Got a Chugger pump, question about vourloffing

[lakedawgs]

Hello,
Got a Chugger pump and Cam locks installed. Mounted the pump low on my stand, 8"-9" off the ground, base of mash tun and boil kettle are about 24" off ground. I have the IN port facing down, I have a ball valve on the OUT port facing up, that is all good. Tested and it works fine.

My question is, how do you vourlof? Also, while we are talking about mashing, I drain my tun at a fast trickle to vourlof then open the valve on the tun a bit more till the drain tube fills to take my runnings (I batch sparge). I know you can throttle down the pump but how do you really know you are pulling the right amount from the tun and not cause a stuck mash when draining?

Any tips about using a pump are appreciated.
Lakedawgs

 

[BrewingGunner]

I don't batch sparse so my answer may be a little off, but it should take about 45 min to an hour to collect. I just monitor the brew kettle and if it seems like its filling up too fast, I slow down the output of my pump.

 

[prandlesc]

I use my pump for recirculation through a tri-clover fitting near the top of my tun - it has a tri-clover connector on both the outside and inside of the tun. The output from the pump is connected to the outside of the fitting on the tun. Inside the mash tun I attach a tri-clover fitting with a 1/2" silicone tube attached. The end of the tube rests on top of the grain bed and the recirculated wort flows onto the top of the grain bed, then flows down through it and out to the pump again. I watch my flow rate through the grain bed when recirculating and then have a good idea of the maximum rate I can drain when sparging - and always keep it under the recirculation rate. I'd also recommend that you control your flow on the output side of the pump. If you control flow on the inlet side, you may cause cavitation and your pump will stop working. If you control it on the output, the pump keeps working and just sees a little increase in pressure - but won't be starved for input flow.


I've seen, but never used, what looks like a cool device that could be used for both recirculation and sparging - http://morebeer.com/products/ultimate-sparge-arm.html.

 

[lakedawgs]

Sounds like you guys have a Fly sparge and RIMS setup, I batch sparge.

I am most concerned about
1) when I start my mash runnings I need to collect a bit of runnings slowly in a small bucket to 'set the grainbed' and get the initial husks and bits out of the way, then move the hose to the boil pot and drain the tun. Usually takes 10-15 minutes once the grain bed is set. Just not sure how to get those first, slow runnings while setting the grainbed without moving hoses around full of hot liquid.
2)Adjust the pump after the grain bed is set to pull a nice flow but not too fast to compact the grainbed and cause a stuck mash. Is this just something I will 'get a feel' for over time or is there a way to know you are doing it at the right speed?

Thanks

 

[broadbill]

I don't batch sparse so my answer may be a little off, but it should take about 45 min to an hour to collect.

Should not take 45m-1h for batch sparge. Batch you can runoff as fast as you can get it out of the MT.

 

[Pratzie]

Should not take 45m-1h for batch sparge. Batch you can runoff as fast as you can get it out of the MT.

This. I used to think the opposite way and then spoke with denny in a thread about his batch sparging technique. Once the grain bed is set after the vourlauf, open the valve full throttle and drain as fast as u can. if ur using a pump I can see the cause for concern but U can controller the flow with a valve on the out port of the pump. Either way it shouldn't take very long at all, u want to drain it as fast as possible so the sugars don't get a very good chance to stick to the grains after u mix with ur mash paddle.

What kind of setup are u using, a FB, manifold and braid?

 

[smakudwn]

I just take the output hose from my pump and hold it over the top of the mashtun and let that go for a min, shut off pump and move it the output to the boil kettle. That is how I vourlof. I open the valve on the output slowly just until I have good flow. I rarely have the output valve all the way open.

 

[prandlesc]

I just take the output hose from my pump and hold it over the top of the mashtun and let that go for a min, shut off pump and move it the output to the boil kettle. That is how I vourlof. I open the valve on the output slowly just until I have good flow. I rarely have the output valve all the way open.

Good technique!

 

[Yooper]

I just take the output hose from my pump and hold it over the top of the mashtun and let that go for a min, shut off pump and move it the output to the boil kettle. That is how I vourlof. I open the valve on the output slowly just until I have good flow. I rarely have the output valve all the way open.

Me, too. I batch sparge sometimes, and that is the easiest way. The fitting gets hot, so I just hold it with a pot holder until I turn it over to the boil kettle's connection.

 

[Bobby_M]

I've seen, but never used, what looks like a cool device that could be used for both recirculation and sparging - http://morebeer.com/products/ultimate-sparge-arm.html.

This may be the most over engineered, overpriced gadget I've ever seen.

 

[Bobby_M]

Sounds like you guys have a Fly sparge and RIMS setup, I batch sparge.

I am most concerned about
1) when I start my mash runnings I need to collect a bit of runnings slowly in a small bucket to 'set the grainbed' and get the initial husks and bits out of the way, then move the hose to the boil pot and drain the tun. Usually takes 10-15 minutes once the grain bed is set. Just not sure how to get those first, slow runnings while setting the grainbed without moving hoses around full of hot liquid.
2)Adjust the pump after the grain bed is set to pull a nice flow but not too fast to compact the grainbed and cause a stuck mash. Is this just something I will 'get a feel' for over time or is there a way to know you are doing it at the right speed?

Thanks

My recommendation would be to hook the input of the pump up to your HLT, which should now be full of hot sparge water and use to that to ensure that you have the pump and input hose primed and air free (unless you're sure of that from your last pumping operation). Ok, good.

Now hook up the MLT output to the pump, open the MLT valve, turn on the pump and crack the pump valve open to start the flow pumping back on top of the grain bed. Let it run slow for about 3 minutes. Close the pump output valve, move the output hose to your boil kettle and crack the valve open again.

In batch sparging, you can let it run about 1/3rd of the way open for 80% of the runoff. Once you get to the end, you may want to slow it down to allow more of of the wort to trickle down to your pickup area. If you keep up a fast runoff pace, you'll suck air and lose prime (runoff is over even if there's a bit more wort trickling down). When you batch sparge, it's pretty easy to know when you're nearing the end of each runoff because you know your strike volume, your grain absorption, your deadspace, etc. You just need a way to measure your collection volume, whether dipstick or sight glass.

 

[Flomaster]

This may be the most over engineered, overpriced gadget I've ever seen.

I want it, maybe I'll make my own... soldered version.

-=Jason=-