Whirlpool port in my brew kettle and a March pump Q

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nostalgia

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So I have this unused thermometer port in my Morebeer 15 gallon brew kettle. I thought to myself, "Self, wouldn't it be neat to have a whirlpool port so you could recirc your wort to aid in chilling and settling of solids?"

First problem: the inside of the port is not threaded. So I thought I'd use a 1/2" NPT to 1/2" tube adapter and slide the tube all the way through. No-go: there's a shoulder in the way.

whirlpool_shoulder.jpg


5 minutes with a Dremel tool fixed that right up. Here's how I'll be going through the wall of the pot:

whirlpool_throughwall.jpg


Next I soldered that fitting on, plus a second one on the outside for my valve:

whirlpool_throughfitting.jpg


I then soldered together the whirlpool arm that will shoot out the wort into the bottom of the pot. I hacksawed a slot in the top fitting to allow it to be clamped in place, since I'll need to slide that on after the through-wall fitting is in place:

whirlpool_cut.jpg


Then I just screwed everything together and fit the arm in place:

whirlpool_inside.jpg


Hooked everything up and it was time for a test! I love these tri-clamp fittings - since they're not gendered I can just connect them wherever I please. I was one short so I just connected my racking tube to the 'out' port on the March pump.

whirlpool_connections.jpg


I threw a handful of rice hulls in so you could see the whirlpool effect in the obligatory video. I think I may solder in a smaller "nozzle" on the whirlpool arm to trade some volume for velocity to get a stronger whirlpool.

[youtube]_J2zxwOfD8c[/youtube]

Now the question: It'd be nice if this setup helps make a nice hop cone so I can get away from hop bags - one fewer thing to clean is always welcome on brewday. Am I going to have issues with the pump picking up solid matter that are going to make me wish I stuck with paint strainers?

Thanks!

-Joe
 
Used it for the first time today. Really worked well! Check out this nice hop cone I got after just a few minutes of whirlpooling.

hopcone.jpg


-Joe
 
Personally, I'd lift that whirlpool inlet off the bottom. Since you're pulling off the bottom, I can see the flow going around the bottom, then getting sucked right up the dip tube without really affecting the upper part of the volume much. It would only cost you a few dollars to make a new piece to clamp in there. Granted, I haven't tried mine that low, but mine is a few inches above the bottom and get a nice whirlpool with 20 gallons.

Edit - you can just spin it up a few inches and clamp it that way.
 
I'm wanting to hard plumb a whirlpool return port onto my kettle.

Where to place it is the big question.

I have a blichman BK and could potentially use the thermometer port, and just put an inline thermometer probe on the whirlpool circuit.

I guess the REAL question I have is, where is the BEST place to put the port for best trub cone?

To the OP, can you detail what parts you used to build this. Obviously a ball valve, but what else? Hard to tell from the pics.

What size is the hole in your kettle?

Thanks

TD
 
The best place to put the whirlpool outlet about 1/2 between the top of your wort and the bottom pickup. Too high and you run the risk of hot side aeration. Too low your cooling efficiency will drop.
 
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