Sub pump for cleaning lines and circulating chiller water

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h22lude

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I'm looking to upgrade my keg line cleaning from a cheap Harbor Freight pump that can barely clean one line to a sub pump that can clean them all at once daisy chained. I have 3 lines total so about 30' of line. I was originally going to go with the 1/4HP pump (https://www.amazon.com/Superior-Pum...&linkId=d1710656113820df4b9e8ccb3f0add4a&th=1) which I think would be plenty for cleaning the lines but then I thought maybe I could use it with my IC. My basement water doesn't have great pressure. Jaded recommends 6GPM. Right out of the tap I get about half that. So I was thinking about getting the 1/3HP pump, which is actually cheaper.

Would the 1/3HP pump be too much for cleaning the lines?
 
I used a 1/8 hp one for my lines. 4 each of 27' 1/4, so over 100 ft lenth with a 10 ft rise. Worked great. I stopped using it as that motor has oil in it and became concerned it would leak and ruin my lines.

I now use a pg-6600 lifeguard, pricy at 150, but worry free
 
If you already have a brewing pump, you can adapt it to also use to clean your lines. I'd also recommend cleaning your lines in parallel rather than in daisy chained series setup. A parallel method will actually reduce the pressure drop overall, especially compared to a series setup.

I personally use a small pot (around 2 gallons) on a camping stove. I heat up the cleaning solution, and the pot also has a ball valve with a camlock disconnect. I go from here to my pump, and then the output of the pump goes into to one of the faucets. Inside the walk-in cooler, I have that line connected to a manifold, and then the other ports of the manifold connect to some of the other lines (I have a total of 14 taps, so I have to do this in batches). The faucets from those lines have tubing in them that drain back into the pot. I set this to recirculate about 15 minutes at around 130F. I use the chemical Penetrate, which is essentially 2x concentrated BLC. The same company also has DAC, which also has a stronger caustic component.
 
If you already have a brewing pump, you can adapt it to also use to clean your lines. I'd also recommend cleaning your lines in parallel rather than in daisy chained series setup. A parallel method will actually reduce the pressure drop overall, especially compared to a series setup.

I personally use a small pot (around 2 gallons) on a camping stove. I heat up the cleaning solution, and the pot also has a ball valve with a camlock disconnect. I go from here to my pump, and then the output of the pump goes into to one of the faucets. Inside the walk-in cooler, I have that line connected to a manifold, and then the other ports of the manifold connect to some of the other lines (I have a total of 14 taps, so I have to do this in batches). The faucets from those lines have tubing in them that drain back into the pot. I set this to recirculate about 15 minutes at around 130F. I use the chemical Penetrate, which is essentially 2x concentrated BLC. The same company also has DAC, which also has a stronger caustic component.

Where did you get your manifold? Can you post a pic?
 
Here is the manifold I built:
40491695403_a8b9147be7_k.jpg


I bought a cheap aluminum manifold with 1/4" NPT threads on amazon. I then used John Guest fittings to go from the 1/4" NPT to 3/8" OD tubing. I use 3/8" bev seal ultra 235 tubing for my lines, and I use 3/8" John guest fittings for everything, including my disconnects, so I just push them off, then push the beerline into this manifold, and then I am ready to clean. I go into the manifold on the single center, and then all the rest are outlets with my setup, though I don't think it really matters all that much as long as you get some flow through all the faucets.

If you aren't using the same tubing or same fittings, Chi Company sells manifolds with either ball lock or pin lock posts, but they are pretty pricey: https://www.chicompany.net/beer-sto...tem-manifold?zenid=6dh47t0pd3o8au32kdq5guh333

The next time I run cleaner through my system, I'll take some more photos and post them.
 
I use the same pump and daisy chain 8 lines/perlicks up together. Cleans them up in no time flat. You just have to remember to purge all the old beer and then cleaning solutions out of the lines before the next step in the cleaning rinsing process.

Also use this Same pump to cip my unitanks. Way more flow than a chugger pump.



This.....

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ball_lock_jumperpost.htm
 
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I've been daisy chaining them all. Using the Brew Hardware ball lock connection and using tubing from faucet to faucet. By the time it exits the last faucet (3 faucets total), it isn't coming out fast. So if I went with a manifold, it would go through all lines quicker even though it needs more water?

I am in the process of switching to Bev Seal. Just need to figure out line length for certain faucets.
 
I've been daisy chaining them all. Using the Brew Hardware ball lock connection and using tubing from faucet to faucet. By the time it exits the last faucet (3 faucets total), it isn't coming out fast. So if I went with a manifold, it would go through all lines quicker even though it needs more water?

I am in the process of switching to Bev Seal. Just need to figure out line length for certain faucets.

I don't actually think you need any additional solution than you would with daisy chaining. The flow would definitely be faster in total with the manifold, and this way you could also isolate single faucets at a time. I do this when I clean to vary the fluid velocity to dislodge anything that could've built up, and I believe the additional turbulent flow helps the cleaning.

In my mind, there are two important variables to cleaning lines effectively, agitation and temperature. The parallel method using the manifold will clean things more efficiently, though the series daisy chain can definitely work as long as you have flow - it will just take longer to get the same level of cleaning. I also recommend heating the solution if possible, and if not possible, then to start with the hottest water you can for the recirculation. This is actually why I would recommend a brewing pump over a submersible pump due to the temperature tolerance. I typically heat my solution to around 130-140F, just below whatever the max temp of the tubing is. I wouldn't trust a submersible pump to handle direct heating.

If you can't heat the solution at all, you can still clean your lines, though it may take a lot longer, and for stubborn beerstone or the like, it may not be able to be removed in a reasonable amount of time at room temp solution. Doing some cleaning is definitely better than no cleaning!
 
I don't actually think you need any additional solution than you would with daisy chaining. The flow would definitely be faster in total with the manifold, and this way you could also isolate single faucets at a time. I do this when I clean to vary the fluid velocity to dislodge anything that could've built up, and I believe the additional turbulent flow helps the cleaning.

In my mind, there are two important variables to cleaning lines effectively, agitation and temperature. The parallel method using the manifold will clean things more efficiently, though the series daisy chain can definitely work as long as you have flow - it will just take longer to get the same level of cleaning. I also recommend heating the solution if possible, and if not possible, then to start with the hottest water you can for the recirculation. This is actually why I would recommend a brewing pump over a submersible pump due to the temperature tolerance. I typically heat my solution to around 130-140F, just below whatever the max temp of the tubing is. I wouldn't trust a submersible pump to handle direct heating.

If you can't heat the solution at all, you can still clean your lines, though it may take a lot longer, and for stubborn beerstone or the like, it may not be able to be removed in a reasonable amount of time at room temp solution. Doing some cleaning is definitely better than no cleaning!

I like this idea. I didn't like having to connect a tube from one faucet to another to daisy chain them. It worked just fine but didn't seem like the best option (though I didn't know what a better option was). Glad I saw this post again. Right now I have 3 faucets but will eventually get another one. If I get a 5 post manifold (1 in, 4 out), I assume the ball locks on the manifold work the same is on a keg where liquid won't come out unless a disconnect is attached. So if I have cleaning in and 3 lines attached, nothing will come out of the 5th post?

https://www.chicompany.net/index.ph...ucts_id=1493&zenid=6dh47t0pd3o8au32kdq5guh333
 
I like this idea. I didn't like having to connect a tube from one faucet to another to daisy chain them. It worked just fine but didn't seem like the best option (though I didn't know what a better option was). Glad I saw this post again. Right now I have 3 faucets but will eventually get another one. If I get a 5 post manifold (1 in, 4 out), I assume the ball locks on the manifold work the same is on a keg where liquid won't come out unless a disconnect is attached. So if I have cleaning in and 3 lines attached, nothing will come out of the 5th post?

https://www.chicompany.net/index.ph...ucts_id=1493&zenid=6dh47t0pd3o8au32kdq5guh333
That's exactly right. If you don't have anything connected to it, the internal poppet will prevent any leakage.
 
That's exactly right. If you don't have anything connected to it, the internal poppet will prevent any leakage.

Never been more excited to buy something just for cleaning

Side question, what is walk in serving in your signature?
 
Never been more excited to buy something just for cleaning

Side question, what is walk in serving in your signature?

We built a walk-in cooler in the basement for my beer. I have 14 taps from a coffin box. I have two zones, each with an interior space of roughly 6 ft x 6 ft x 6 ft (the whole unit is about 7 x 7 x 14). The warmer side I use for ale fermentation (I don't typically make lagers), and it is also where i dry age my charcuterie that I dabble in as well (I have three prosciutto's hanging right now).

Here is a picture of my serving setup:
23107916573_09d68bc160_k.jpg
 
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