Pump / chiller help!

[monkeydan]

I've searched a lot but couldn't find anything to assist.

I recently bought a plate chiller and pump, and spent this morning giving everything a trial run as I'm planning to brew on Monday.

I have my boiler (it's electric, around 35 litre capacity) on a chair, the pump and plate chiller are on the floor. I thought the pump would prime via gravity but it didn't seem to work that way for some reason! After I'd switched it on and off a couple of times it worked fine and I just ran some warm PBW through the system.

Started the cold water and pulled the hose out of the boiler to feed the solution into the fermentor - all good, temperature drops amazingly quickly.

As soon as the pump started sucking on air, I switched it off. However there was still liquid in the tube to the pump, between the pump and the chiller, and between the chiller and the fermentor... It was a massive PITA to try and get this out! I lifted the (now empty) boiler up to the kitchen counter and let gravity feed the liquid through as far as it would go. I lifted the plate chiller up to let this liquid drain into the fermentor and had to repeat this process a few times to completely clear the lines.

So - questions as follows:

1. Is there any way to prime the pump other than some on / off toggling?
2. Is there an easier way to clear the remaining wort from the pump / plate chiller and the tubing in between?

Cheers for any help you could provide!

Dan

(pump is this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Solar-DC-...p10L-Min-/321254122242?_trksid=p2054897.l4275)

 

[Tutsbrew]

I will be watching for answers here also dude! ...I anticipate the same issues.

 

[LordUlrich]

As for priming the pump a bleader valve is the best way I know. I have seen many builds with a t on the outlet of the pump, one end of the t goes to a bleader valve. I have my outlet valve on my pump with a built in bleader valve. You open the valve until a little liquid comes out and then close the valve. It should be good to go at that point. As far as reducing losses in the lines, I'd say shorter lines. My pump connects directly to the boil kettle, I don't see why you could not connect the chiller directly to the pump. The hose to the fermenter should be the easiest to drain and that would make it the longest run.

 

[MGBBob80]

I'm looking forward to learning more about this one myself. I'm in the process of buying a CFC (leaning toward the Therminator). Many thanks to any and all who provide info on their favorite ways to set up the system.

 

[monkeydan]

Just gonna bump this up in case anyone has any additional words of wisdom... I can get the pump primed just by switching it on and off a couple of times, this seems to work fine so I don't anticipate getting a bleeder valve.

Never thought about connecting the pump directly to the chiller! Might give it a go but would need to get the necessary connector.

Brew day went pretty smoothly - I basically shut off the ball valve from the kettle, lifted the (nearly empty) kettle onto the kitchen counter and drained whatever was in the hose through the pump, through the chiller and into the fermentor. Worked OK and didn't spill anything!

Green Flash West Coast IPA clone has been churning away for a week... smells good!

 

[tally350z]

How much wort are you losing in the hoses? Some lost wort is expected and many just usually account for the lose at the beginning of their water volume calculations. Ie, want to end with 5.5 gallons in fermentor and you have 1 gallon boil off rate over an hour, that means you must start with 6.5 gallons at the beginning of the boil. Now if you are losing say 2 or 3 quarts within the lines and what not, than you would just add that amount to the 6.5 gallons. It is going to take some trial runs to figure out how much your losing exactly.

As far as the pump issue how to you have your setup run? Can you show some pictures of your setup? So it can give us a better idea..

 

[rgauthier20420]

I think pictures will serve well to help remedy this. I have the exact pump, but I connect it with QD's directly to the Out valve of whichever pot I'm using. I don't have any line in between the pump and the valve. I've never had an issue like your talking about. The only advice I could offer would be to open the valve and let it flow until it doesn't go anymore. This should mean the pump cavity is filled and primed.

tally already answered about the loss issue. Or, you could hook up one of those hand pump sprayers (ones used for spraying stuff on lawns like this) with the proper fittings to push out the rest of the liquid.