Pump Fixings

[k1100t]

So I planned my 50 litre, three pot brewery four years ago, after loads of advice on here and bought all the bits. Due to various reasons I never quite got round to building it, it's been sat in the shed gathering dust and spiders. Yesterday, I finally got round to starting the build, but before drilling any holes, I laid all the gubbins out on the dining room table to see if I could trying to figure out what I'd been planning.

I'd used a Google Keep board to track what I needed for each component and then checked them off when bought. So the dining room table became a sort of real life version of the board.



Most things make sense, apart from the pumps. I'm looking at all the fixings and just can't figure out what I was thinking when I bought everything. Why do I have equal tees and hose tails...? I can see camlock > strainer > pump > tap > camlock, but am struggling to see where the equal tees and hose tails go, and what they're for. It must be due to something someone mentioned on here, at some point four or five years ago, but I have no clue.



So, can anyone jog my memory and tell me why I've spec'd equal tees and hose tails...?

[Sorcerer]

We're they for the outlets of the vessels, with an option for a thermometer / thermowell?

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[k1100t]

Don't think so, I wouldn't have put a hose tail on for a thermometer. I've got something in my head that they might have been for an extra bit of tubing that would normally be sealed off, but they unclamped for draining. Might have to go raking through old posts, as it's really starting to bother me.

[k1100t]

And so the mystery is solved, and explains why I had two taps left over in the box of bits... Way back in January 2017, I asked Connectors - Cam & Groove, Tri Clamp or other? and at the bottom of page two are a couple of comments regarding adding bleed valves. This lead me to this article BYO about pumps, which explains why I have so many equal tees, equal nipples and hose tails!

[Sorcerer]

I installed a similar setup on my chugger pump, in practice I didn't need it, as once I opened the feed valve to the pump and the delivery route was open, it flooded the pump, and there was no need to prime the pump, I had also though that it would be a handy sample point, but ended up dipping a cup into the vessel, rather than bending down to floor level to draw a sample.
I had a dodgy brew a short while back, which caused me to focus on potential infection sources, and I removed this bleed valve as it wasn't being cleaned properly during a wash cycle, to wash it properly you'd need to be opening and closing it during the wash cycle, plus by right stripping down the valve regularly to ensure the area around the ball was getting cleaned properly. So all extra work for a modification which in hindsight wasn't being used, wasn't necessary, and was a potential infection source.
My advice would be to see if it's necessary before installing it, and if it's necessary, bear in mind that it potentially creates a dead leg while you're washing your kit.

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[LeeH]

Looks like something else to clean to me. I have 2 chuggers that don’t require this set up.


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[guypettigrew]

Looks like something else to clean to me. I have 2 chuggers that don’t require this set up.
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Mine don't need this either. They prime OK because they are lower than the height of the top of the liquid they pump.

To clean them I run water at about 60°C through them from the last few litres left in the hot liquor tank.

Guy

[k1100t]

So I put all the fixings together, turns out I either can't count, or that's not what I was planning, as I'm missing an equal nipple, either way, they look ridiculous. The angle fixing on the Stewart pump are also ludicrously loose, even after most of a roll of PTFE tape. Might have to have a rethink, as I'm not sure these will work sitting next to each other, unless I rotate the angles on the Stewart pump.

[orlando]

It does look overcomplicated. I use two pumps and all I have attached to them are a bleed valve a piece and quick disconnect nipples. The taps controlling flow are only on the 3 vessels. I don't think you need Y filters at all as that can be taken care of in the MT and the Kettle. My set up can be seen here to illustrate what I'm saying.

[LeeH]

You’ll soon be taking those strainers out.

[Haydnexport]

They are busy looking pumps! I'd certainly remove the strainers, and i'd get a different pump than the rg550 , i have one stopped using it as it's noisy as hell. And to resctict flow on it without damaging it you need to fashion a bypas manifold .

[k1100t]

I don't think you need Y filters at all as that can be taken care of in the MT and the Kettle.

You’ll soon be taking those strainers out.

I'd certainly remove the strainers,

So nobody likes y-strainers then...

And to resctict flow on it without damaging it you need to fashion a bypas manifold .

You what now...? I was given the pump, and haven't used it yet. I thought it was a magnetic one like the March, so you just need a tap on the output...?

[Haydnexport]

No mate its not a mag pump. This is the kind of thing you'll need. Plus it can't take liquid over 80c. Excuse the dust, it's not been used in a looong time.

[k1100t]

I thought that's what you might have meant. Do you have a non-return valve further up the inlet pipework?
Might start saving up for RipTide™.

[LeeH]

I thought that's what you might have meant. Do you have a non-return valve further up the inlet pipework?
Might start saving up for RipTide.

These are very capable pumps.


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