Sparge Ring

[ArrogantDan]

Does anybody have a recommended sparge ring to use for a keggle? I'll be using a pump driven system, if it makes a difference.

[JonW]

No ring needed. Just coil a length of silicone tubing on top of the grain bed. Keep about 2" of water above the grain so it doesn't cause channeling. That's what I do and seems to be the method of growing acceptance.

[bwarbiany]

Below is a thread I started when I built my sparge ring, and I think a bit of the video below it shows it in action.

It was a simple build -- soft copper tubing fashioned into a ring, power drill with very small bit, and a copper "T" joint from Home Depot. A bit of the extra tubing as "feet". The hardest parts were (1) hand-soldering the "feet" to the ring using a soldering iron, as the copper dissipated the heat so quickly that it was hard to really get it all hot enough to hold, and (2) keeping that TINY drill bit from flexing as I drilled into the pipe (I was lucky enough to have a drill press to work on, which helped).

I do recommend that you DON'T use something like this for vorlauf, of course, as grain WILL clog the holes. But for vorlauf I just use the output of my other pump before transferring the hose to push it into the boil kettle.

http://www.brewcommune.com/forum/viewto ... f=4&t=1686

http://www.youtube.com/backhousebrew#p/u/3/T0vK0o7R9iw

[backyard brewer]

No ring needed. Just coil a length of silicone tubing on top of the grain bed. Keep about 2" of water above the grain so it doesn't cause channeling. That's what I do and seems to be the method of growing acceptance.

I've really tried to come up with some really cool all SS sparge ring design, but in the end most of them end up in your way. The method Jon describes is simple, works will and doens't clog on vorlauf.

[ArrogantDan]

All right, next question: how much do you throttle back the pump when sparging? Just enough to keep the water a couple inches above the grain bed? Can that possibly burn the pump up?

[bwarbiany]

All right, next question: how much do you throttle back the pump when sparging? Just enough to keep the water a couple inches above the grain bed? Can that possibly burn the pump up?

???

I thought standard practice with any pump was to put your flow control valve on the output, and controlling the flow using that valve generally causes no ill effects to the pump...

So I throttle it back to be roughly equal to my sparge outflow, once I've gotten the level above the top of the grain bed.

[backyard brewer]

All right, next question: how much do you throttle back the pump when sparging? Just enough to keep the water a couple inches above the grain bed? Can that possibly burn the pump up?

???

I thought standard practice with any pump was to put your flow control valve on the output, and controlling the flow using that valve generally causes no ill effects to the pump...

So I throttle it back to be roughly equal to my sparge outflow, once I've gotten the level above the top of the grain bed.

That is correct. Assuming you are using a mag-drive pump like a March 809 or Chugger etc, you can restrict the outflow all you want, just don't ever restrict the inlet. The magnetic coupling acts like a clutch and will just slip.

[ArrogantDan]

I will be using March 809's so my question's been answered...thanks.

[BrewMasterBrad]

+1 to the comments above about throttling the pump on the output side with a ball valve. Just match the outflow with the inflow of the sparge water and you should be all set. If you vorlauf (recirculate) before you start sparging, don't open the pump up all the way as you don't want to compact your grain bed and get a stuck sparge.

I crafted my own sparge ring out of copper and it works quite well, but the method Jon mentions will work just as well if not better.

[DrDually]

After using the standard size barbed fittings etc on my pumps, it was determined that inlet flow was restricted. Then I found out Derrin at Brewers Hardware has some very cool full flow fittings which will avoid cavitation in the pump. Definitly worh the additional pennies