pump problems

prolix · Jul 18, 2009

Just upgraded brewery to 70l thermoboxes and so have them all on one level with a pump to transfer liquids.

The thing is I don't get any clear runnings, wort from the mash tun runs cloudier than it did with gravity feed. I thought that with the increased recirculation it would have run clearer.

The boiler is worse it stuck a couple of times and ran slow and dirty, when I used a drill pump I didn't have these problems.

I tried to use recirculation in the boiler to create a whirlpool effect to aid cooling which seemed to work but it would get stuck and I would have to turn the pump up to get it going again.

I am thinking I might have to change my false bottom and hop strainer that I am currently using or modify them in some way.

The flow rate can easy be throttled by a ball valve.

pump

any ideas from you guys with pumps would be good

Vossy1 · Jul 19, 2009

Have you tried a dry run prolix to see what the flow rates are like with your pump?
If the flow rate is too high your mash will stick. The only way I've found to get it unstuck is to turn the pump off for about 10 seconds then restart.
Similarly with your copper, to high a flow rate and the hops will clog your strainer.
What type of strainer are you using, hop and malt?

Wez has just started using a pump with a copper manifold, he may be able to help, A T also :thumb:

Wez · Jul 19, 2009

I used a pump for the first time on Saturday and found that it worked fine, I had a nice slow run off - sorry can't help more than that really :|

prolix · Jul 19, 2009

I have added copper shims to the hop strainer as I think the stainless mesh tube collapsed and was thinking of a stainless mesh false bottom a bit like this false bottomseen posts in the past about someone who will cut it to diameter but will they hinge it and hole it as well?

Rabmaxwell · Jul 19, 2009

I was finding that the stainless mesh sheath collapsed so tightly round my 15mil copper strainer that i was getting slow transfers.I solved the problem by cutting a 22mil piece of copper then drilling lots of holes in it & sliding it on top of the 15mil copper pipe.It handled 500g of pellet hops & 800g of Elderflowers no bother the other day. :thumb:

brewzone · Jul 20, 2009

Hi Prolix,

Seeing as it was Me who sold you the pump the least I can do is offer you My experience with the speck my2-8000 pumps I've used so far.

On full power they really can shift 5 gallons a minute assuming no restrictions on the input/output sides of the pump.

They can be throttled down to a trickle without issue and are not as susceptible to cavitation etc as other pumps I've used.

They don't tend to block up due to debri in the wort at least in My experience anyway.

One of the questions I get asked most by My customers is why the grain bed compacts so often.

My reply is always that You should only be pumping the amount of wort coming out of the mashtun/boiler such as when using gravity in three/two tier arrangements.

If You try to suck the wort out of the tun then obviously it will cause the grain bed to settle on the filter or for the input tubing to collapse.

1.5-2 litres a minute is how I set My run off.

It takes Me around 40-60 minutes to fly sparge and collect 85.

BZ