shushikiary
Well-Known Member
So I'm in the process of building my brewery, I have the kegs, courtesy of New Belgium (15 bucks a pop from their fortcollins brewery!). I'm using a brew troller setup and have everything except the hop and grain additions automated (yes sparge is automated).
I'm using 2x LG 3-MD-HC pumps and one peristaltic pump that I put together with PWM motor control for fly sparge. I'm also using a 40 plate plate chiller from duda diesel. I have one solenoid valve for the water from the faucet and then I have motorized ball valves for the rest of the control valves.
I'm going all SS pipe for this, not tubing, and so everything will be screwed together using fittings, mostly because the compression fittings are so DAMNED expensive, and I can do it this way for much cheaper.
Well I've got most of it built, stand is built, control box is done, code is written and mostly tested. Now I'm to the point where I need to measure out exactly what all fittings I will need and exactly how I want to pipe the thing to get everything like I want it.
So here's the problem. I'm trying to plan this so it's not a royal PITA to clean each time I brew. I plan to recirculate with hot PBW/oxyclean through the system after sucking the grain and pellet hope debris out with a wet/dry vac, then doing a rinse cycle. The issue I seem to be having is how to make sure the system will drain completely after I'm done so I dont have water just sitting in some of the fittings.
For example, the pumps, due to how they are arranged with the 3/4 input with the flow direction perpendicular to the pump drive shaft means there will always be a low spot on the pump head where water will sit no matter where you place it.
Another example is that in many right angle fittings, etc, the middle of the fitting sits lower than the threaded part, allowing water to pool there when you're done.
So I'm trying to come up with a way to make sure that if not all, enough of the water will drain out that it wont cause a problem, or such that what is left in will evaporate without any issues.
So any hints/tips/tricks you guys have for doing that I'd love to hear.
Thanks!
I'm using 2x LG 3-MD-HC pumps and one peristaltic pump that I put together with PWM motor control for fly sparge. I'm also using a 40 plate plate chiller from duda diesel. I have one solenoid valve for the water from the faucet and then I have motorized ball valves for the rest of the control valves.
I'm going all SS pipe for this, not tubing, and so everything will be screwed together using fittings, mostly because the compression fittings are so DAMNED expensive, and I can do it this way for much cheaper.
Well I've got most of it built, stand is built, control box is done, code is written and mostly tested. Now I'm to the point where I need to measure out exactly what all fittings I will need and exactly how I want to pipe the thing to get everything like I want it.
So here's the problem. I'm trying to plan this so it's not a royal PITA to clean each time I brew. I plan to recirculate with hot PBW/oxyclean through the system after sucking the grain and pellet hope debris out with a wet/dry vac, then doing a rinse cycle. The issue I seem to be having is how to make sure the system will drain completely after I'm done so I dont have water just sitting in some of the fittings.
For example, the pumps, due to how they are arranged with the 3/4 input with the flow direction perpendicular to the pump drive shaft means there will always be a low spot on the pump head where water will sit no matter where you place it.
Another example is that in many right angle fittings, etc, the middle of the fitting sits lower than the threaded part, allowing water to pool there when you're done.
So I'm trying to come up with a way to make sure that if not all, enough of the water will drain out that it wont cause a problem, or such that what is left in will evaporate without any issues.
So any hints/tips/tricks you guys have for doing that I'd love to hear.
Thanks!