The GSE 550 Clarifier sets new standards in beer clarification

1500 hl/h rated capacity, 1m bowl diameter and 500,000 m² equivalent clarifying area

With its newly designed clarifier GSE 550, Westfalia Separator has opened up a new dimension in the centrifuge industry. With a nominal capacity of 1500 l/h, a bowl diameter of 1000 mm and an equivalent clarifying area of 500,000 m², it is the most advanced separator for the brewery industry on today’s market.

Think big: The largest self-cleaning separator in the world

Many filter cellars in the largest breweries operate with hourly capacities of more than 500 hl. The previous most powerful brewery separators have an hourly capacity of around 1000 hl/h for standard clarification tasks. However, for polishing upstream of the filter, the capacity has to be reduced to 400 hl/h because more clarifying area is required for more efficient clarification. This is fixed as a result of design considerations .Accordingly; more equivalent clarifying area had to be housed in the bowl to produce a higher polishing capacity for the individual machine. The GSE 550 separator attains a figure of more than 500,000 m². By way of comparison: 500,000 m² is equivalent to the area of approx. 50 soccer pitches. This means that the GSE 550 not only clarifies significantly more per hour in standard separating tasks – but above all in polishing duties.

”Goodbye Kieselguhr”

The GSE 550 is accordingly the ideal partner for the kieselguhr-free Westfalia Separator PROFI® method in this performance class. A single separator will be sufficient even in very large breweries. Combined with the Westfalia Separator PROFI® membrane system, we can say ”Goodbye Kieselguhr”.

Solids-holding space more than doubled

In addition to the factor of ”clarifying area”, even more parameters have been optimised for the top performance range in the GSE 550. For instance, the developers have doubled the volume of the solids holding space to almost 50 litres. The time up to the automatic ejection, and therefore the effective production time, is accordingly extremely long. This large solids-holding space means that the GSE 550 is also ideal for beer brands that are characterised by a high level of solids load, such as top-fermented types.

Design key for major advantages

Hydro – i.e. liquid – is the key to two further major advantages of the GSE separators. Firstly, the familiar ”hydrohermetic seal” operates like a labyrinth seal via a disk filled with water – wear-free and CIP friendly. It also ensures that the product does not come into contact with the surrounding air: Oxygen absorption is generally less than 0.02 mg/l. Secondly, the ”hydrohermetic feed” accelerates the product very gently to separation velocity. The advantage of this gentle liquid-liquid acceleration is demonstrable by analytical means – the particles are not changed. Unlike standard machines, hydrohermetic machines achieve a much higher separating efficiency. This again closes the circle with regard to Westfalia Separator PROFI® filtration. With its low solids content, GSE-separated beer is ideal for being subjected to membrane filtration with long operating times. This is because the separator not only separates out the yeast as normal but also the majority of fines such as proteins or stabilization agents. This takes further strain off the membrane filtration.

Direct drive installed for the first time in the brewery sector

A further important aspect, which is particularly relevant for large-scale breweries, is the external oil circulation lubrication system, which now includes an oil filter. This considerably extends the service intervals of a GSE 550. With regard to the actual drive, the customer may decide to use the reliable standard flat belt drive or he may opt for the direct drive (a first in this sector) which further improves machine efficiency.

The GSE series offers precisely the right tool for every size of brewery. It is available in a performance range of 50 hl to 1500 hl per hour. It accordingly covers all current and future requirements of the market, ranging from small and mid-size enterprises, right through to global players.