Brew In A Bucket Why Not Indeed

[MarkBastard]

Hey matho, do you reckon if I take it apart it'll have a negative impact on the pump? If you're sure it won't I don't mind taking it apart. I think it's held together by some screws so I'm okay with taking them apart I guess.

Thanks for the feedback Tanga. I took some pics of what I have so far, I'll see if I can transfer them off my phone.

 

[NickB]

Mark, if it's anything like the March 809, you should be fine to dismantle. Just watch out for the O ring that seals between the internals and the outer part you remove.

Cheers

 

[MarkBastard]

Here's a few of the pics I took.

This is the 'false bottom'. Basically drilled holes in the bottom of the bucket, cut up an IKEA splatter guard and then cut some 6mm ID / 8MM OD gas line long ways to form a fairly rigid rim around the edge of the splatter guard. This perfectly seals it against the side of the bucket and should stop any grain from getting around it and also stop it from floating up off the bottom. However it can still easily be removed for cleaning just by pulling up the handle.


This is the lower lid with holes drilled into it to act as a wort return. I started off with just the small holes and it worked great however if the bucket was on an angles the wort would go over the sides too much, so I cut the big holes, but that ended up being a bad idea as the wort just goes straight for the big holes now. I'm going to drill out the small holes into medium holes and I think that should result in fairly equal wort distribution and create a shower like affect into the bucket. The upper lid is the same lid but with only a hole in the centre for the wort return tube to go into.


This is a mock up only of bucket suspension using the urns in built handles. I am going to using some different wood to make something that fits very snuggly into the handles and very snuggly into the bucket so hopefully it'll support the full weight and not allow the bucket to move around at all. I did prefer the idea that someone here came up with which was to use wire hooks attached to the bottom of the bucket, but I don't have any stainless wire and if just using two shaped planks of wood works it'll be easier to construct at least for the first iteration of this design.


By the way total spend so far:
- Bucket: $13
- Splatter guard: $6
- Gas line approx: $1 (I had this already)

And pump related (I am going to test this system with and without the use of a pump):
- Pump: $40 (to the door in AU)
- Wort return tube: $3
- Hose clamps: $5

So without the pump this may end up cheaper than buying a BIAB bag.

 

[Tim F]

Mark I reckon you will have overflow problems and need that valve on the outlet, I did. But i wonder now if it would be easier to use a gate valve instead of a ball valve, I find it hard to tell when you have a ball valve open just a crack vs completely closed. The other thing you can do is have an overflow hole near the top of the bucket so it just comes out the side if it backs up too much.

 

[MarkBastard]

I think I'll definitely try and regulate it if I need to but for the first batch if the bucket starts filling up I'll just turn the pump off and consider it 'batch' recirculation assisted by a pump rather than a system more akin to fly sparging.

My main focus is to test a very simple full volume single infusion mash using the bucket instead of a bag. I'm going to let it drain fully and measure SG and only after that will I do recirc, then a recirc/mash out, measuring volume and SG of both.

Basically the only reason I'm even experimenting with a pump is because I bought one to use for another purpose and I thought I may as well see what difference it would make. If I don't gain much in efficiency or clarity I'll be cutting that process out completely, hence I'm trying not to buy anything too expensive or spending too much time trying to perfect it (unless I decide after the first batch that using the pump is awesome and I want to tweak further from there).

Thoughts on pinching the outlet tube to restrict flow? Or even in the inlet tube?

 

[MarkBastard]

Also do you know if using a lower voltage AC adapter makes the pump slower?

 

[matho]

Hey matho, do you reckon if I take it apart it'll have a negative impact on the pump? If you're sure it won't I don't mind taking it apart. I think it's held together by some screws so I'm okay with taking them apart I guess.

Thanks for the feedback Tanga. I took some pics of what I have so far, I'll see if I can transfer them off my phone.

Mark i won't ask you to do anything your not comfortable with, I wouldn't think it would hurt the pump but then again who knows so thanks but don't worry about it, I might just get one down the track anyway as another pump isn't going to go to waste B)

cheers matho

 

[Tim F]

I wondered about the voltage thing too but someone told me it isn't good for the pump? Not too sure if thats true but better safe than sorry. Pinching the tube is a good idea though, maybe with a shifting spanner or something you can adjust like that? I'll give that a go myself I reckon

 

[MarkBastard]

matho, yeah I don't feel super comfortable. I can tell you though that it's a very quiet pump and seems quite powerful for the size and price. If you need to know anything else about it let me know (or videos etc).

Tim, yeah I have a very small G clamp that I figure I could set up against the tube and tighted it / relax it to control the flow. Should work in theory. A shifter should work as well I reckon.

 

[tavas]

Thoughts on pinching the outlet tube to restrict flow? Or even in the inlet tube?

Never restrict the inlet of a centrifugal pump. It will cause cavitation and premature wear. you would be better to restrict the outlet.

Reducing the voltage will only lead to overheating the motor at higher current.

 

[MarkBastard]

Cheers tavas.

 

[keifer33]

:icon_offtopic:

Mark or anyone else who has those brown pumps i would be very interested in seeing the impeller and magnet of these pumps, that is of course if you don't mind taking the thing apart to take a photo

cheers matho

This is as far as I am willing to pull it apart as I am trying to sell it (Shameless self plug - $20 delivered in Aust new never used )

 

[Feldon]

SolarProject, the online UK shop that sells the little brown pumps, says that they run on 9 volts DC up to 14 volts DC (lower the voltage the slower it runs). I recall the owner wrote somewhere on a UK HB forum that he's run one for years at higher voltage than 14 volts (but I guess doing so yourself might void any warranty)

Full specs at http://www.solarproject.co.uk/page2.html

 

[MarkBastard]

Thanks Feldon.

Mine looks like the SP14/10. Reckon that bloke gets them from China and they're the exact same pump from the same manufacturer? I mean they're visually identical.

 

[BlueSky]

If it helps any, here's a link to the thread on JBK re. the little beige, Solar Projects pump... >>PUMP<<

Yup, you can use a variable DC voltage to control it ...here's another thread for ya >>CLICKY<<

And IIRC it is o.k. to throttle/restrict the output as a means of controlling flow ...confirmed by the Solar Projects supplier in that first link.

BTW, they do a more powerful 14Watt version too >>ANUDDER CLICKY<<

Cheers from Blighty!
Steve

 

[MarkBastard]

that is the best avatar i have ever seen, i am stuck in a booby trance

 

[BlueSky]

LMAO

Well, you guys in Oz seem to have broader minds than over here and I had noticed a bit of a booby theme on this forum

Loads of good info guys... keep it up!

 

[stux]

that is the best avatar i have ever seen, i am stuck in a booby trance

+∞

 

[matho]

This is as far as I am willing to pull it apart as I am trying to sell it (Shameless self plug - $20 delivered in Aust new never used )

thanks for that keifer, I would buy the pump off you but having just bought a march pump another pump turning up might not be appreciated

 

[Tim F]

So do you reckon that looks ok matho? Or is that the magnet exposed?