Need Schooled (pump)

Ok,,, currently i have a three tier wood stand, water tank high, mash tun in the middle, and boil kettle on the ground. everything draining by gravity

I am wanting to get a pump.

I have read where you can just swap hoses and use the pump to move liquid from the various pots to get it where it needs to go. I can only afford one pump so this would be my route.

Can (is) the pump generally used to move the wort from the mash tun to the boil kettle ?? for some reason this is the area i am getting messed up on... i can see maybe a lot of "sucking air" as it draws the wort through the grains..

as far as the other transfers i can that working.... its just the mash transfer is throwing me off.

but generally is that the ideal of a single pump system? and then does one simply connect the pump to the boil kettle and transfer to vessel for fermentation????

thanks folks.
jake

Get a pump that works with high temperatures, is food grade and allows you to adjust flow. This is done all the time, and some are even used for a RIMS system where wort if pumped constantly from the out on the mash-tun, heated and returned to the top in order to fix or change mash temperatures.

The MLT has a false bottom (or other separation mechanism), so you pump wort out just as if you were simply draining it as usual. It works great, and I don't ever want to be without a pump (or two) again! No more lifting/pouring hot water or wort.

I have two pumps on a single tier stand. One pump for HLT recirc and pumping hot water to MT. Second pump to recirc MT and then for pumping MLT to BK and BK to primary.

The magnetic drive pumps heads you would be using can adjust the flow rate by closing the output valve to the rate you want. So when I am recirculating my MT I slow the rate by closing the output valve on the pump to restrict flow so it doesn't compact the grain bed to bad and flow doesn't slow by itself. I keep this slow rate of flow to help keep my MT at any given temp (direct fired MLT).

Got ya. Thanks everyone. Now to start shopping for a pump and some fittings.

jakehale said:

Got ya. Thanks everyone. Now to start shopping for a pump and some fittings.

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I have some quick disconnects that I got from McMaster-Carr, and I love them! You want to make sure to get high temperature tubing. I like the clear high temperature tubing Bobby_M has on his site. The clear is good for when you have a light colored wort so you can shut your ball valve when the wort is gone and you don't suck air into your pump.

Thanks everyone. Pulled the pin finally and ordered everything from Bobby..... now just waiting for it all to come in and get it rigged up.....