question about using a Pump with my mash tun

SO I have a 10 gal rubbermaid mash tun with a 3/8" ball valve attached to a false bottom with a 90 degree 3/8" barbed fitting. I will be buying 2 pumps soon for my set up.

The problem I think I may have will be using the 1/2" inlet on the pump with the 3/8" ball valve attached the the MLT.

Will the 1/8" difference cause cavitation in the pump or can that be solved by never having the outlet on the pump being fully open and having a ball valve there to restrict/throttle the outgoing wort to the Boil Kettle?

Thanks!

 

...anybody?

 

No that small restriction won't cause cavitation. I have lots little obstructions in my system and have no issues with priming. Your biggest enemy will be gravity; make sure your pumps are well below the outlet of the subject vessel and you'll be fine.

 

Are you going to be recirculating out of your mash tun? RIMS or HERMS? If RIMS, you'll want the extra 1/8"th so you can get full flow during recirc. HERMS, doesn't matter. If not doing RIMS, I think you'll be just fine. Restrictions are extra bad right NEAR the pump....a few feet of tubing away is no issue.

 

I have a RIMs system and haven't found that to be an issue at all. Heck all of my rigid ss piping is 1/2" OD and I have a 90* just before the inlet to the pump and have never had any issues with priming/cavitation. My pump is 12" or so below the outlet by design, and I have a ball valve to purge the air if needed.

 

Yeah, the March instructions say something like 6x diameter of straight pipe after any restriction before the pump, (so 3" of straight after the 90* 1/2" elbow). I too have restrictions right at my pump with no issues...but they CAN be an issue.

The RIMS bit was more the fact that people can have scorching issues with low flow. If he only has a 3/8" ball valve, instead of 1/2" on his mash tun, he could have flow issues through the RIMS, and might want to spend the $10 to change it out. I run my RIMS wide open during recirc to help minimize issues in that area.

 

Thanks for the help guys. One more question... If I use Silicone tubing and restrict the output of the pump will this cause the Silicone tubing to burst?

on the bargain fittings site it says: "10 psi max pressure - DO NOT RESTRICT ON THE OUTPUT SIDE OR YOU WILL POP THE TUBING"

But everyone I've seen uses this stuff with their pumps. Will I have problems?

Thanks again!

 

i just bought a march 809 the other day, my understanding is not to put the valve at the end of the silicon tubing. If you put it at the pump output, then tubing out, there would be no pressure on the silicon tubing. I could be wrong, but seems to me this is what they are saying.

 

That's how I understand it also, of course my valve would be directly on the output of the pump head.

Just triple checking before I drop $60 on tubing haha

 

Exactly. Thread valve directly to pump outlet, then attach tubing to the valve with a barb. No worries about burst tubing.