3/4" vs 1/2"

[Bachhus]

Hi guys, sorry to keep coming with the questions but I wasn't having any luck searching. I'm still deciding on the parts to put my kettles together and got to thinking about 3/4" vs 1/2" fittings.

Anyone use 3/4" fittings and wish they had gone 1/2"? Anyone using 1/2" and wish they spend the extra few bucks for 3/4"? and if so why?

Thanks for the hours and hours of reading I've been doing recently trying to get up to speed!

Mark

 

[lumpher]

i, and all i know, and the pros, use 1/2" fittings. 3/4 is just too big

 

[Catt22]

The 3/4" fittings will work, but there is nothing to be gained by using them and especially so at the home brewery scale. I use 1/2" and see no reason to go larger.

 

[Henrythe9th]

Really depends on your pump choice, with a LG MD 2 pump 1/2" was fine but i upgraded to a MD 5-HC pump that has 1" inlet and 3/4" outlet and the 1/2 cam and groove fitting where restrictive, I change all the fitting on the boil pot to 3/4" and now have a great whirl pooling and better flow.
I did keep 1/2" on the HERMS and MT, HLT using the smaller pump

big pump = bigger fittings

I had a 1 1/4" coupler reduced to a 3/4 ball valve on my boil pot to start with

 

[Bachhus]

Really depends on your pump choice, with a LG MD 2 pump 1/2" was fine but i upgraded to a MD 5-HC pump that has 1" inlet and 3/4" outlet and the 1/2 cam and groove fitting where restrictive, I change all the fitting on the boil pot to 3/4" and now have a great whirl pooling and better flow.
I did keep 1/2" on the HERMS and MT, HLT using the smaller pump

big pump = bigger fittings

I had a 1 1/4" coupler reduced to a 3/4 ball valve on my boil pot to start with

What sized batches do you brew with your setup?

Thanks
Mark

 

[Catt22]

Really depends on your pump choice, with a LG MD 2 pump 1/2" was fine but i upgraded to a MD 5-HC pump that has 1" inlet and 3/4" outlet and the 1/2 cam and groove fitting where restrictive, I change all the fitting on the boil pot to 3/4" and now have a great whirl pooling and better flow.
I did keep 1/2" on the HERMS and MT, HLT using the smaller pump

big pump = bigger fittings

I had a 1 1/4" coupler reduced to a 3/4 ball valve on my boil pot to start with

That's not whirlpooling; it's a centrifuge

 

[Henrythe9th]

20 gal pot, 10 to 15 gal batches depends on the beer OG
usually 11 to 12.5 gal batches I have more than a few 6gal and 6.5gal and 5gal carboys

 

[BrewBeemer]

MD 5-HC pump that has 1" inlet and 3/4" outlet and the 1/2 cam and groove fitting where restrictive, I change all the fitting on the boil pot to 3/4" and now have a great whirl pooling and better flow

I haven't located a "1" inlet with a 3/4" outlet" only 1/2" outlet for LG MD 5-HC pump anywhere all I can find by LG specs is this;http://www.pumpagents.com/pdf/LittleGiantPumps/583603.pdf.
With these specs 1/2" outlet matching pump outlet would be sufficient just never reduce inlet pump inlet size.

BTW I like the size of your brew system.

 

[Bachhus]

This is great information guys, I appreciate you input. Since were talking about 3/4" fittings and such, does anyone know of a good source for 3/4" silicone hose other than usplastics?

 

[keithster]

When I designed my setup I made sure that all of the fittings and line I.D. were the same size or larger than my pumps. It would never hurt to go bigger, just smaller.

 

[bf514921]

use 3/4 on my mashtun, stuff tends to not get stuck in the 3/4 , just run half on the bk. buyfittingsonline.com isn't bad

 

[Henrythe9th]

This is great information guys, I appreciate you input. Since were talking about 3/4" fittings and such, does anyone know of a good source for 3/4" silicone hose other than usplastics?

http://www.mcmaster.com/#tubing/=ale05d
Part Number: 51135K89

Pricey but works very well

 

[rockytoptim]

When I designed my setup I made sure that all of the fittings and line I.D. were the same size or larger than my pumps. It would never hurt to go bigger, just smaller.

Mcmaster-Carr has some. I just bought some for my new 3/4" camlocks. Haven't brewed with it yet. Just do search for silicone hose.

[URL="http://www.mcmaster.com[/URL]

 

[Sawdustguy]

i, and all i know, and the pros, use 1/2" fittings. 3/4 is just too big

The pros use much larger than 1/2".

 

[BrewBeemer]

It would all depend on the gallonage of the brewery itself.
A 2" system would be undersized for a 2,000 gallon system while 1/4" too large for a mini one gallon table brewing system.

 

[Bachhus]

Basically my plan is for 5 gallon batches with intentions of doing 10 gallon when I find some good ones to do consistently. My idea is that im gathering parts for the first time and would rather spend 30-50 more up front and have 3/4 if this has an actual advantage for batches this size. If there is really no advantage to going with 3/4 until say 20+gallon batches then I won't bother.

Mark

 

[BrewBeemer]

I would be more inclined to use 3/4" starting at 15 gallon batches if they were the majority of my brews, throttling the pump back is a lot more comforting than a weak restrictive tubing system unless it's overcome by a higher powered pump.
I'll take larger tubing vs a pump replacement dollar wise in building a system without a flaw then rectifying it with another larger pump purchase, they are not cheap. JMO's.

 

[keithster]

Exactly what type of fittings / tubing to you plan to use?

IMO it depends on the I.D.of the tubing/fittings. For example a tube can be 1/2 O.D. (like copper, plastic, silicone, stainless) but the I.D. will be different depending on the wall thickness.

The typical March pump a home brewer uses has a 1/2" inlet/outlet. Put a set of calipers on it and you'll find the I.D. is much smaller. at the minimum the lines I.D. should be larger than than the I.D.of the pump. You don't want to restrict the flow into the pump and adjust the flow rate by using a valve after the pump.

It wouldn't hurt to be a bit larger to help avoid possible clogging if something happened lke a helper kind of bashed up your false bottom while doughing in. . . .

Figure out you I.D. requirements and then see what size tubing meets your requirements.


Happy brewing!

 

[BrewBeemer]

I plan on using Camlock fittings with 5/8" SS tubing stubs for large radius bends with
1/2" ID tubing for the HLT & MLT. For the Boil kettle 5/8" to 3/4" ID for a good whirlpool, talking 26 1/2 gallon Boil kettle design.
Chugger pump for HLT & MLT with a larger pump for the whirlpool and CFC action.