Folks, after some great feedback on a recent thread, I thought is would be useful to share pictures and explanations of how you have hooked up your pump and plumbing / assembly.
1/
Please post a picture. Process diagrams are good too, but with a picture if possible, as it clarifies many practical issues.
2/
How happy are you with it - what have you learned that we can share? For example, does it prime first time every time when you open a valve at every part of the process, or do you have to perform ritual incantations and human sacrifices for its favour?
3/
Any special features / functions your setup allows you to do?
After modding mine due to priming problems, based on suggestions on this forum and aussiehomebrewer.com forum here is a picture and explanation of my new assembly (as yet untested, so your feedback is welcome).
The process diagram shows what the valves are for, and why there are so many. ( I am experimenting with minimising to a degree the connecting and re-connecting of hoses through the brewing process.) I no longer HERMS, and have replaced with steam, but will still use the HE in cooling with ice water.
I hope this assembly allows me to get more reliable priming now.
Special features:
The outlets are raked higher from right to left, so I can fill the assembly with water from right to left, closing off valves as they overflow, and ensuring the pump is primed. The assembly is tilted to provide a downward slope for all liquids toward the dump valve at the bottom. This is for gravity flushing for cleaning, or, for example, dumping unboiled wort caught in the lines prior to pumping to the fermenter.
Cheers,
Yorg.
1/
Please post a picture. Process diagrams are good too, but with a picture if possible, as it clarifies many practical issues.
2/
How happy are you with it - what have you learned that we can share? For example, does it prime first time every time when you open a valve at every part of the process, or do you have to perform ritual incantations and human sacrifices for its favour?
3/
Any special features / functions your setup allows you to do?
After modding mine due to priming problems, based on suggestions on this forum and aussiehomebrewer.com forum here is a picture and explanation of my new assembly (as yet untested, so your feedback is welcome).
The process diagram shows what the valves are for, and why there are so many. ( I am experimenting with minimising to a degree the connecting and re-connecting of hoses through the brewing process.) I no longer HERMS, and have replaced with steam, but will still use the HE in cooling with ice water.
I hope this assembly allows me to get more reliable priming now.
Special features:
The outlets are raked higher from right to left, so I can fill the assembly with water from right to left, closing off valves as they overflow, and ensuring the pump is primed. The assembly is tilted to provide a downward slope for all liquids toward the dump valve at the bottom. This is for gravity flushing for cleaning, or, for example, dumping unboiled wort caught in the lines prior to pumping to the fermenter.
Cheers,
Yorg.
