Before I used my pump, I wish someone would have told me...

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lyonshead

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Chugger pump is in the mail, can't wait to add it to the brew stand! I've heard before that one of the largest learning curves in equipment additions can come from using a pump. I mash in a 72 quart Coleman cooler. Plan to use the pump to recirc for vorlauf, transfer to keggle, and whirlpool during chill.

So, pump users, anything that you've learned over the years that you wish you knew going in?
I appreciate you helping out the novice pumper!
 
There are a couple of things that surprised me. First, it is not nearly as powerful as you think it will be. They are not self-priming, so you have to work a little to get them primed. They will also clog pretty easily especially with whole hops. You need to have a good handle on whirl pooling (which I do not) or good screens to keep them from clogging.

You need to make a decision on quick disconnects. There are a few varieties and they are pricey. I chose the poly QDs and I really like them. You need to decide on whether you want all female or male connectors on you tubing. That way they are easily interchangeable. You also need to buy some good quality silicone tubing.

That also leaves some sort of assembly, such as ball valves. I would recommend getting stainless. I have always regretted getting non-stainless ball valves. Here is what my setup looks like (I added a thermometer):

IMAG0477.jpg

IMAG0479.jpg

Some good things you might not have thought of:
Cleaning is much easier because you just run hot PBW throughout your pump, kettle, chiller (a chill plate for instance) and back to the kettle. You can leaving it running for 30 to 40-mins and everything is pretty clean.
 
They do not have a on/off switch. You will likely need to create some kind of setup if you want to have control of the pump actually near the pump. I made a stand out of a 2x4 and mounted a switch/outlet combo in a water resistant mounting box. And have the pump mounted underneath it. I'll post a picture later if I remember to.
 
Three things are: Rotate the pump head so the out points up, install a T and a waste valve which really helps with priming, and (sorry - I can't find the part numbers now) but McMaster-Carr has some awesome brass QDs that are a fraction of the cost of the poly QDs.

Okay, four things - if brewing outside in the winter, take it inside when not in use. Otherwise, the water in the head will freeze.

Five things, and then I'm done - make a splash guard. Mine is just a bucket that I cut in half, and I rest it on top of the motor part.
 
Stuff like this is exactly what I needed to hear. I've seen a couple things about the extra valve off of the T. I understand the theory (maybe) but would someone mind describing the process of when they actually open/shut the valve and how they use this to prime the pump?
 
There is an entire thread on bleeder valves right below this.... My bad! Disregard!
 
Keep some small buckets around. Every time you disconnect a hose to re-position it, both the hose and the fitting will drip. You will need extra time on brew day to recirculate cleaning solution and rinsing water through the pump and hoses. The fittings get hot (well, the metal ones do...) so add an oven mitt to your brew kit if you dont already have them.

Just gave mine the inaugural run last weekend. Loved every minute of it. Priming does seem to be finicky, but once she is pumping it has tons of power. I can transfer 6 gallons from my HLT into my cooler in about 20 seconds :rockin:
 
I have pumps for both my HLT and Mash Tun, and I prime with water before I get started with the mash. I let the pumps run before the water gets hot just to test things.

I used an exterior switch box on my stand. A link is posted below. It helps to be able to switch the pumps on and off. I also use the switches to help prime the pumps.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/brutus-build-first-time-weld-345836/
 
lyonshead said:
Chugger pump is in the mail, can't wait to add it to the brew stand! I've heard before that one of the largest learning curves in equipment additions can come from using a pump. I mash in a 72 quart Coleman cooler. Plan to use the pump to recirc for vorlauf, transfer to keggle, and whirlpool during chill.

So, pump users, anything that you've learned over the years that you wish you knew going in?
I appreciate you helping out the novice pumper!
Click to expand...

Using a pump without camlocks or other quick disconnects is not advised. And it's really helpful to have some really clear silicone tubing (like Bobby sells from Brewhardware.com) so you can see if there's any air in the lines.

From another thread I just wrote in:

Sometimes the pump has a bit of water in it from a pumping operation that you just finished, and then you connect a line to the pump intake and connect the other end of the line to the vessel that you're trying to transfer to and then you open the pump outlet valve and then the vessel valve but the weight of the water inside the pump is greater than the air pressure in the line...so nothing happens. You're sitting there like a dummy with a hose full of air.

So what I do is open up the camlock on the vessel side a bit and that lets the air escape. Then, once the air is purged and it starts leaking hot water, I yell, "****! ****! That's hot!" and then I close up the camlock again.

And sometimes you also have to do the same thing for the outlet hose as well.

It's helpful to use the pumps without any ambient noise in the background, so you can hear if there's a problem. You can hear the pump start to labor if there's an air pocket in there. And then it will start to squeal really loud. And that's bad. Immediately shut the pump off and fix the problem.
 
DoWBrewer said:
View attachment 173862
Click to expand...

Hey, I really like that brewmometer on the out of the pump. I was considering putting one on the output of my counterflow, but maybe it'd be awesome to have it on the pump out instead. I could recirculate the CFC back into the boilpot and monitor the temp at the pump instead.

Do you recirculate your mash and use the gauge to monitor your mash temps? I feel like that'd be stupid easy compared to having a probe stuck randomly into my grainbed.
 
I use a remote outlet to control my pump. that way if i see it starting to pull air from across the garage i can turn it off so it won't run dry. Most home improvement places have them, as does target.

I have my pump in a tool box, there are plenty of threads about that.

Only restrict the outlet, so ball valve on the out only. This is standard with magnet drive pump.

Also, if you make a stand, like shown previously, you may want to orient is so in case of a leak the electric components aren't in danger.
 
sidepart said:
Hey, I really like that brewmometer on the out of the pump. I was considering putting one on the output of my counterflow, but maybe it'd be awesome to have it on the pump out instead. I could recirculate the CFC back into the boilpot and monitor the temp at the pump instead.

Do you recirculate your mash and use the gauge to monitor your mash temps? I feel like that'd be stupid easy compared to having a probe stuck randomly into my grainbed.
Click to expand...

I recently added a thermometer to my kettle and mash tun, so the pump thermometer is more of a way to double check my temps now. I find it very useful when I direct fire my kettle. You can see the temp differential between the mash tun and what is coming off of the bottom of the kettle. It is also nice to have when cooling wort. I recirculate through my plate chiller and this lets me know the temp before I move to the fermenter.

I haven't done a brew with my new kettle thermometer yet, so it maybe less necessary. I probably could have gotten by just fine without three thermometers, but I am an equipment junkie.
 
I like using a foot switch to control my pump. It's great for, say, adding water to the mash while also stirring and monitoring temperature.

The other thing I'd say is to plan out your sequence of turning valves on/off and connecting/disconnecting hoses. For example... you have your pump running, its outlet valve is connected to your kettle, and you want to connect it somewhere else. If you turn off the kettle valve first, followed by the pump valve, pressure built up in the hose will cause hot water/wort to spray out when you disconnect from the kettle. But if you turn off the pump outlet valve first, followed by the kettle valve, that won't happen. Little things like that may seem obvious but can be easy to forget if you have lots of valves/hoses to keep track of.
 
Besides everything above, be careful about how fast you pump. The first time I used mine I went to fast and it compacted the grain bed in my mlt and it took a lot of work and time to get it running again
 
Do you guys vorlauf with a pitch or anything before you vorlauf with the pump? Basically is the heavier grain that comes with the first runnings a big deal, or can the pump handle it?

Also: say I'm finishing my batch sparge and moving everything to the kettle. What do you do right at the end. I've read that you DO NOT RUN THE PUMP DRY, but won't it have to run dry for a second so I know the mash tun is empty? How do you guys conclude your sparring?
 
Just keep more in your HLT than you need. Run it until you have the right volume in the MLT, kettle, etc. I've never emptied the HLT during the sparge.

And plan to have some losses due to water in the lines. That is, if you put 4 gallons in the HLT, you might get 3.something making it into your MLT. Some of the water stays behind in the lines.

And one other tip: Do oil the motor as recommended in the instructions.
 
I just learned on my last brew day that just because the pump is off doesn't mean the flow is blocked. I had forgotten to close my valves and it continued to gravity siphon cleaning solution from my brew stand to my floor.
 
yep. About every other brew day (and I have 30+ brews under my belt with pumps), I make a stupid mistake and hook up the wrong hose, or turn off the wrong valve, and make a hot and sometimes sticky mess... I brew indoors too, so messes are a big problem.

Perhaps I should wait until the boil to start drinking
 

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