I want to replace the derpy little pump in the Grainfather and get something that is capable of other tasks during the brew day.
Brewers Hardware has Chuggers with free ball valves and cam and groove fittings for free right now. I think everyone is trying to eradicate inventory because there are some new Chuggers coming that don't require priming.
There's also ye olde Blichmann that is quieter and more expensive.
Topsflo seems to be a reasonable option as well. Quiet and small, possibly even mountable on the Grainfather base.
On the lower end, there's the MKII pumps and Anvil now. I feel like I read somewhere that the Anvil isn't rated for boiling temps.
Does anyone have any recommendations for or against any pumps?
Here's my priority for functionality:
1. Needs to be able to pump wort at near boiling temperature.
2. Should be quiet enough that my wife doesn't get annoyed since I now brew in the kitchen.
3. I'd love if it could be a jack of all trades. Recirculate the mash on the Grainfather, pump through the counterflow chiller, use it for a clean-in-place spray ball on a fermentor.
4. Good bang for the buck. I'll get the Blichmann if I have to, but it would be nice if something cheaper could do it all, right?
0. Should be at the top but it's really a given. Needs to be proven as a reliable workhorse pump.
In any case, I'll be hitting up Curtis soon enough to get all of the other parts required to punch the Grainfather and put in valves and such. Maybe I'll try to get a recirc port on there as well for whirlpooling if I can reasonably do so below the mash basket.
Pump Recommendation?
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lexuschris
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Re: Pump Recommendation?
I learned more from your post than I knew before I got my chugger pumps. Sounds like you have a firm grasp on what is out there, and what they can do.
My chugger pumps have the steel heads, and have been working well for me over the past few years. I've taken the heads apart to clean a few times, and that is very easy to do. I've done that mid-brew and it barely slowed me down.
I use them for all the things you mentioned, and do give them some oil every year or so. My only issue has been with the priming, which you already know they are not self-priming. With the manifold setup from Brewer's hardware, if you suck air from your HLT, MT going into the BK, you can be in a tough spot to get the 2nd runnings (I batch sparge) into the boil kettle.
You can either backflow some wort from the BK into the empty HLT, and thus prime the manifold and pumps, or just put extra water in the HLT and stop before you hit air. (Someday, I may just put some bleeder valves on the pump outlet to aid in clearing air.
As far as pump performance goes, they push plenty hard on my brew stand for both boiling wort, sparging, CIP, etc.
Hope that helps. Lots of good options out there.
--LexusChris
My chugger pumps have the steel heads, and have been working well for me over the past few years. I've taken the heads apart to clean a few times, and that is very easy to do. I've done that mid-brew and it barely slowed me down.
I use them for all the things you mentioned, and do give them some oil every year or so. My only issue has been with the priming, which you already know they are not self-priming. With the manifold setup from Brewer's hardware, if you suck air from your HLT, MT going into the BK, you can be in a tough spot to get the 2nd runnings (I batch sparge) into the boil kettle.
You can either backflow some wort from the BK into the empty HLT, and thus prime the manifold and pumps, or just put extra water in the HLT and stop before you hit air. (Someday, I may just put some bleeder valves on the pump outlet to aid in clearing air.
As far as pump performance goes, they push plenty hard on my brew stand for both boiling wort, sparging, CIP, etc.
Hope that helps. Lots of good options out there.
--LexusChris
"A woman drove me to drink, and I hadn't even the courtesy to thank her." – W.C. Fields
Re: Pump Recommendation?
Ask Curtis about pumps too. Brewers Hardware may have other pump options.Luckbad wrote:In any case, I'll be hitting up Curtis soon enough to get all of the other parts required to punch the Grainfather and put in valves and such.
Re: Pump Recommendation?
Found a really great deal on a Topsflo TD5 ($100), which should serve nicely since I'm a bit of a noise nut. I'm probably going to Brewers Hardware for some fittings to get it to work with my Grainfather, at which point I'll be able to brew and finally properly test the Brewers Hardware jacketed conical.