Whirlpool chiller, pick up tube and divert plate design questions

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Josephbrew

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Hey, guys I just need some ideas (pictures will be appreciated).

Since I don't know how to weld SS I thought about making a pick up tube out of copper that will be circular all around the bottom of the kettle and will have slots facing the bottom of the kettle. My main concern is the tube clogging though and possibly ruining the march pump.

Is there another alternative for a good divert plate (non SS welded to the bottom) and pick up tube that will work good using a whirlpool chiller?.

Will the WC work better if is not set on the bottom of the kettle or is ok for it to be set on the bottom?

Thanks you for your help. :)
 
To do a pick up tube around the bottom of the kettle you would need a wall to corden off the ring from the rest of the break and hop material. I have never heard of that being done.

You could put a 90 elbow on your spigot angled towards the bottom of the pot with a little wall around .75" around it so that the wort would flow over the wall and keep the break/hop material on the other side...the idea works in my brain at least. Plenty of folks use a SS braid hose for the purpose too. Don't worry about your march pump, sure you don't want to feed it whole leaf hops as it could potentially goof up the impeller, but otherwise there is nothing in your brew kettle to threaten your pump.
 
If it were me I would make a Jamil style WC, add a fourth tube for the pick up, possibly pick up on the exterior of coil towards the bottom as far out as possible. I don't use leaf hops so I don't know if they would pose a problem for the march pump, but the pump head doesnt seemed to be phased by pellets and trub. I would use 1/2" copper for the pick up and return though.
 
Bensiff said:
To do a pick up tube around the bottom of the kettle you would need a wall to corden off the ring from the rest of the break and hop material. I have never heard of that being done.

You could put a 90 elbow on your spigot angled towards the bottom of the pot with a little wall around .75" around it so that the wort would flow over the wall and keep the break/hop material on the other side...the idea works in my brain at least. Plenty of folks use a SS braid hose for the purpose too. Don't worry about your march pump, sure you don't want to feed it whole leaf hops as it could potentially goof up the impeller, but otherwise there is nothing in your brew kettle to threaten your pump.
Click to expand...

No, not whole leaf hops just pellets. I saw a post from a guy that made a pickup tube for a Blichmann kettle in another forum. It is simply a 90 connected to a T fitting and then he welded a piece of copper pipe to form a circle around the bottom of the pot. Looks like a manifold more than a pick up tube.

He said some of the trub got through but didn't clog.

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14077

the pictures are in the last post. Thanks a lot for your help

CodeRage said:
If it were me I would make a Jamil style WC, add a fourth tube for the pick up, possibly pick up on the exterior of coil towards the bottom as far out as possible. I don't use leaf hops so I don't know if they would pose a problem for the march pump, but the pump head doesnt seemed to be phased by pellets and trub. I would use 1/2" copper for the pick up and return though.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good idea. I will use pellets mainly.
thank you for your help. BTW I checked your Brutus 20e build thread; awesome.
 
CodeRage said:
If it were me I would make a Jamil style WC, add a fourth tube for the pick up, possibly pick up on the exterior of coil towards the bottom as far out as possible. I would use 1/2" copper for the pick up and return though.
Click to expand...

Would 1/2" stainless work well too? I've got a 50' 3/8" SS IC and want to add a whirlpool arm to it.
 
I wouldn't be worried about clogging the impeller. However, I try to avoid sucking up the break material and hops...the whole point of whirlpooling is ruined if you turn around and suck up that crud anyways. To accomplish that I would use the ring with the slots facing upwards.
 
Maltose said:
Would 1/2" stainless work well too? I've got a 50' 3/8" SS IC and want to add a whirlpool arm to it.
Click to expand...

SS would be fine, but there is nothing wrong with tossing on a copper pickup tube onto the SS IC.
 

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