Inexpensive Wart Chiller Pump Idea to Share

[el_horno]

Can you post the link to where you bought this? cant read the image.

 

[ReddHead]

Can you post the link to where you bought this? cant read the image.

Here you go. I just picked one up and it's a large sucker. I like that it has interchangeable hose barbs though. I could use it for stuff other than my immersion chiller. It was hard to find in the store, they had it on a shelf under their large air compressor display, easy to miss.

They make one that has a 620gph flow rate as well but it is a bit expensive. Print yourself one of their 20% off coupons too.

http://www.harborfreight.com/264-gph-submersible-fountain-pump-68395.html

 

[cwi]

I think you just built yourself a hopback without the hop portion. This setup is also used to circulate beer around in the mash tun if you worry about such things (which you shouldn't IMHO).

I will however take this idea and add it into my project bank. I do want to recirculate wort eventually on the cheap scale.

This set up in no way resembles a hop back, and these pumps are not suitable for handling wort. I doubt it will handle even mash temps without damage, and even if it could, it just isn't a good idea. Post boil chilled wort is definitely out of the question.

If you don't care about any of the reasons not to use these pumps for wort, you might as well use a washing machine for your mash tun. There is a video of a guy who converted one. Nice piece of redneck engineering.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Sure isn't that the point though pre-pitch?

It's a reference to HSA I believe. (edit) Which I don't believe in.

I put my IC in 10-15minutes before flameout along with with my whirfloc and yeast nutrient to sanitize it. At the same time I recirc the wort with my pump and place the hose so that the wort is recirculated in the opposite direction as the IC water flows. Voila, counterflow chiller.

Also, I use a prechiller setup with a 2nd IC in a bucket filled with ice water. When I'm trying to get those last stubborn 25 degrees to come off I dial the flow back so the prechiller can do it's thing creating a greater delta between the wort and the cooling water.

All in all I chill down to 80f in SoCal summer weather in about 20-25 minutes, then down to about 70f in another 15 minutes. When it's time to transfer, I just move the recirc tube from the kettle to the fermenter.

 

[cwi]

It's a reference to HSA I believe. (edit) Which I don't believe in.

Both sides of the HSA issue were already discussed. It is real, whether you believe in it, or not.

At the same time I recirc the wort with my pump and place the hose so that the wort is recirculated in the opposite direction as the IC water flows. Voila, counterflow chiller.

Closer to a 'shell and tube' than a CFC, but a tradeoff I am also willing to make to not have to worry about the insides of a 50ft tube, or 20+ stacked plates.

Also, I use a prechiller setup with a 2nd IC in a bucket filled with ice water. When I'm trying to get those last stubborn 25 degrees to come off I dial the flow back so the prechiller can do it's thing creating a greater delta between the wort and the cooling water.

You have missed the whole point of this thread. You will get much better performance from chilling with straight tap to ~20F of tap water, then switch to an open ice bath recirc using a pump at as fast a flow as you can afford. Waiting to recirc the ice bath (replenish with tap water instead) until the outflow is colder than tap will save on ice usage.

All in all I chill down to 80f in SoCal summer weather in about 20-25 minutes, then down to about 70f in another 15 minutes. When it's time to transfer, I just move the recirc tube from the kettle to the fermenter.

Mr. Malty has had a 'how to' on his whirlpool chiller out for some time. It brings up another topic some consider a myth- product shear. I have plans to make a mechanical agitator to avoid 30 min of running my wort through a 3500rpm blender. Mainly to get a better whirlpool post chill, but if I can eliminate shear at the same time, why not.

 

[tgmartin000]

Nice build. I've been holding back on a plate chiller because of the cost and they seem like they can be a pain. I'll do this instead with my IC.

 

[ReddHead]

So, I hooked up the pump last night to my 25ft copper immersion chiller and I'm a little disappointed with the flow rate. Disconnected from the chiller the pump puts out a pretty impressive amount of water, but after going through all that tubing it loses quite a bit of it's oomph. If circulating ice water it may still be acceptable.


I imagine the larger 600+ gph unit would work quite a bit better.

 

[Trokair]

I just bought the same pump and a stainless steel immersion chiller. Can't wait to brew my next batch!

 

[jbaysurfer]

Edit, fuggetaboutit. I need to get used to people picking apart everything a stranger says on the internet, I think that's why Al Gore invented it.

 

[cwi]

Edit, fuggetaboutit. I need to get used to people picking apart everything a stranger says on the internet, I think that's why Al Gore invented it.

Well, when you come busting into a thread specifically about using pumps for open bath recirculation, and then brag about your chill times using a second IC as a pre-chiller when presumably using a garden hose as the input, what did you expect?

You could get even better performance by applying some of the techniques in this thread. It would require another pump like those discussed here, though.

Without adding a pump, your way is the preferred method. However, the pre-chiller doesn't increase performance much until the wort temp is within ~30F of tap temps. Up to that point when flow rates are high, it just uses up ice without really making any meaningful change to the water temps. If ice usage matters, leaving the pre-chiller out of the ice bath until needed will save your ice for when it is needed.

Here is a post with pictures and graphs-
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/in...ump-idea-share-267132/index3.html#post3344808

 

[jbaysurfer]

Well, when you come busting into a thread specifically about using pumps for open bath recirculation, and then brag about your chill times using a second IC as a pre-chiller when presumably using a garden hose as the input, what did you expect?

You could get even better performance by applying some of the techniques in this thread. It would require another pump like those discussed here, though.

Without adding a pump, your way is the preferred method. However, the pre-chiller doesn't increase performance much until the wort temp is within ~30F of tap temps. Up to that point when flow rates are high, it just uses up ice without really making any meaningful change to the water temps. If ice usage matters, leaving the pre-chiller out of the ice bath until needed will save your ice for when it is needed.

Here is a post with pictures and graphs-
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/in...ump-idea-share-267132/index3.html#post3344808

LOL @ "busting into a thread....bragging about chill times" I actually was thinking that my chill times were slow compared to some of the ones I've read on this thread.

Appreciate the tip on leaving the prechiller out until the temp drops somewhat. I do think you read into my post a bit too much though, as it was merely intended to share my method in case others had an extra IC and no sump pump to try this idea.

A thread is just a public discussion about a general topic. I shouldn't have to approach it like a native american burial ground IMHO. Trying my best to contribute around here, that's all.

 

[cwi]

A thread is just a public discussion about a general topic. I shouldn't have to approach it like a native american burial ground IMHO.

You are right, you shouldn't. I assume the same goes for others?
There are some general guidelines, though. Like trying to stay on topic.
If you aren't happy with your chill times and have warm tap water, the open ice bath really helps. The pump needs to be strong/fast enough to get a reasonable flow through your chiller. Some have found the cheaper pumps have insufficient flow at the head pressures required to push through even a 25ft IC.

 

[jbaysurfer]

You are right, you shouldn't. I assume the same goes for others?
There are some general guidelines, though. Like trying to stay on topic.
If you aren't happy with your chill times and have warm tap water, the open ice bath really helps. The pump needs to be strong/fast enough to get a reasonable flow through your chiller. Some have found the cheaper pumps have insufficient flow at the head pressures required to push through even a 25ft IC.

Of course it does. Forgive me for straying. There are an awful lot of chilling discussions on this beginner forum, and they tend to bleed into each others' domains. Apologies to the OP if I've been unhelpful.

I have every intention of buying a sump pump today though and trying this when I brew on sunday. Much of what you've said has been helpful to that end, so

 

[cwi]

I have every intention of buying a sump pump today though and trying this when I brew on sunday.

Straying a bit, but some pumps can be repurposed for use in a keg/carboy washer. The pump is about 90% of the cost of a DIY keg washer. This might help when trying to rationalize buying a bigger pump. Something that can produce around 3 gal/min at 10psi (25' head) is in the ballpark. A keg washer thread will have better info. Careful with pump specs, most list max flow at 0' head, and max head at 0 gal/min.

 

[ReddHead]

Hey everyone I figured I'd post back and let everyone know that I tried this about 2 weeks ago using my 25ft copper chiller. This pump doesn't have a crazy amount of flow after going through all that tubing and copper, but it's enough. In retrospect a higher capacity pump would work even better.

Anyway, we had 3 kettles going that day so I couldn't use the garden hose to draw off some of the initial heat because someone else needed it. What I did was fill a cooler with about 5 frozen 2 liter bottles and a bunch of ice about 20 minutes before flame out. I connected the outlet tube of the wort chiller to the discharge side of the pump and stuck the inlet side of the chiller in the cooler.

I didn't time it but this method worked MUCH faster than just using water from the faucet. Unfortunately though, the amount of ice I had only lasted long enough for a single wort cool down because I was dumping that super hot initial water back into the cooler at the opposite side of the pump.

But this worked really well and I will probably do this from now on. Next time I will time it.