by WM7793 » Sat Dec 05, 2015 20:56
Had a somewhat trying brew day today. Hope someone can shed some light on this, as I now starting to run out of ideas.
Treated myself to a early Christmas present and bought a chugger pump, also fitted the new stainless steel coil into my HERMS pot, insulated the hoses, and clamped them to the camlocks with oeticker clamps.
The initial flow out of the HERMS coil to the mash tun, was quite acceptable after first doughing in, allowing grain bed to settle, and vorlauf several litres to try to prevent small particles from getting to the pump. But after draining the mash tun for batch sparging, the flow from the pump had significantly diminished and virtually stopped.
My current set up is a 38L mash tun with a Mr Lard custom false bottom, with a Y strainer fitted before the chugger pump. The pump is approx 1ft below the output of the mash tun, and a Y strainer is fitted to the input of the pump which in turn, is connected via camlocks with approx 1 foot of hose. There is another 1ft of hose that connects the output of the chugger to the input of the HERMS coil, then the output of the HERMS coil is then laid on the top of the grain bed in the mash tun (2m max).
I primed the pump before start up, but noticed small air bubbles in all hoses exiting from the pump and HERMS coil when mashing was underway. When the mash was completed, I checked and further nipped down the clamps and that seemed to have solved that one.
My mash grain to liquor ratio is 3.25Kg/L.
The grain bed does not seem to be compacted, I have throttled back the flow of the output of the chugger with the valve, on initial start up, ensured the pump is correctly primed, checked and cleaned Y strainer.
I have removed the head and checked the impeller, everything is OK. I have tried it with just water and it appears OK. There was a reasonable flow of water when primed, and coming through the pump on gravity alone.
The only conclusion I can think what may be causing poor flow rate, is cavitation.
Would adding another valve on the output be of any benefit? because I dropped off the camlock from the exit of the pump to check flow and to start again, but there was only a dribble from the output.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Best regards,
WM7793
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- WM7793
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- Location: Guisborough