First AG batch this Sunday

[High_Noonan]

If the stars align, I will be brewing my first 5gal AG batch this weekend.
I've got a good case of the pre-show jitters and a couple of last minute questions that I am hoping you guys can answer for me.


Last weekend I did a test run with all this fancy new gear and to see how the pump actually worked. I liked the pump (Chugger)...until I had to move the hoses. This was just hot water I was using, so let's just say the floor got nice and cleaned.
How do I prevent liquid, be it water or wort, from remaining in the hoses and pump?!?!?! Or, better yet, how do I get the liquid to REMAIN in the hoses?
With a 5gal batch, any amount missing is a lot, and I seemed to be losing a bunch in the hoses and pump that wasn't making it to the next vessel.
Is a pump maybe overkill until I move up to 10gal batches?

I was short one fitting (now in the mail), so I did not get a chance to play with my chiller plate. Maybe it doesn't really matter, but do I want to pump the wort into the chiller or out of the chiller?
BK-->pump-->chiller-->carboy
or
BK-->chiller-->pump-->carboy
??

I am sure I will have a bunch more questions before brew day, but these are the two(ish) that are staying with me and costing me sleep. I'd relax and have a homebrew, but I am out!

 

[PantherCity]

Pump the wort into the chiller, these pumps work more for pushing not pulling. As for how to not spill wort, keep the pump lower then your vessels and when you are making changes hold the end up to it can't run out. You do have a valve on the output of your pump right? If not you need one.

Good luck! It's not so hard!

 

[jarod7736]

I use 2 of these on all of my hoses (with camlocks).

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=962

 

[High_Noonan]

You do have a valve on the output of your pump right? If not you need one.

As a matter of fact, no!
But I did manage to order an extra one along the way!
I'll be installing that tonight.

Thanks for the input on the output!

 

[High_Noonan]

The yeasties in a bubbling carboy this morning reminded me to express my thanks to everyone here at HBT for all of the info, advice and encouragement.

Brew Day ran a little longer than expected due to my being a batch sparge noob. Had to boil off 2 extra gallons!

Chilling wort with my Duda Diesel and Chugger pump was nothing short of amazing. I come from the ice water bath and wet t-shirt school of cooling my extract batches. I hit 80F in 5 minutes. I have never seen cold break like this before! With the weather starting to cool and a bit more experience under my belt, I feel like I should be able to hit pitching temps.

THANK YOU, ALL!!