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MTHarrington · 10-13-2009, 03:10 PM

So, I've been doing all grain 5 and 10 gallon batches now via gravity. I have a square cooler I've been using as a mash tun, and I batch sparge into that cooler too.

I've usually just let gravity take care of the first runnings and subsequent spargings into the boil kettle .

I've been thinking about adding a pump to my process, primarily to ride the wort through a CF chiller and into the ferment or and to move sparge water into the mashtun, but...
have been wondering if I could just as well use the pump to move my initial mash tun drain and subsequent runnings to the boil kettle..

Can I do this? or am I going to screw up the filtering process of the grain bed?
I would think not to run the pump at full blast, but to valve it down a little.

Any thoughts?

elmetal · 10-13-2009, 07:13 PM

I wouldn't do it. but then again it depends if you are fly sparging or batch.

JesseRC · 10-13-2009, 07:17 PM

I thought lots of folks use it to recirculate back into the mash tun till it runs clear then into the kettle. I think you'll be fine.

elmetal · 10-13-2009, 07:20 PM

make sure to keep your eyes on the valve. you don't wanna pump too fast

MTHarrington · 10-13-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesseRC

I thought lots of folks use it to recirculate back into the mash tun till it runs clear then into the kettle. I think you'll be fine.

I agree.
I've valve it down to keep the flow slower....

DKershner · 10-13-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTHarrington

I agree.
I've valve it down to keep the flow slower....

You might consider using it to just recirculate the entire mash time. This can greatly increase efficiency.

MTHarrington · 10-13-2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JesseRC

I thought lots of folks use it to recirculate back into the mash tun till it runs clear then into the kettle. I think you'll be fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkershner

You might consider using it to just recirculate the entire mash time. This can greatly increase efficiency.

I would recirculate, but I wonder since I don't have heat on the mash tun, if I wouldn't get a drop in temperature?

DKershner · 10-13-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTHarrington

I would recirculate, but I wonder since I don't have heat on the mash tun, if I wouldn't get a drop in temperature?

Could insulate the lines if you are worried about it, but I think the drop would be minimal. More than dropping the temperature, it just keeps it even from top to bottom. I could be wrong, but I see no reason why moving water would cool.

TeufelBrew · 10-13-2009, 08:58 PM

Check out this thread. You can do easy and relax with a pump recirculating the mash (aka RIMS).
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/i-love-no-sparge-brewing-140972/

elmetal · 10-13-2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeufelBrew

Check out this thread. You can do easy and relax with a pump recirculating the mash (aka RIMS).
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/i-love-no-sparge-brewing-140972/

that is pretty amazing. I may give that a whirl next summer when I got more time. I can even couple that with a 3rd vessel for a sparge!