La Tropical Boosts Brewery Efficiency with Qdos Pumps and FaBLINE Hoses

Precision Dosing and Hygienic Hose Technology Elevate Beer Quality and Canning Performance

Consistent product quality remains a core challenge for modern breweries. From precise ingredient dosing to minimizing dissolved oxygen during packaging, every step directly shapes flavour, shelf life and overall efficiency.

For Cervecería La Tropical, Miami’s historic brewery steeped in Cuban heritage, streamlining process consistency and cutting manual intervention became a top priority. The solution? A Qdos® chemical metering pump coupled with FaBLINE™ PTFE hoses from Watson‑Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions (WMFTS).

These upgrades deliver sharper dosing accuracy, smoother canning‑line operation, lower dissolved‑oxygen levels, and a net boost in brewery productivity.

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Automating Tetra Hop Extract Dosing

La Tropical now uses a Qdos 60 peristaltic pump daily to dose tetra hop extract (tetrahydroiso alpha acids) and manage chemicals within its clean‑in‑place (CIP) system.

Previously, hop extract was added manually—a reliable method that still introduced variability and required constant operator involvement. The brewery sought a more consistent, efficient approach that would improve quality while reducing labour.

Automation has yielded markedly higher consistency in hop dosing and eliminated costly over‑dosing. Operators also benefit from reduced daily manual tasks.

Accurate hop extract dosing is critical; even slight variations can alter bitterness, foam retention and overall sensory profile. The Qdos pump, engineered for precision chemical dosing, delivers ±1 % accuracy with ±0.5 % repeatability—ideal for micro‑dosing ranges of 0.2–1.2 mL min⁻¹.

Why Peristaltic Pump Technology Matters

Peristaltic pumps provide key advantages when handling sensitive brewing ingredients like tetra hop extract.

For La Tropical, the Qdos pump offers:

• Low‑shear pumping that preserves viscous hop extracts and prevents emulsion damage
• A fully contained fluid path that eliminates sticky spills and simplifies cleaning
• Santoprene tubing with strong chemical resistance for acidic hop applications
• Full CIP compatibility using the brewery’s existing cleaning chemicals
• Valve‑free operation that eliminates crystallisation risk during hop dosing

The enclosed design protects operators from aggressive CIP chemicals by keeping fluids safely within the pump head.

Fernando Finol, Brewing Supervisor, states: “Manual hop dosing was accurate but time‑consuming. Automating with the Qdos pump delivers the precision we need for a product that is sold nationwide.”

He adds: “Dosing accuracy is non‑negotiable; a 0.1 mL error can throw the entire batch out of spec.”

Simplifying Brewery Cleaning Operations

Integration with existing cleaning procedures further enhances value. Finol notes: “The Qdos pump is CIP‑ready with the same chemicals we use elsewhere. Reversing flow is effortless, and it handles messy hop extracts without a hitch.”

To support installation, La Tropical also adopted the Qdos Hose Connector Kit—a flexible PTFE hose accessory that safely links Qdos pumps to existing process lines. These hoses withstand aggressive, corrosive chemicals and operate reliably at brewery‑typical temperatures.

Tackling Dissolved Oxygen on the Canning Line

High dissolved‑oxygen levels were compromising beer quality and shelf life. After identifying PVC hoses as the source, the brewery switched to FaBLINE PTFE hoses featuring a blue EPDM cover and Tri‑clover connections.

The impact was immediate. Finol explains: “Oxygen pickup was a major issue until we replaced the hoses. For every 10 ppb of dissolved oxygen, we lose a month of shelf life—critical for a product that relies on stability.”

With 12 FaBLINE hoses, oxygen pickup dropped by 50 ppb, keeping the beer within spec and preserving flavour integrity.

Improving Carbonation Retention

La Tropical also deployed larger FaBLINE hoses with anti‑static PTFE liners and EPDM covers to transfer bright beer through the flash pasteuriser.

Prior to FaBLINE, conventional EPDM hoses caused carbonation loss due to foam and internal surface roughness. Finol notes: “The smoothbore profile of FaBLINE reduces carbonation loss and beer wastage, while its CIP capability ensures chemical resistance and temperature tolerance.”

Designed for Demanding Brewery Applications

FaBLINE’s hygienic design offers additional benefits beyond oxygen reduction and carbonation retention. Finol remarks: “FaBLINE exceeded our expectations—robust, smooth inner finish, and excellent for demanding sanitary processes.”

He highlights: “During beer transfer, we observed no increase in dissolved oxygen or CO₂, thanks to the smooth inner liner that maintains stable flow and prevents CO₂ breakout.”

Long‑Term Benefits for Brewery Operations

FaBLINE hoses also improve operational efficiency through:

• Extended service life, reducing replacement frequency, downtime, and labour costs
• Lower CIP downtime and savings on cleaning chemicals and utilities
• Enhanced flow performance, shortening loading and unloading times
• Improved compatibility with CIP chemicals, mitigating spoilage risk and costly recalls

Supporting Consistent Beer Quality

As breweries focus on quality, efficiency, and sustainability, precise dosing and hygienic fluid transfer systems are increasingly vital. For La Tropical, the combination of Qdos peristaltic pump technology and FaBLINE PTFE hoses delivers measurable gains across production—accurate hop extract dosing, simplified CIP, reduced dissolved oxygen, and better carbonation retention—all reinforcing product quality and operational performance.

This case study demonstrates how carefully chosen pumping and hose technologies can elevate process control, cut waste, and maintain the consistency demanded by today’s competitive beer market.

For more information, visit www.wmfts.com.

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Watson‑Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions

About us

Watson‑Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) offers peristaltic tube and hose pumps that meet the needs of food & beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining, and many other industries. Our pumps deliver value for money, low cost of ownership, reliability, and ease of maintenance.

WMFTG demonstrates how pumps provide significant process efficiencies over their lifespan—whether in flavouring addition, chemical metering, or mineral recovery. Dedicated application engineers help customers choose the right pump and tubing for flow rates from microlitres per minute to 80 m³ h⁻¹.

Only the tube or hose contacts the product—no seals or valves that wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose is quick and safe. Peristaltic pump benefits include total fluid containment, no ancillaries, handling viscous and abrasive slurries, self‑priming, and dry running without damage.

WMFTG also offers PTFE‑lined chemical and industrial hoses, such as Aflex, reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions.

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