inexpensive water flow meter

[conpewter]

I'm thinking about making an in-line HL'T' to replace my 15.5 gallon keggle HLT. It will cut down on the size a little bit, but also will be less to clean. I could also use it to step mash, though that would be in the future.

I've read a couple threads on flow meters but a lot of the links were out of date, I'm just looking for something that will tell me how much water I've put in the MLT. I don't need it for doughing in, but I would need it for the sparge. It doesn't need to be heat tolerant as I'll put it on the water inlet of the brewery.

Also I'm looking for one that has a decent flow range, perhaps .25 gpm on the low end, 2 or more gpm top end. Also a reasonable error tolernace would be nice.

This is nice but at 7% error I could be off by 3 quarts or so when measuring 10 gallons. Something compact with a dial would work as well as I plan to have this hanging off the end of the supply I've plumbed over to my brew rig.

 

[conpewter]

This one looks great but a little more cash than I was thinking
http://www.jerman.com/hosemeter.html

Hmm any thoughts on this?
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-5227-filter-monitor-wflow-totalizer.aspx

Other than that I may just end up with
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-2834-flowmaster-digital-flow-meter-01-1gpm-14-38-qc.aspx

 

[paledragon]

i use a lot of flowmeters in my lab, and unless you dish out some serious money, i wouldn't trust one to use as a flow totalizer.

i'm tossing around the idea of putting a shipping scale underneath either the mash tun or HLT in my next build to measure water.

p.d.

 

[conpewter]

Yeah I've backed off the idea. I normally mix some distilled water with my filtered water in the HLT since I have very hard water, I wouldn't be able to do that with this system.

 

[klyph]

Isn't this what a sight glass is for?

 

[conpewter]

I was hoping to do away with the HLT completely and just go from the water source right to the MLT with whatever temperature water I want. I could make that work, but I have no good way to mix in distilled water in the process so I think I'll stick with having a HLT.

 

[Bigscience]

This one looks great but a little more cash than I was thinking
http://www.jerman.com/hosemeter.html

Hmm any thoughts on this?
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-5227-filter-monitor-wflow-totalizer.aspx

Other than that I may just end up with
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-2834-flowmaster-digital-flow-meter-01-1gpm-14-38-qc.aspx

Will these take any kind of temp?

I'm looking at some too and Kladue sugested "Dwyer VFB-81 for the wort path and VFB-80 for boiler water. They run $46 each on the Dwyer site and there is another model which has a higher flow rate VFB -85 which is $63.25."

He also said "The wort flow meter has worked well even with grain particles flowing through when circulating pump is first fired up (you can barely see the float for the particles). The temperature rating in the catalog does not reach the mashing temps we use but the typical system pressure is so low that this is not a problem."


Sometimes it's nice to use parts other people have experience with. Let us know if you end up getting any of the other ones and how they work out.

 

[ClaudiusB]

I'm just looking for something that will tell me how much water I've put in the MLT.

i use one made for hot water like your first link.

I'm looking at some too and Kladue sugested "Dwyer VFB-81 for the wort path and VFB-80 for boiler water. They run $46 each on the Dwyer site and there is another model which has a higher flow rate VFB -85 which is $63.25."

Won't work for the OP without a stop watch.

I'm looking at some too and Kladue sugested

Must be for a different application.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[Bigscience]

I guess I was thinking for recirc or sparge rate and not total water. Now I get it. I just use sight gages for that now.

 

[conpewter]

Looks nice Claudius! I might need to get one of those anyway, that way I know when to change the filter I have. Since my brewery is right below the kitchen I use the same filter for filtered water in the kitchen and the brewery. I'm not good at estimating when we hit 500 gallons or 1000 gallons etc.