Issues with lautering with a pump

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phoenixs4r

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Can anyone tell me how long it takes them to batch sparge a 10 gallon batch using a pump? I'm hitting the 1 hour mark and just now finishing up. It seems as though if I open the valve any more than a trickle it goes well for 2 minute and then compacts. At this point all I can think of is changing my false bottom to a braid or getting a grant.

Equipment:
Cooler mash run with domed false bottom
Keg boil kettle
I painstakingly made sure the ID of everything was 1/2" including dip tubes and fittings
My crush is coarser than I would like, and I even backed off a bit. When I looked at my grind today there was an abundance of uncracked kernels.


I'd like to add some rice hulls to help but Ive already maxed out the capacity of this 10 gallon cooler

Any thoughts of something I'm overlooking?
 
Stuff caught in the pumps impeller ? Try fluching the pump out by putting pressurized water in the out
 
It takes, I don't know, maybe 3 minutes? I think my pump can pump something like 5-10 gallons per minute, so I have it throttled back a bit. If you're getting grainbed compaction, it could be the false bottom, or something. You do NOT want to inhibit flow into the pump, though, as that could damage it so I'd try to fix it right away.
 
I think I may have figured it out. When I upgraded to 1/2" valve the false bottom fittings no longer worked, so I got a piece of 1/2" copper and put an elbow on it. I was even proud of myself because it was closer to the bottom of the vessel and my mash run loss would be less.

I'm thinking that the elbow is being smashed to the bottom of the vessel now as the grain settles and weight is applied to it. I'll know in about 39 minutes when I'm finally done lautering. :(
 
I think I may have figured it out. When I upgraded to 1/2" valve the false bottom fittings no longer worked, so I got a piece of 1/2" copper and put an elbow on it. I was even proud of myself because it was closer to the bottom of the vessel and my mash run loss would be less.

I'm thinking that the elbow is being smashed to the bottom of the vessel now as the grain settles and weight is applied to it. I'll know in about 39 minutes when I'm finally done lautering. :(

That could be it! You want your pick up tube to be unencumbered. I have a false bottom, and it works great.
 
3 minutes to transfer the mash water? Jesus Christ I'm over 1 hour now
 
3 minutes to transfer the mash water? Jesus Christ I'm over 1 hour now

Yeah, like I said the March pumps pump something like 6 gpm or even more. So it just takes a few minutes even throttled back. You have something going on impeding it, and that can damage the pump so once you find out what it is, it'll have to be corrected.
 
Incoming bad pictures:

This is my diptube as it typically sits:



ForumRunner_20121028_153445.jpg


This is the same dip tube while I push down it with less pressure than it takes to push open a door:



ForumRunner_20121028_153527.jpg


Jesus Christ it took me 3 months to figure that out. Brb grabbing my grinder.
 
Yes, but the pick up tube was not resting on it, so it could be compressed downward. Hard to explain.
 
If it is getting clogged with grain, try sticking a stainless scrubbing pad at the pickup so that any grain that gets past your false bottom gets stopped by the scrubbing pad. I had a couple stuck sparges and then went with the scrubbing pad under the FB and everything has been fine since. A three pack of stainless scrubbing pads is about $2.50 at Home Depot...
 
As a follow up:

Its amazing such a small over sight could cause this much trouble. Just finished sparging in 20 minutes. Was going slow cause honestly I was scared of another stuck sparge but towards the end I had the valve open almost all the way. Jesus.
 
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