BM 20 low pumped tap

[MashBag]

Do you have links please, to the two pumps in question?

I have done a bit with pumps and wattage really isn't the decision maker.

 

[MashBag]

Ooo do you still have the BM taps on both front and bottom? Lots of people replaced them sooo quickly.

The bottom one certainly would benefit from a 90° elbow and then a lever valve. The BM thing is only going to block up.

The front one needs plugging.

 

[Mrhoddy]

Do you have links please, to the two pumps in question?

I have done a bit with pumps and wattage really isn't the decision maker.

Haven’t got a link per se but they’re the ones from alieexpress / eBay/ Amazon etc - essentially they’re the 25w & 65w kegland magnetic drive pumps with stainless head.

The 65w is rated at 45lpm and appears to be the next step up from the MM one that’s 27lpm.

 

[Mrhoddy]

Ooo do you still have the BM taps on both front and bottom? Lots of people replaced them sooo quickly.

The bottom one certainly would benefit from a 90° elbow and then a lever valve. The BM thing is only going to block up.

The front one needs plugging.

I’ve had a mk2 BM20 for years that I lifted and shifted about to wherever I needed and just gravity drained with tilting for the last few litres so never worried about swapping taps.

I’ve now got a 50l BM but as it’s too heavy to lift and need to keep it low for hoisting the malt pipe, I need to pump to fermenter (hence other q) - hence changing taps to easier connection to pump - yes I could barb from original tap but worry about low flow rate

In addition, while I’m at it, I’d look to mod and add a whirlpool fitting (to one lower tap I think)

 

[MashBag]

Whirl pool mod nah. I really think you would be better off with a 3 blade mash paddle. Great for dough in and stunning for whirlpool. Much less faff.

 

[MashBag]

I am thinking about a 50. I run my 20 at least once a month, and wonder if a 50 might be easier. But I have done so much to my 20....

It might be easier for me to concentrate my recipes to get an extra crate each brew.

How have you found the 50?

 

[MashBag]

Did you see the post about the pump up table? Bought one. Very nice for raising and lowering to the correct working height.

How wide is the 50?

 

[MashBag]

Here it is.

Hydraulic Scissor 300lb Bike Motorcycle Lift Table With 4 Wheel Motorbike ATV | eBay

And if get the heights right, you won't need a pump!

Wheels are good too.

PS. Why don't you just ferment in the braumeister?

 

[Mrhoddy]

Whirl pool mod nah. I really think you would be better off with a 3 blade mash paddle. Great for dough in and stunning for whirlpool. Much less faff.

I’ve got by without for years, considered the mash paddle but just stirred with mash ‘spoon’ - it’s only now I come to think of pump and a simple bung with elbow that I’ve thought about it.

 

[Mrhoddy]

I am thinking about a 50. I run my 20 at least once a month, and wonder if a 50 might be easier. But I have done so much to my 20....

It might be easier for me to concentrate my recipes to get an extra crate each brew.

How have you found the 50?

To be fair, it’s only that the missus drinks lager and I seem to be forever brewing the ‘house’ recipes that I wanted larger volume so it’d last longer, and for those faves to make more. Still got my bm20 and could’ve double mashed but to be fair, second hand value don’t seem that great atm so I’m holding onto it for ‘trial’ batches.

Pondered upgrade for a few years now and watched the BT come with interest, but I like the simplicity of the BM where I can go and cut the grass, drop kids off etc.

I’m terms of use, a second hand 2021 model came up for a decent price so I took it - not used it yet mind as I’m waiting to get a 16a installed in the brewhouse.

 

[Mrhoddy]

Here it is.

Hydraulic Scissor 300lb Bike Motorcycle Lift Table With 4 Wheel Motorbike ATV | eBay

And if get the heights right, you won't need a pump!

Wheels are good too.

PS. Why don't you just ferment in the braumeister?

I’ve considered those, not made my mind up yet as thought about a trolley dolly - hadn’t thought about not needing a pump in that case.

In terms of fermentation - I think I’ve read your positives on other forums with interest…?

It’s something I’ve considered but with the lack of speidel now in the uk apres brewuk, and the want to naturally carb by spunding, I’ve used the money I’ve saved buying second hand to purchase a unitank - for me, I think spunding seems to lock in flavour more and gives nicer, finer carbonation bubbles (not to ‘pressure ferment’) based on my experimentation of fermenting in corny keg

 

[MashBag]

Unitank. I get that. I am still bottling. Got loads of cornies (for wine) but never use them for beer.

I have thought, slightly smaller batches fermented in cornies and then straight to dispense but never tried it. Did it work well for you?

 

[Mrhoddy]

Unitank. I get that. I am still bottling. Got loads of cornies (for wine) but never use them for beer.

I have thought, slightly smaller batches fermented in cornies and then straight to dispense but never tried it. Did it work well for you?

Yes it did - sometimes I make it more worthwhile by brewing strong and then diluting to get about 30l - 32l - then I’ve split that into two and either used different flameout hops (splitting at end of boil) or using different yeast.

It gave me two 16l and with a corny lid with the floating dip tube / blow tie spunding valve I didn’t lose too much - at end I just used dip tube to pressure transfer to another fresh corny

 

[MashBag]

sometimes I make it more worthwhile by brewing strong and then diluting

I bottle from the BM20. Another thought I have had is to brew strong. After boil, dilute and then ferment that (in BM).

I reckon I could get to 60 bottles per brew.
Just need to do the maths.

 

[MashInMashOut]

Originally done a few years ago this modification, really makes life easier by diverting the BM 20 (or 50) pump to another outlet.

After a wee edit here it is.

Any thoughts or comments, shout up.

Oh wow - I can't describe how happy I am to have found this thread after both braumeisters.net and the mirror went dark!

Thank you so much for posting this here, you wouldn't believe the number of Google searches I made for 'Mashy lower pumped drain mod' and the like.

I'll be looking to do something similar to my BM20 in the next little while, partially to save my back and also to help with clean up. Would you mind if I PM you a few questions as I progress? Unfortunately most of the links in the Word doc are dead, and a few things aren't super clear to me.

 

[MashBag]

Thank you. Shout out any questions.

I will have a look at the doc, see if I can do it differently.

 

[MashInMashOut]

Amazing, appreciated it! Will start piecing together a part list and then confirm if I've understood properly.

Out of interest, it looks like you have the newer, variable-strength pump in your photos (the one with the dial adjust on the side). Was that the one that didn't have the oomph to spin a spray ball? I've been looking at doing something like this mod from Lindh Craft Beer, but using a Kegland 80cm flexi arm to bring it in from the top of the vessel (from the pumped lower drain) - any thoughts on if the newer, stronger pump might work?

My fallback would be use Kegland's Low Volume Spray head instead but it's clearly not as powerful as a real sprayball - it's more of a rotating squirt, not a pressure washer.

 

[MashBag]

it's more of a rotating squirt, not a pressure washer.

That sums up all of trials, and a tried every which way. Lindhs' idea. Up and down. Different nozzles. Even dropping in a pond pump. Hot chemicals and cold.

I think I was expecting too much.

Truck wash (caustic) and bog brush takes less than 10 mins. Stainless Steel scrubby and bar keepers friend occasionally.

 

[MashInMashOut]

Ah that's disappointing - even Lindh's design with the stronger pump didn't do the trick? Then I may go right for the KegLand sprinkler head...

My hope is that I can leave it to wet down all the inside surface with PBW for 15 mins while I do other things, and then give a quick scrub to remove the crud from the walls / element. I have no illusions about coming back to a gleaming, pristine kettle, but hoping to loosen up the crud so it's just a matter of a once-over with a sponge. Reasonable, or am I dreaming?

 

[MashBag]

Maybe.. Cip seemed pointless to me if I still needed to scrub!