Is it a bad idea to use a self-priming diaphragm pump for transfer of fermented beer?

[BrewVerymore]

Hello my friends. I've been fermenting in large 60L plastic barrels and pressurizing the barrel to push beer out and into kegs. However, the whole thing is kinda sketchy (pressurized plastic container) and takes about 20-30 minutes to fill a keg.

I've been looking at pumps and came across these self-priming diaphragm pumps here. I was wondering if this is an advisable thing to transfer beer into kegs using a pump.

While we're on the topic of pumps, it would be really nice to have a dual purpose pump. Does anyone know of a high temp, food grade, self-priming diaphragm pump so I can also use it for pumping near boiling hot wort through my counterflow chiller as well as keg transfers?

 

[SanPancho]

there's an article in a fairly recent issue of BYO magazine about building your own positive displacement pump. same principle.

if you go with silicone tubing you'll be good on the high temp part. the pump never touches the beer so you just boil/sanitize the tubing and you're done.

self priming. get a bit more research and you can probly figure out how to get some speed control on the pump.

 

[bowler]

Just for posterity's sake, there seems to have been some confusion over pump types. OP refers to a diaphragm pump, whose parts DO contact the liquid being transferred. SanPancho is referring to a peristaltic pump, hence the silicone hose comment.