critique my idea for ghetto single tier/one pump system

Hi all,

Like many, I'm on my journey with homebrewing. I currently brew 5 and 10 gallon batches on a garage-based propane 3 tier gravity system with a cooler mlt:


My system and process have been slowly upgraded and I'm ready to a) move the propane to the driveway and b) stop using gravity, abusing my back and get a pump. I progress slowly and have a plan (based on info from HBT - props all!) for a non-sculpture based single-tier one pump batch sparge system.

It's simple and I'm just curious what I'm missing, forgetting, or not thinking about and am looking for information/comments/etc.

I plan on setting the HLT keg and BK keg on their burners. I will use gravity to move hot liquor from the HLT to the MLT (rectangle cooler) and for batch sparging assisted by ladling a la biermuncher. The pump comes in when moving wort from the MLT to the BK (here's a potential issue - will I be able to use a march pump to move wort from the MLT cooler which will be on the ground and the spigot only maybe 3" above the ground - in other words, will I be able to prime the March pump?). After the boil I will hook the pump up to the BK and to the CFC and fermenter. Eventually I can move up to the JZ style immersion whirlpool chiller but that's another purchase.

In my mind, I can have QDs on the in and out side of the pump at the end of maybe 3-4' hose (is this doable or should I have the QDs close to the in/outs?). This way I can put QDs on the out of the MLT and BK and limit the number of QDs needed for now.

Any input would be most helpful! Thanks for sharing y'all.

If you put the QD on the "out" side of the pump that should do it. What works for me is to hook the "in" side to the MLT (I use QD's on each end) with the pump almost on the ground (sits on the bottom of the frame) with the ball valve on the "out" side but the hose not hooked up yet, open the valve back up at the MLT, then open the valve on the "out" side of the pump (pump not running yet). Once the wort pushes the air out of the ball valve on the "out" side of the pump simply close that valve, hook up your hose to the valve via QD, hook other end of hose to BK. Then start the pump, open valve on the "out" side of pump then open valve to the BK.

awesome, yambor. Is that the trick to priming these? I've read a lot that it can be a pain and i imagine even worse w/no head.

mandoman said:

awesome, yambor. Is that the trick to priming these? I've read a lot that it can be a pain and i imagine even worse w/no head.

Click to expand...

I think so. A friend and fellow brewer showed me that I needed to clear the air from the line and pump in order to prime. This is how I have mine right now after tinkering with it. I actually have added a 90 degree elbow to the top and will add a short nipple and another elbow to do a "u" turn from the top of the valve. Then I can slip a 2 quart measuring cup under it to catch some if the wort while purging the air. This will also allow me to catch the initial trub when siphoning my wort to the counter flow chiller.

Ocala? I'm just down the road in High Springs. There's seems to be a good bit of members fromt his area. We need to start our own group.

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