Moving water for Mash and Sparge

I am just curious to see how others are moving their liquid from the HLT to the MLT for mashing and sparging. I have a single level brewing structure and I pump from my HLT into a bucket that has gallons marked on it. I then pour that into my HLT. I do this for both mashing and spraging (batch). I do not have a sight glass on either my HLT or MLT. Just want to see how everyone else handles this.

Mike

Same here. Bucket transfer seems to be working pretty well for now, although I have been casting an eye at the march pumps on Ebay and labx.

If you've got a pump why not clock it to see how long it takes to deliver a known amount of water? Then you could hook up from your HLT to your MT and just wait like 1.5min or whatever.....

I drain from my HLT into marked buckets like you then dump, Then after sparking into another bucket and collecting bull boil volume, My HLT magically turns into a boil kettle

I use gravity from HLT to MLT and pump from MLT to kettle to chiller to fermenter.

Moving water by bucket got old quick.

Wow, I feel so low tech...I use a 2qt measuring cup and scoop 1/2 gallon at a time. WOO HOO!

Bucket transfer works for me. I batch sparge, so no need for a fancy system

My old brew kettle serves as my HLT, heated to temp on a single burner. Measure out my strike water, heat and dump into my MLT, then filled in preparation for the sparge water. I split my sparge into two equal volumes, so I use a 2 qt Pyrex measuring cup to add my water for the first sparge. Lift and dump for the second.

drez77 said:

I am just curious to see how others are moving their liquid from the HLT to the MLT for mashing and sparging. I have a single level brewing structure and I pump from my HLT into a bucket that has gallons marked on it. I then pour that into my HLT. I do this for both mashing and spraging (batch). I do not have a sight glass on either my HLT or MLT. Just want to see how everyone else handles this.

Mike

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couldnt you measure the amount of water you are adding to the HLT and subtract the amount of loss form the hoses during the transfer to the MLT to reach your strike volume?

killian said:

couldnt you measure the amount of water you are adding to the HLT and subtract the amount of loss form the hoses during the transfer to the MLT to reach your strike volume?

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I have a conveted keg for a HLT and I usualy just fill it up to the second rib. I am guessing I could put a sight glass on the HLT and then just use that and then figure out how much left I woudl ahve in teh hoses and pump.

Mike

Man, you owe it to yourself to put a sight glass on that HLT. It's so much easier to pump and then shut down when the level hits X mark. It's almost a waste to have a pump and still bucket transfer.

You drain into your tubing, into the pump housing and just about up into your next vessel. Stop. Note the level on the HLT and subtract how much you want to move. Note the new spot (rolling an Oring down your sight glass is a nice way to mark it). Open the pump valve and wait to hit your mark. You don't have to account for tubing/pump volume because when you stop, it's still in there.

Does my idea of timing not work? I've never used a pump so I don't know but don't you think you could at least get pretty close?

Bobby_M said:

Man, you owe it to yourself to put a sight glass on that HLT. It's so much easier to pump and then shut down when the level hits X mark. It's almost a waste to have a pump and still bucket transfer.

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I had a sight glass on the old HLT I had. I still have 6 feet of the sigh glass tubing from McMaster. The pumps main purpose is for my HERMS. But I may as well put it to use on the transfers as well.
I guess this weekend I will take and build one up and give it a try.

Bobby, one question though. Do you take account for the volume left in the hoses and pump head?

Mike

Alamo_Beer said:

Does my idea of timing not work? I've never used a pump so I don't know but don't you think you could at least get pretty close?

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The only worry I have about timing is if I loose the prime on the pump and have to re-prime it will throw the timing off completely. Normally I do not lose the prime but it is still a worry. I may give it a try though. Can not hurt.

Mike

drez77 said:

I had a sight glass on the old HLT I had. I still have 6 feet of the sigh glass tubing from McMaster. The pumps main purpose is for my HERMS. But I may as well put it to use on the transfers as well.
I guess this weekend I will take and build one up and give it a try.

Bobby, one question though. Do you take account for the volume left in the hoses and pump head?

Mike

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Nope, like I mentioned, you don't start counting the volume on the sight glass until your tubing/pump head is already flooded. The reason is because when you stop pumping, liquid will remain in there.

Example, let's say your plumbing holds .125 gallons and you want to move 4 gallons into the MLT. You flood your plumbing... the sight glass now says 6 gallons. You count down your 4 gallons and mark it. Start pumping and then stop when it says 2 gallons on the sight. Your MLT now contains 4 gallons exactly even though there is .125 gallons still stuck in the plumbing.

Bobby_M said:

Nope, like I mentioned, you don't start counting the volume on the sight glass until your tubing/pump head is already flooded. The reason is because when you stop pumping, liquid will remain in there.

Example, let's say your plumbing holds .125 gallons and you want to move 4 gallons into the MLT. You flood your plumbing... the sight glass now says 6 gallons. You count down your 4 gallons and mark it. Start pumping and then stop when it says 2 gallons on the sight. Your MLT now contains 4 gallons exactly even though there is .125 gallons still stuck in the plumbing.

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I should have read your entire post before I replied. the first time!! That makes perfect sense. Thanks!

Mike