Just keeps on going and going...

HYGIA 1971 - Spaten Brewery

In 1997, Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu merged with the directly neighbouring Löwenbräu to form the Spaten-Löwenbräu Group. In 2003, the traditional breweries were sold to the Belgian group Interbrew, which after further takeovers is now called Anheuser-Busch Inbev. In terms of turnover, it is the largest brewery group in the world. The Munich brewers brew 3 million hectolitres of beer a year.

The large brewery has around 200 pumps, including many GEA Hilge HYGIA pumps. They pump a wide variety of media, whether in the brewhouse or in wastewater treatment. The oldest pump still in service dates back to 1971 and was already part of the original equipment of the fermentation cellar built in 1970 at Spaten Brewery. "We have few pumps in operation that are this old. We use them as a mobile reserve in case of emergency. The locksmiths really appreciate the fact that spare parts are still available after five decades. The GEA Hilge HYGIA are built sustainably and are easy and quick to repair. That's why we still have them," explains Thomas Plößl, process engineer at Spaten-Löwenbräu. There have never been any problems and it's plug & play: plug in, connect, done. An identical pump of the same year of construction is still permanently installed in a line cycle as a CIP booster pump. It is still working absolutely reliably after more than 50 years. "After five years, we might have to change the mechanical seal once, but those are wearing parts. The pumps themselves work perfectly," Plößl emphasises.

The brewery also uses units from other manufacturers, but when it comes to new purchases, the trend is more and more towards GEA Hilge. "The spare parts inventory is a lot cheaper with one type of pump and the training of the employees is easier. In addition, the pumps can be interchanged in the event of a failure," says Plößl. "The pumps have proven their worth and maintenance is what HYGIA wanted. That's why we primarily use these pumps."'

Recently, the performance of a mobile rental unit with a permanently installed frequency converter convinced those responsible in a test setup to such an extent that they didn't want to give it up. In the near future, the brewers want to order more units of this type. "The pump can be installed anywhere there is a power socket. It is immediately ready for use and you are relatively flexible. In such a large brewery, it is very practical to have a mobile backup pump. That's why we decided to bring it in-house," explains Plößl. The next orders, however, will be for a fixed installation location again in an extension of the filtration system. "We already make sure that we are always up to date. In times of high energy prices, it is important that the drives are energy-efficient," says Plößl.

HYGIA 1972 - Brewery zur Sonne

The brewery zur Sonne in Bischberg, Franconia/ Germany, is a small but modern family business that is very open to new technologies. GEA Hilge HYGIAs are passed down from generation to generation here. The hygienic pumps not only help the traditional brewery to save energy, but also enable almost maintenance-free operation.

The brewery has been owned by the Schumann family since 1856. Christian Schuhmann, a fifth-generation brewer, took over the Sonnenbrauerei's oldest GEA Hilge HYGIA when he joined the company in 1990. It is used as a filter pump, is 50 years old, like the head of the family, and still runs extremely reliably without any problems. Soon HYGIA will pass on to the sixth generation.

Exactly how it all started with "Hilge" can no longer be reconstructed. Dietrich Schuhmann, who bought the first pump, has passed away. "My father started with the Hilge pumps and I continued with them after my examination as a brew master because I was convinced of the technology - of its robustness and also because it is easy to maintain," Schuhmann emphasizes.

Since the Hausbrauerei zur Sonne is not a large brewery, the machines do not run every day. Brewing takes place once a week, and then the filtration pump is in operation for six to seven hours at a stretch. And it starts up reliably every time. There is not much maintenance. Few wearing parts are needed, apart from the mechanical seal. The brewer particularly appreciates the long service life of the spare parts and their availability at short notice. Another highlight for him: all spare parts are identical in construction and therefore fit in each of his HYGIAs, regardless of the year of construction. "I don't keep much stock. With the filter pump, I've replaced the seal maybe three times in the long time I've been in business," Schuhmann says with a smile.

Today, the brewery has a total of eleven GEA Hilge HYGIAs, some of which are fully automated. They are mainly used in the hot and cold areas and convey product and cleaning liquid. The family business attaches great importance to gentle product handling, which is why all but two or three of the pumps are frequency-controlled. Gradually, older equipment has been consistently replaced by more energy-efficient ones. And energy is saved wherever possible anyway.

Since 2014, the Franconians have had a modern, automatic filling system that significantly reduces the time required. In the course of the modernizations, the brewery has also purchased a new GEA Hilge HYGIA every 10 years.

Does "the old sweetheart" from 1972 still fit into the concept at all? The answer is as clear as mud, as they say in Franconia: his first HYGIA has never let him down. A few years ago, the pump was even fitted with a frequency converter and automatic control. The subsequent automation went absolutely smoothly. The 50-year-old pump could be retrofitted without complications and was thus upgraded enormously. "Why should I dispose of it when it is such a robust piece of technology. I'm attached to it, it's a piece of me and a memory of my father," Schuhmann says emphatically. As long as it runs, it runs.

HYGIA 1976 - Mallerdorf Abbey Brewery

In 1975, Sister Doris passed her master's examination at the brewery school in Ulm and immediately afterwards took over the management of the Mallersdorf abbey brewery. She is a one-of-a-kind and the world's last female monastic brewmaster. It doesn't look good for a successor to the 73-year-old from within the monastery's own ranks, because monasteries are notoriously short of young brewers. And it is truly not an easy job. "With small businesses, the people have to be fully behind it. I am in demand from the beginning to the end, even outside working hours," says Sister Doris. The Franciscan nun is not only the boss, but also the face of the Mallersdorf monastery brewery. Her likeness adorns every bottle that leaves the house. She produces a good 3,000 hectoliters of beer a year with the help of one single employee.

The Bavarian microbrewery has a total of six hygienic pumps - all of them GEA Hilge HYGIA. It all started over 45 years ago when the recent graduate of the brewery school bought a new yeast pump in 1976. A short time later, another HYGIA found its way into production as a beer pump on the wort cooler. The brewmaster got to know HYGIA during her apprenticeship and, like many a fellow student, has always remained loyal to it. Why? "A pump has to work, otherwise it becomes critical. It is also important that it is easy to handle. And it is. Every now and then you have to change a mechanical seal in the HYGIA pumps, that's it. Just German quality," smiles the world's last monastic brewmaster.