Using a pump with a SS braid in my mash tun

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CanadianQuaffer

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Hey guys,

I searched but found nothing, so my apologies if this has come up before, I'm sure it has.

I am getting a Chugger pump soon (maybe a Great Brew Eh pump though) and I am wondering it it will be compatible with my mash tun which has a SS braid? It's a 10 gallon Rubbermaid/Home Depot cooler with a 1/2" braid set up in a loop/circle.
I've heard that pumps can exert enough pressure/suction to cause channeling with a SS braid.

Is this something I should be concerned about? If so I'll just use the pump to transfer the water from the HLT to the MT and use gravity for the MT to the BK, and then the pump for the BK to my carboys, but I was just wondering if I could use the pump with my current MT configuration?

Cheers!

Nick
 
Channeling is primarily caused by moving too much fluid too fast. If you slow down the pump by throttling the outlet you will be fine. I generally try to shoot for a 30-45 Min Sparge. Nice and slow with the temps up as close to 155 as possible. You can also recirc the wort if your want to insure that you are getting a good rinse. I have been known to run the wort through the MLT three times for a larger grain bill rather than trying to cook off a lot of excess water. Seems to work just fine for me.
Wheelchair Bob
 
OK, so just have a ball valve on the outlet of the pump and have it barely open? Like 1/4 max?
That was another question I had was ensuring that the runnings can keep up, but I imagine that's only a concern when batch sparging and the runnings are about to run dry. When fly sparging you pretty much always have enough flow going to the pump, right?

Thanks Bob!
 
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