What size tubing to use with pump?

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Todd

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I'm planning some things for my setup here and I wondered what size tubing everyone uses? I'd like to be able to do a herms type setup with a cooler and I will be pumping to the fermentor. My first thought is 1/2" but would that flow too fast for the mash tun?
 
The system I'm patterning mine after (a friend's who's been brewing for longer than I've been alive) uses 1/2" tubing throughout. Flow rate is controlled by varying the amount that a ball valve is opened on the pump output side. That way you can recirculate/sparge slowly, but you have the ability to drain/fill your mash tun and hot liquor tank quickly.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
The system I'm patterning mine after (a friend's who's been brewing for longer than I've been alive) uses 1/2" tubing throughout. Flow rate is controlled by varying the amount that a ball valve is opened on the pump output side. That way you can recirculate/sparge slowly, but you have the ability to drain/fill your mash tun and hot liquor tank quickly.
Click to expand...


The pressure on the pump won't hurt anything? I guess being magnetice drive it can only build so much pressure right?
 
Right, magnetic drives will slip safely if the back pressure gets too high.

I use 1/2" & a valve.
 
Thanks guys, I'll plan to go with the 1/2" setup. Oh while we are talking about it, is there any reason to use a coupler instead of a nipple to weld into my boil kettle? The valve and my compression fitting would screw right to it and save buying an extra nipple or two.
 
No reason other than the fact that a coupler will allow you to thread something into the inside portion as well (false bottom / hops screen). If you have no desire for that, go with the nipple.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
No reason other than the fact that a coupler will allow you to thread something into the inside portion as well (false bottom / hops screen). If you have no desire for that, go with the nipple.
Click to expand...

Why can't I thread stuff on the nipple on the inside? Do all those false bottoms and such have a male thread?
 
I suppose it depends on how you do the welding. When I weld stuff like that, I usually wind up grinding the threads down smooth on the portion I want to weld, which would tend to render one half of the nipple un-useable.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
I suppose it depends on how you do the welding. When I weld stuff like that, I usually wind up grinding the threads down smooth on the portion I want to weld, which would tend to render one half of the nipple un-useable.
Click to expand...

I see, I was thinking of using a nipple that was long enough to have smooth pipe already in the middle, maybe a 1.5" one. I'm not sure what I will end up doing yet, need to plan out the entire thing first.
 
Todd said:
I see, I was thinking of using a nipple that was long enough to have smooth pipe already in the middle, maybe a 1.5" one. I'm not sure what I will end up doing yet, need to plan out the entire thing first.
Click to expand...
Oh, yeah. Duh. I was thinking of those 1" couplers threaded all the way in on both ends. Certainly a longer one would work.
 

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