location for shutoff valve in setup with CFC and pump

[dartos3]

Hello,

I've been slowly upgrading my equipment and I'm finally getting around to building an actual stand. I have a CFC I've been using gravity for and want to move to using a pump. I've been searching around and every time I think I'm close to figuring it out, I confuse myself. The question I have is, where should the shutoff valve be? Right now I have the shutoff valve on the outlet of the CFC combined with an inline thermometer so I know the outlet temp. I always leave it wide open because with my gravity differential I can't get much of a flow anyway. My plan was kettle -> pump -> CFC with shutoff valve on outlet -> fermenter. Or should I put the shutoff valve on the outlet of the pump?

Technically I also have a shutoff valve on the kettle to open it up and start the flow when it's time. But that would be wide open with or without pump. I just don't know if I should use the shutoff valve after the pump or after the CFC to control the flow.

Thanks.

 

[Deric]

I have a valve on both the outlet of the CFC and the outlet of the pump. When cooling I always run the pump wide open and control the flow at the outlet of the CFC.

 

[dartos3]

I have a valve on both the outlet of the CFC and the outlet of the pump. When cooling I always run the pump wide open and control the flow at the outlet of the CFC.

Excellent. Thank you. How do you use the valve on the outlet of the pump? What are times you want to shutoff flow at that point?

 

[dartos3]

Excellent. Thank you. How do you use the valve on the outlet of the pump? What are times you want to shutoff flow at that point?

Oh I could use if for sparging too! I hadn't even thought of that.

 

[Deric]

With the current set-up I almost never use the valve on the pump. Not sure if it's best practice or not (I know I have more valves than I need) but I usually control the flow a the end of the line. When recirculating the mash or sparging I control the flow at the inlet of the mash tun. When whirlpooling I control it at the whirlpool inlet. On my previous setup I didn't have dedicated fittings/valves on the kettles so I used the pump valves.

 

[dartos3]

With the current set-up I almost never use the valve on the pump. Not sure if it's best practice or not (I know I have more valves than I need) but I usually control the flow a the end of the line. When recirculating the mash or sparging I control the flow at the inlet of the mash tun. When whirlpooling I control it at the whirlpool inlet. On my previous setup I didn't have dedicated fittings/valves on the kettles so I used the pump valves.

I see. Ya I don't have fitting for inlets back into the mash tun or kettle so for now I'll probably have to control the flow at the pump for recirculating the mash or sparging.

Last question that's semi related you can probably answer. How would you propose whirlpooling? Kettle -> pump -> CFC -> hose back in to to wort at an angle? Until I get more sophisticated I'll probably just have to hold the hose back into the kettle.

 

[Deric]

That's pretty much what I used to do and it worked OK.

 

[SanPancho]

You can buy 3/8 or 1/2 stainless tubing on amazon in 12-24” lengths. Bend it into J shape and attach it to kettle rim.

alternatively you can buy a WP fitting and drill hole in your kettle. They’re only like 20 bucks I think. If you chill and WP at same time then best performance is with the WP pointing up at about a 30 degree angle. That way the cold wort mixes into hot wort on top. Might not matter so much on smaller batches but gives you more uniform temperature in kettle.

 

[dartos3]

Thanks everyone! Can't wait to get this upgrade going. Maybe I'll post a pic of the setup. Could help someone out later on.