Didn’t see this in the past few months of posts I scanned…
Adding a pump to my system this month. Would appreciate feedback and pro/cons of various QDs. I’ve seen a variety of SS brass, and plastic at my LHBS. Because I’ll have only one pump, I’ll be switching lots of lines, from sparring and wort transfer to chilling through a counterflow.
Any comments on the lower cost non-march pumps? SS versus plastic pump head?
Thanks
I use a march pump… But I do have one of the stainless Chugger center inlet heads on it. I found this eliminated cavitation issues I used to have when I was recirculating boiling wort through my pump and plate chiller (to sterilize during the boil). I was using the Kent QDs… They kind of suck. Sometimes they fall off etc… They also don’t create that great a seal. I never had leaks but when I switched to my current QDs I realized the seal was much better when my sight gauge (connected to my out valve on my boil kettle) now sucks air in through it if I don’t close it off. I now use the large camlocks. I get the ones where the barb has an ID of 1/2 so there is no restrictions.
In short the Kent QD were cheap and got the job done. The cam lock fittings are not cheap but I don’t see them ever needing to be replaced either.
Kent QD:
http://morebeer.com/search?search=kent+qd
Cam-Lock QD:
http://www.brewhardware.com/fittings-75/102-camlock-disconnects
I have a Chugger pump with the stainless pump head. I really like it. As I understand, the chugger has a lower flow rate than the March pump but that hasn’t caused any issues for me.
I use stainless camlock fittings. They are durable and full port with no obstructions in the liquid line. The main downfall being they get hot. Thus, you need to be conscious of that when you want to remove one. As a side note, I use silicone tubing with the camlock fittings. It is rather pricey but can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and remains flexible when cold.
Cheers,
Brandon
I have the same set-up as Brandon was discussing. I found the Cam locks had a brief breaking in period. Other than that they work great and have been a great investment. The only other side note i found on these is the o-rings don’t always stay seated on mine. I just double check before moving any connections. Good luck.
s/s Chugger pump with Mc Master brass coolant qd’s. Had to put ball valve on pump and HLT. Connectors on hose, plugs on kettle, MT, HLT and counterflow chiller.
I use SS camlocks F & D from http://www.stainlessbrewing.com/Camlocks_c_8.html. zachs a good guy and can fab you anything you want. His SS hopspider is great!
I’ve been eyeing the “add a pump” kit from brewhardware.com:
BrewHardware.com - High end, practical homebrewing hardware, accessories and ingredients for making beer, wine, mead, and cider.
He sells the hoses and connectors separately here:
http://brewhardware.com/pumps/161-pumpconnect
I like! Just added that page to favorites for when I’m ready to upgrade
1.) Get these^^^^^ they are easy to use and are built to last.
2.) Ball valve on the pump outlet to control flow
3.) If you get a plastic head for your pump…be careful threading on the fittings!!!
4.) Use teflon tape on all connections,
5.) Mount the pump below you kettle in the correct orientation. If you dont, it will not fill the head without bleeding the air out.
6.) Put a tee in the outlet of the pump withe ball valve to bleed the air out anyway… at some point you will need it!
As I had a chugger pump already, I went with the second option. It all works well. The cam locks are nice. I mainly use this to recirculate and cool. Using a pump is another layer or two of work on brew day though…
I can vouch for Bobby at Brewhardware. Great guy, great products and service.
Great! I drooled over that site for a while. I’ll be buying stuff there for sure
Thanks for the input. Sounds like the cam locks are favored. Anyone use tri-clamp (clover) fittings? Pros or cons for those? I like to shop local and haven’t seen the cam locks anywhere but internet sales.
Thanks again.
I just switched to tri-clamp and really quite like them. They are slightly more geared towards a semi permanent installation (e.g. not constantly moving hoses or plumbing around during the brew day), but that is a non issue with my set up.
I have tri-clamp fittings on my conical. They of course work great. I find it fine on there. I don’t think I would enjoy them if I had to connect and disconnect them a bunch like I do when I brew (moving pump here and there). Having to grab that 3rd part (clamp) is a pain I find.
What kind of gasket do you use for the tri-clamps? I have a mix of the black flexible rubber ones and the white phard lastic ones. I find the white plastic ones much easier to work with. I should probably buy some more. I’m just wondering what you guys think.
I also have a mixture of black and white gaskets. I haven’t had them long enough to develop a bias either way.
I like the silicone ones over the black buna ones. The teflon ones are great if you need to rotate something like a racking arm on a conical.
Thanks for all the advice. Got my pump on Saturday. Cam locks from brewhardware.com arrived today. How cool is this… after I ordered, he refunded my cc $9 because shipping was cheaper than quoted. Quality outfit, they’ll certainly have my business in the future.
Next, a stand for the pump… Inspired to try building one with unistrut!
Sounds good. Post some pics when you get it hooked up. I’ve let the wifey know she can do all her Xmas shopping at brewhardware.