Pump recommendation

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I’ve been using a model railway controller with my beige pumps to control speed with no problems. Could be something to do with the frequency as the model train controllers have to move small locos smoothly at slow speed.

I'm guessing that's because it may not be a PWM controller: I can't quite tell from the photo but if its a 'Gaugemaster one' then I think it's probably a linear PSU...

 

[stripeyjoe]

I’ve been using a model railway controller with my beige pumps

That's genius!

 

[DeepThought]

I was playing with the idea of using a capacitor to even out the voltage across the PWM duty cycle, or even just bypassing the electronical gubbins entirely and driving the motor direct from the PWM . A model railway speed controller sounds a lot simpler though.

 

[Buffers brewery]

My Gaugemaster D works 2 pumps independently but they don’t come cheap! I just had one spare after I upgraded my model railway to a Gaugemaster Q for 4 tracks! . You’re probably right @The-Engineer-That-Brews about not being PWM. I’ve had controllers in the past that use feedback to control motor speed so guessed they were PWM and all controllers used that tech

Smoke and sky are photoshopped

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

bypassing the electronical gubbins entirely and driving the motor direct from the PWM

I don't mean to be a wet blanket but good luck with that, because it's a brushless motor.
If you want to go that route, use an adjustable regulator like this and feed it from a solid 12V at the input:

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Personally for re-circulating I run these pumps at full whack anyhow.
Firstly it means that if they get a bit of crud in them the rotor is spinning fast enough to smack through it.
Secondly even at full speed, with a 19L mash it takes 5mins for the recirculated water to percolate all the way down through the mash bed because of the big cross-sectional area of the tun.

 

[CD]

I seem to remember being told that the motor driving my Stuart Turner pump is series wound. I found a gadget in a second-hand shop that controls its speed perfectly, which I was told is a rotary transformer.

 

[DeepThought]

Have a read through this thread:
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/klarstein-maischfest-and-mashing.92415/
I rigged up a pump to my Maischfest earlier this year - all dialled in now and I haven't looked back.

Give me a prod and I'll find an example link which pump I got off eBay - not hard to find, about £25 from loads of sellers, rated to 100degC+ iirc.

As you'll read in that thread, there are a few cost effective pump options.

You'll also need a power supply. And I highly recommend a switch!

You may or may not need a valve to control the flow - I bought one but never used it, fine without on my setup.

You'll need silicone hoses, not PVC (read that thread to find out why!)

Silly question but what sort of hose clips did you use on the pump connectors? The 10-16mm ones I picked up in ToolStation are absolutely useless on 8x12mm silicon hose. By the time I tighten them down to the right diameter they turn distinctly rugby ball shaped and just pinch it from two sides causing the hose to splay out.

Tempted to just resort to cable ties to be honest.

 

[matt76]

Silly question but what sort of hose clips did you use on the pump connectors? The 10-16mm ones I picked up in ToolStation are absolutely useless on 8x12mm silicon hose. By the time I tighten them down to the right diameter they turn distinctly rugby ball shaped and just pinch it from two sides causing the hose to splay out.

Tempted to just resort to cable ties to be honest.

These ones - just single check the size you need for your hose (I think my eBay says I bought 12mm):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mikalor-...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0