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json2001 · 03-17-2010, 02:19 AM

So I'm going to get a March pump to move the brew from my kettle through a CFC (going to use bobbyM's tutorial) and into my primary.

First, I'm wondering where in the series my pump goes:

Kettle -> Pump -> CFC -> Primary?

Second, I currently don't have a bulkhead for my kettle. It's something I'm planning on doing in the future, but if I'm pumping anyway, can I just drop some tubing in the kettle? Can I get away with that for a few batches?

Thanks guys.

lustreking · 03-17-2010, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by json2001

So I'm going to get a March pump to move the brew from my kettle through a CFC (going to use bobbyM's tutorial) and into my primary.

First, I'm wondering where in the series my pump goes:

Kettle -> Pump -> CFC -> Primary?

That would be the way to do it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by json2001

Second, I currently don't have a bulkhead for my kettle. It's something I'm planning on doing in the future, but if I'm pumping anyway, can I just drop some tubing in the kettle? Can I get away with that for a few batches?

Thanks guys.

Well, the march pump isn't self priming, so it won't "suck" the wort out of the kettle. You'd have to somehow siphon the boiling wort into the pump head to get it to work. I'd get the bulkhead sooner than later.

json2001 · 03-17-2010, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lustreking

Well, the march pump isn't self priming, so it won't "suck" the wort out of the kettle. You'd have to somehow siphon the boiling wort into the pump head to get it to work. I'd get the bulkhead sooner than later.

ahhhhh....right! Ok, looks like I'll have to pack all my brewing projects into one weekend! Will be fun.

samc · 03-17-2010, 02:54 AM

I go from Kettle > plate chiller > pump > fermenter.

Agree that you would have a really tough time with the March pump and no valve.

**Vebra** · 03-17-2010, 11:15 AM

I go Kettle > CFC > Pump > fermenter. I have a friend who's march 809 has trouble with boiling temperatures. Would get too hot and almost lock up. So I always just put the pump on the opposite end of CFC. Now that's not to say he wasn't doing something wrong. This guy did spend months trying to come up with a solution to this problem never being smart enough to think about putting the pump on the other side of his CFC.

jordanpace · 03-17-2010, 01:27 PM

i think it would be better to put the pump before the plate chiller. that way you can run boiling wort though it to for 10 min or so to basically make it "sterile"

**Bobby_M** · 03-17-2010, 01:39 PM

It just seems easier to prime the pump without all kinds of potential airspaces on the input side. The faster you get the entire input path to the pump free of air, the better off you'll be.

**Liquidicem** · 03-17-2010, 06:01 PM

You really want the resistance to be on the discharge side of these pumps. That's why you throttle them with a discharge valve and not an input valve. You never starve the input.

I'm sure it works to put the pump after the chiller but there will be a greater chance of air locking the pump. I've had trouble with pumping/recircing boiling wort but as soon as I turn the flame off that problem quickly goes away, especially if you whirlpool back into the kettle to quickly drop temps.

json2001 · 03-17-2010, 11:12 PM

Cool - thanks for the thoughts guys. I think I'll try it out pumping into the CFC. Thanks for all the opinions.

Perhaps this is a little tangential, but do you guys use a filter or false bottom in the bottom of the kettle to remove the hops? 9 times out of 10 I use pellet hops.

Arkador · 03-18-2010, 12:21 AM

Kettle - pump - cfc - primary