viability and enhance efficiency during two key stages of the brewing process: yeast cropping and yeast pitching.

Certa’s sinusoidal technology offers gentle, low-shear pumping that preserves yeast cell integrity. This allows BrewDog to harvest yeast up to ten times without compromising quality – reducing costs and ensuring consistent beer. The pump’s precise flow control and high suction capability are particularly valuable given the brewery’s long cropping and pitching lines, which span over 75m.             

The Certa pump handles 45 – 50hL per crop over approximately five hours and delivers shorter transfer times and simplified clean-in-place (CIP) for BrewDog.

James Fairfoul, Technical Brewer at BrewDog, said: “The main reason we got the Certa pumps was for better handling of the yeast, and also, we now have one Certa pump that does the work of two lobe pumps we previously used for cropping.

“The gentle handling is vital. The quality of beer would be compromised by a pump that damages the yeast, and we would be left with poor-quality beer. We can harvest the yeast ten times with the Certa pump due to its gentle handling. It’s the ease of cropping which the Certa pump gives us, which has been the biggest difference. Before, we were using two lobe pumps in tandem to do the job, but we have replaced them with one Certa pump.

“It is important to have a shorter transfer time when cropping, as it allows us to get the yeast into our harvest tank and ready to re-pitch in as soon as possible. This, coupled with the gentle handling of the Certa pumps, is what makes them ideal for this task. The Certa pumps are also simple to CIP, and we have had no issues with maintenance after eight months of use.”

Precise flow rate is also essential.

James added: “The flow rate during the pitching stage is 50hL/hr, and the pitching time depends on the volume of yeast that is to be pitched, which varies by brand, brew length, and yeast viability. It’s important here that the yeast is moved quickly, but also in a way that will not damage the yeast health. If we crop too quickly, we could start pulling beer from the tank, so a steady, slow flow is required to ensure that this doesn’t happen. A precise flow is also required to ensure good yeast health when cropping, as it helps prevent shearing.

“We need to make sure that the yeast is viable, and the pump is running at the correct speed of 10-12hL/hr, depending on the yeast strain. It is essential that we can control the flow rate of the pump, along with a shorter transfer time that the Certa gives us, because we don’t want yeast sitting in the pipe in the ambient atmosphere.

“If we can’t control the flow rate, we risk over-pitching or under-pitching, which would affect fermentation and ultimately the beer’s flavour and stability.”

The switch to a single Certa pump for yeast cropping has also brought sustainability benefits.

James continued: “If we had a pump that was difficult for CIP, it would mean more chemicals and more energy used. We had two lobe pumps doing the job of yeast cropping but now we have one pump doing the job of two, so we are making some energy savings with the Certa.”

Before committing, BrewDog trialled the Certa pump on its main yeast harvest line. The test included a CIP cycle and yeast transfer from a fermentation storage tank (FST) containing a thick lager yeast strain – historically a challenge for other pumps – up the harvest line to the harvest yeast tanks and eventually to the waste yeast tank.

James added: “The Certa pump performed very well in the trial. The yeast removal and transfer were smooth, and there were no issues with gas breakout that we experienced using other pumps. We were able to validate the CIP too, and when we ran the pump, it was only operating at 10-20%. Compared to the lobe pumps we used in yeast cropping, the Certa pumps have provided a reduction in low viability yeast crops.”

BrewDog’s Ellon site demands robust, reliable equipment for its 24/7 operation. The Certa 300 delivers on all fronts.

John Rowley, Sales Manager – Food & Beverage and Clean Process at WMFTS, said: “Certa’s excellent suction capability ensures high flow rates. This is unaffected by variation in yeast properties, such as viscosity, or by pipework details. Certa is virtually pulse-free and low-shear, which reduces yeast damage, usage and costs. Certa was a perfect solution because it allows BrewDog to harvest yeast up to ten times, reducing production costs and maintaining beer quality. The pump’s strong suction and accurate flow control are essential for managing long cropping and pitching lines over 75m.”

By relying on the Certa Sine pump for pitching yeast twice a day – when yeast is added to the cooled wort (unfermented beer) to start the fermentation process – BrewDog is benefiting from ease of maintenance, virtually pulsation-free pumping which enables controlled and precise yeast dosing, flexible viscosity handling and low-shear pumping.

In yeast cropping, the benefits Certa brings include a high suction capability and high flow rates, while the virtually pulsation-free pumping does not agitate the settled beer, meaning the yeast is therefore clearly visible. The high viscosity capability and low-shear pumping are also beneficial for cropping applications.

Find out more at www.wmfts.com