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- Jan 18, 2011
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I just got my Hop Rocket yesterday, it looks nice and spiffy but I've been trying to figure out how the heck I will prime this. I'm running a magnetic drive pump.
Here's the past layout:
Keggle w/ 3/8" SS ball valve, elevated about 12" off the ground -> 3/8" hose -> Plate chiller (on floor) -> 5/8" hose -> Mag drive pump (little giant) (on floor) -> 5/8" -> in-line ball valve -> 3/8" hose to fermenter.
I normally prime + sanitize this contraption under 1-2 gallons of water in a bucket, using my garden hose. After the pump is primed, I add sanitizer to the bucket, recirculate 15 minutes. When I'm ready to cool, I hook up the inlet end of the 3/8" hose to the kettle ball valve, open it, and open the outlet valve. I drain out the sanitizing fluid until clear wort is flowing, wasting about 4 to 8oz of wort [I'm fine with that].
The new layout:
Keggle w/ 3/8" SS ball valve, elevated about 12" off the ground -> 3/8" hose -> Hop Rocket (on floor) -> 3/8" hose -> Plate chiller (on floor) -> 5/8" hose -> Mag drive pump (little giant) (on floor) -> 5/8" -> in-line ball valve -> 3/8" hose to fermenter.
I'm trying to figure out how to prime and get the air out of the hop rocket without sanitizing solution coming into contact with the hops, and also to prevent burning my fingers. The hop rocket doesn't need to be sanitized as near-boiling hot wort will come thru. The pump can loose its prime if it picks up too much air.
If you're wondering about the 5/8" and 3/8" variations, it's because the pump has 5/8" inlet+outlet. It works great so I don't want to change it.
Here's while sanitizing:
Any ideas?
MC
Here's the past layout:
Keggle w/ 3/8" SS ball valve, elevated about 12" off the ground -> 3/8" hose -> Plate chiller (on floor) -> 5/8" hose -> Mag drive pump (little giant) (on floor) -> 5/8" -> in-line ball valve -> 3/8" hose to fermenter.
I normally prime + sanitize this contraption under 1-2 gallons of water in a bucket, using my garden hose. After the pump is primed, I add sanitizer to the bucket, recirculate 15 minutes. When I'm ready to cool, I hook up the inlet end of the 3/8" hose to the kettle ball valve, open it, and open the outlet valve. I drain out the sanitizing fluid until clear wort is flowing, wasting about 4 to 8oz of wort [I'm fine with that].
The new layout:
Keggle w/ 3/8" SS ball valve, elevated about 12" off the ground -> 3/8" hose -> Hop Rocket (on floor) -> 3/8" hose -> Plate chiller (on floor) -> 5/8" hose -> Mag drive pump (little giant) (on floor) -> 5/8" -> in-line ball valve -> 3/8" hose to fermenter.
I'm trying to figure out how to prime and get the air out of the hop rocket without sanitizing solution coming into contact with the hops, and also to prevent burning my fingers. The hop rocket doesn't need to be sanitized as near-boiling hot wort will come thru. The pump can loose its prime if it picks up too much air.
If you're wondering about the 5/8" and 3/8" variations, it's because the pump has 5/8" inlet+outlet. It works great so I don't want to change it.
Here's while sanitizing:
Any ideas?
MC
