BadNewsBrewery
Well-Known Member
So I find myself in a bit of a pickle... I run a full electric HERMS setup, and use the standard 10 gallon igloo cooler w/ NorCal - jBird fals bottom in my mash tun. Calculating for the deadspace beneath the FB, I still end up mashing slightly thin to try and accomodate the flow through the HERMS coil.
Here's the issue I've been having - unless I run my HERMS pump (a Chugger) at 1/4 to 1/8 open on the discharge valve, I wind up sucking air into the system somehow. I have made entirely sure that all the fittings are tight and nothing leaks water anywhere, but after a period of time with the pump running I can see air in the line running from the MLT to the pump. If I kill the pump power and let the air run back into the MLT, I get quite a few large bubbles. Even after getting the entire system fully clear of air, if I run it again for a while, it starts getting air in the line.
Now from a logical standpoint, it seems only one of 2 things can be happening. 1 - the FB is causing such a restriction that cavitation is occuring within the line somewhere. This is highly unlikely, as such low pressure would cause other issues, and the air pocket wouldn't sustain in such large volumes. 2 - the FB is causing such a restriction that the pump is somehow causing one of the fittings to leak air, but only under the low-pressure scenario. Under normal operation, there's not enough of a vaccum to cause a leak to appear.
Otherse with a similar setup have claimed the ability to run their pump full-bore. Where would you focus your efforts? Rice-hulls to help keep the FB from getting jammed up? Tripple check all the valves and fittings? Devise some sort of system to stir / scrape the FB to keep it free and clear? Get a new FB? I thought the NorCal FB was suppose to be the bee's knees... I don't mill my own grains, but I've had this problem on multiple occasions with multiple LHBS / mill combos.
Thanks for the help,
-Kevin
Here's the issue I've been having - unless I run my HERMS pump (a Chugger) at 1/4 to 1/8 open on the discharge valve, I wind up sucking air into the system somehow. I have made entirely sure that all the fittings are tight and nothing leaks water anywhere, but after a period of time with the pump running I can see air in the line running from the MLT to the pump. If I kill the pump power and let the air run back into the MLT, I get quite a few large bubbles. Even after getting the entire system fully clear of air, if I run it again for a while, it starts getting air in the line.
Now from a logical standpoint, it seems only one of 2 things can be happening. 1 - the FB is causing such a restriction that cavitation is occuring within the line somewhere. This is highly unlikely, as such low pressure would cause other issues, and the air pocket wouldn't sustain in such large volumes. 2 - the FB is causing such a restriction that the pump is somehow causing one of the fittings to leak air, but only under the low-pressure scenario. Under normal operation, there's not enough of a vaccum to cause a leak to appear.
Otherse with a similar setup have claimed the ability to run their pump full-bore. Where would you focus your efforts? Rice-hulls to help keep the FB from getting jammed up? Tripple check all the valves and fittings? Devise some sort of system to stir / scrape the FB to keep it free and clear? Get a new FB? I thought the NorCal FB was suppose to be the bee's knees... I don't mill my own grains, but I've had this problem on multiple occasions with multiple LHBS / mill combos.
Thanks for the help,
-Kevin