Pump needed to whirlpool

[steve123]

What flow rate do I need a pump to whirlpool. I added a whirlpool port to my BK recently and did a brew a few days ago connected up my mp-15r (the 40-50£ ones from China) to the port and nothing happening. Is the flow rate too low from this pump think it’s rated 8-12 L/min.

Also do you find they are temperamental, they sometimes work great and other times struggle to pump the fluid round

 

[LeeH]

How big is your kettle!?

 

[steve123]

70 L probably had about 35litres of wort in when I started the whirlpool

 

[LeeH]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353102473157
Although the Blichmann is a superior, it is also more than twice the price.

 

[Oneflewover]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353102473157
Although the Blichmann is a superior, it is also more that twice the price.

I've had that pump for a couple of years now. Can't fault it.

 

[steve123]

This is the on I have, can you get a whirlpool out of it? Didn’t seem to work for me

 

[steve123]

I've had that pump for a couple of years now. Can't fault it.

do you ever get it where it fills in the pump and pushes half way up the pump but doesn’t have the pressure to quite make it until you play with the tubing and move the pump around

 

[JT_Brews]

do you ever get it where it fills in the pump and pushes half way up the pump but doesn’t have the pressure to quite make it until you play with the tubing and move the pump around

I got one recently and used it only once but that sounds like a faulty pump to me, it should required barely any pressure to push liquid through the pipe.

 

[Buffers brewery]

do you ever get it where it fills in the pump and pushes half way up the pump but doesn’t have the pressure to quite make it until you play with the tubing and move the pump around

Sounds like you might have some air in your pump or pipe. These pumps are not self priming so you need to position them so they self prime and also make sure your pipework doesn’t encourage air block like inverted “u”. Also, you may need to vent the pump manually before running it.

 

[chrisb8]

Did the input get blocked in any way? With hop debris for example.

 

[Oneflewover]

do you ever get it where it fills in the pump and pushes half way up the pump but doesn’t have the pressure to quite make it until you play with the tubing and move the pump around

No, it's been very reliable. I got it blocked recently by whole hops when my bazooka filter came adrift, but was straightforward to take apart and sort out

 

[steve123]

I will check it for air trapped and make sure I don’t have a U in it.
Do you manage to whirlpool successfully with it

 

[Buffers brewery]

A pic of your set up might help.

 

[steve123]

Here’s my set up, took these when I was cleaning the vessels. I’m guessing you have answered my question already when the pump has issues it’s likely I’ve got air trapped in the line, I think I need to change the elbow to something straight. I originally put the elbow on as this was all
I had that would fit, I probably need a shorter hose as well.

This is my whirlpool as well, is this fast enough to be effective at leaving the hops in the centre of the kettle?

 

[steve123]

I added the whirlpool as a video not sure if it has uploaded as a video though!

 

[Buffers brewery]

Just looking at your set up and apart from the very long hoses, I think you need to be careful with your pump orientation.

 

[Buffers brewery]

I’d be inclined to mount the pump on its feet on a piece of wood sheet to stop it rolling about and perhaps leave it on the floor, lowest point. Shorten your feed house a bit so the wort runs out of your pot straight down to the pimp inlet. Short length of hose up to your chiller input on the stepstand. Then shorten the house from the chiller output back up to your pot so it runs reasonably straight. You will need to prime the pump, but with your current set up that could prove a challenge as both IN and OUT from the pot are the same level so, I’m guessing, will be covered by your wort. Disconnecting the pipe from the chiller input would help bleed the pump but could result in wort running out of the pot down the pipe to the chiller OUT line and making a mess. Crush that hose closed if you can or better fit a tap to both of those pot ports at the bottom. Hope that helps

 

[steve123]

Brill thanks for your advice, I will do as you recommend, I had kept the hoses at the length they are due to using them on the mash tun and boil kettle which are further apart. I will cut to size and look to order more hoses if need be.