37 replies to this topic

[Buzz Buzzard]

I only have one I actually use, but find it to be a real benefit to my brewing.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Just curious, what about pumps is a pain? Maybe I am lucky with mine but they are pretty issue free.

 

If I had it to do over I'd have set up everything gravity fed. Pumps are just one more thing you have to clean. And with our hard water you have to use hot water to clean the pump or you'll end up with deposits all over the place. I took apart my original pump head and the entire inside was covered in lime scale after two year of use. 

 

It's easy enough to filter your water and push it up to an HLT, then gravity feed everything. If you are doing 10 gallon batches, you just have to have enough height on the BK to get the wort chilled and into a fermenter.

 

If you do use a one pump system, best to pump from the HLT to the mash tun, so you are never putting wort through it and it won't need cleaning. My old system, I pumped from the MLT to the kettle.

 

httpss://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PCkQ4SKcGdg/UJEsxIX4JJI/AAAAAAAABq8/G5n6CY27UAY/w626-h835-no/2012-10-31%2B09.46.52.jpg

[ChefLamont]

I have always liked the design where the HLT is down low and everything else is gravity fed.  That way you are only pumping hot water and dont have to worry about cleaning nasties so much.  You arent beating the crap out of the wort if you throttle it, etc etc.

 

I want to redo my stand, and I have been thinking along these lines as a first option.  My stand now is all gravity and I do like the simplicity and dependability of gravity, but yea that high up liquor tank is tricky at times.

[positiveContact]

I'm 100% gravity*

 

level 1:  my burner is about 4' off the ground with my 15 gallon brew kettle (right now an HLT) in it.  I fill through the drain with a hose hooked right up to my sink so my water pressure is getting the water up there.

level 2:  I drain the HLT into my cooler on an adjacent shelf.  there is about 1.5' of drop here.

level 3:  I drain the mash tun into the same HLT kettle (now my boil kettle) into a burner that is now on the floor.  I batch sparge with as little water as possible (almost never more than 3 gallons for my 10 gallons batches) so I often just heat this in a 5 gallon kettle on my kitchen stove and then dump it in the mash tun after the first drain.

level 4: I run 1/2" silicone tubing down into the basement to drain my boil kettle into the fermentor that is already in the ferm chamber

level 4A: I use a winch to lift the fermenter out of the ferm chamber for racking - this could be accomplished with a closed transfer under CO2 pressure with an appropriate setup.

 

*I guess I do use a winch at the very end but this isn't on the brew day. 

Edited by Evil_Morty, 19 January 2015 - 12:24 PM.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Brewwho - how do you plan on chilling, other than an immersion chiller? 

[positiveContact]

Brewwho - how do you plan on chilling, other than an immersion chiller? 

 

do most people utilize multiple methods?

[SchwanzBrewer]

do most people utilize multiple methods?

 

FL is special in that we can only get our wort down to about 74 most times of the year with ground water. I have to use a plate chiller with an ice bath to get down to the proper ferm temps.

Edited by SchwanzBrewer, 19 January 2015 - 12:41 PM.

[positiveContact]

FL is special in that we can only get our wort down to about 74 most times of the year with ground water. I have to use a plate chiller with an ice bath to get down to the proper ferm temps.

 

ah yes!  I forgot about that.  when my ground water is warmer I typically end by circulating ice water through my IC with a cheap sub-pump.

[TehFury]

FL is special in that we can only get our wort down to about 74 most times of the year with ground water. I have to use a plate chiller with an ice bath to get down to the proper ferm temps.

Because of my proximity to the lake, my well is a deep well. Deeper than normal. So, my water is about 65 degrees at any given time, without regard to air temp.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Because of my proximity to the lake, my well is a deep well. Deeper than normal. So, my water is about 65 degrees at any given time, without regard to air temp.

 

I'd recommend a dudadiesel plate chiller then. The one I have is a beast. 

[TehFury]

I'd recommend a dudadiesel plate chiller then. The one I have is a beast.

Hmm ... i was just going to dip the keggle in the lake, but that could work too ... lol

[HVB]

If I had it to do over I'd have set up everything gravity fed. Pumps are just one more thing you have to clean. And with our hard water you have to use hot water to clean the pump or you'll end up with deposits all over the place. I took apart my original pump head and the entire inside was covered in lime scale after two year of use. 

 

It's easy enough to filter your water and push it up to an HLT, then gravity feed everything. If you are doing 10 gallon batches, you just have to have enough height on the BK to get the wort chilled and into a fermenter.

 

If you do use a one pump system, best to pump from the HLT to the mash tun, so you are never putting wort through it and it won't need cleaning. My old system, I pumped from the MLT to the kettle.

 

 

I guess if I had those issues I would look for a different method too.  I am glad that I do not have any hard water issues with my pumps.  I typically CIP everything including my 2 pumps and have not had any issues.  Of course pumps do lead to the worry that one dies and you are SOL during brew day, I have a backup just incase.  After brewing single tier, where I can look into all vessels, with pumps I would not want to do it any other way.  That is the beauty of brewing, so many ways to make that wort!

[SchwanzBrewer]

I guess if I had those issues I would look for a different method too.  I am glad that I do not have any hard water issues with my pumps.  I typically CIP everything including my 2 pumps and have not had any issues.  Of course pumps do lead to the worry that one dies and you are SOL during brew day, I have a backup just incase.  After brewing single tier, where I can look into all vessels, with pumps I would not want to do it any other way.  That is the beauty of brewing, so many ways to make that wort!

 

FWIW, I have a single tier system now.

[HVB]

FWIW, I have a single tier system now.

I guess in my head I think of most gravity set ups to have the 3 vessels at 3 different heights. 

[SchwanzBrewer]

I guess in my head I think of most gravity set ups to have the 3 vessels at 3 different heights. 

 

It's not gravity fed. I fly sparge, two pumps, the works. Gravity fed would be a dream though.

[positiveContact]

It's not gravity fed. I fly sparge, two pumps, the works. Gravity fed would be a dream though.

 

hey look at me!  I'm living the dream over here!

[HVB]

It's not gravity fed. I fly sparge, two pumps, the works. Gravity fed would be a dream though.

Agh.  Somewhere I got confused.  my bad

[SchwanzBrewer]

hey look at me!  I'm living the dream over here!