March Mag Drive Pumps

[Batz]

Man of experience taking JasonY ?

Could be worth a shot

 

[JasonY]

can't say I've tested that one ... but you never know you could score brownie points for fixing the washing machine so fast

 

[JasonY]

Ok so I am on the verge of buying one now! h34r: So is there anything I should be aware of before taking the leap into pump heaven? I assume the model is just the one as mentioned previously ... will email them for confirmation (maybee the price has gone down )

Phase one will probably see me pump the boiler contents into the fermenter as my boiler sits on the ground and I usually ift it onto the bench to enable it to be gravity fed into the fermenter. (anyone see a problem with this?)

Phase 2 well lots of pipes and some kind of fancy temp controlled mash system h34r: :unsure:

 

[wessmith]

Jason, just be aware that most sealess mag-coupled pumps are virtually impossible to sanitise without dismantling. The problem is the ceramic shaft/impeller setup that is a very close fit and does not allow the free flow of liquid to get at the bearing faces of both parts. This is why they are not generally used in brewing. All the pumps we use for the micro units have a mechanical carbon/ceramic seal which leaves all the other internal parts fully exposed to the liquid.

Wes.

 

[GMK]

JasonY

i use an Idra pond pump as do alot of brewers.
price around 65.00

SteveSA just bought one.
Alot cheaper than the March Pump.

 

[JasonY]

Wes, do you have any links for the pumps with the seal system you describe? Are they available for a similar price in a size that would suit the homebrewer? A lot of ppl seem to be using the march pumps ... sanitising would be an issue but hopefully its not too bad.

GMK. how is the IDRA for cleaning? Do you just run hot water through it as everyone else seems too. Ultimately I will hopefully build some kind of HERMS system so the pump would have to handle lengthy runs at higher temp. May have to give it some serious thought as it is about 20% of the cost of the march pump ... the extra capital could go toward refurbishing the keg taps or on a PLC for the automated brewery phase

 

[dicko]

Jason Y,
With respect to all others views re the pumps, the March Pump seems to be the standard in brewing particularly in the US.
When making my decision I did some searching and found that many other pumps either would not handle the heat or were "very expensive".
The pond pumps seem to be popular but when I was considering pumps I didnt want something that I had to fiddle around with putting them in cold water etc.
With cleaning all I do is run boiling water through the pump and through the rest of the system and I have not had any problems after 14 AG brews.
This method of cleaning is what is recommended on the US sites and no one seems to have any trouble sanitising this way.
As with most components in home brewing there is many options and the choice is generally governed by availability and of course, price.
If you want any more info you can PM me or we could talk on the phone.
The decision finally rests with the user and the comments on forums like these all hopefully help with your decision.
Cheers

 

[dicko]

Wes, do you have any links for the pumps with the seal system you describe? Are they available for a similar price in a size that would suit the homebrewer? A lot of ppl seem to be using the march pumps ... sanitising would be an issue but hopefully its not too bad.

GMK. how is the IDRA for cleaning? Do you just run hot water through it as everyone else seems too. Ultimately I will hopefully build some kind of HERMS system so the pump would have to handle lengthy runs at higher temp. May have to give it some serious thought as it is about 20% of the cost of the march pump ... the extra capital could go toward refurbishing the keg taps or on a PLC for the automated brewery phase

Jason Y

GMK. how is the IDRA for cleaning? Do you just run hot water through it as everyone else seems too. Ultimately I will hopefully build some kind of HERMS system so the pump would have to handle lengthy runs at higher temp.

FWIW. Another thing to consider with a submersible or pond pump is that the reason it is in cold water is to keep it cold so any boiling water that is pumped by it to the CFWC or herms etc for sanitising is not really sanitising as intended because it has been cooled down in the pump.
Well that leaves the other option of pumping one shot or similar through the system and then dismantleing for cleaning.
To me this just seems like another chore!!
With my system i actually boil a small amount of water (about 4 litres) in the hlt and then pump the boiling water from the hlt through the pump and through the CFWC and after it has pumped about a litre or so it is 97 deg c and I recon that by the time I have pumped the four litres, it is enough to sanitise the pump and the CFWC.

Cheers

 

[wessmith]

Jason, the pumps we use are the Lowara brand but even the smallest will be around $350 to $400 and probably too big for your installation. I do use March pumps - have a model 890 "hot water circulating" for moving hot wort if I need to pump out the kettle, however I would never use it to pump the boiled wort to the fermenter. Also have a couple of March 5 series pumps that came with a set of developer/fixer tanks off a colour film processing unit. They will eventually be part of my CLT and circulate a glycol mix through the heat exchanger coil and fermenter chilling coil.

For racking the finished beer into kegs I have a "Flow Jet" double diaphragm pump which runs off CO2 and is able to be sanitised simply by pumping in some Iodophor. From memeory the Flow Jet was about $250 but will only take temps up to 70C or so. You should be OK with your March as a circulating pump for a HERMS or similar system as you are preboil. Just make sure you thoroughly rinse out any wort before storing the pump.

Wes.

 

[GMK]

Jason

Instead of doing a full hermes recirc - why not just recirc for the last 10 mins to clear up the wort.

As i have an insulated Rubbermaid Mash tun - this is what i am planning on doing....

Then - the pond pump should be fine for this and for pumping the sparge water.

 

[Darren]

I do use March pumps - have a model 890. I would never use it to pump the boiled wort to the fermenter.

Why is that Wes? I too was worried that there would be some unseen build-up in the head of my march pump. I pulled it apart and to my surprise it was spotless.
Wish I could say the same for my ball-lock valves.
I sanitise my March pump, CC chiller and lines by recirculating hot wort through it
for about 10 minutes before flame out.
CFC chillers are more likely to be a cause of infection problems than the head of a march pump.

 

[dreamboat]

I use a small magdrive pump manufactured by Malcolm Thompson Pumps for my herms. iirc it cost me nothing, but probably retails around the $150 mark. It is not rated for above 90C for extended periods of time, but as I have no desire to pump boiling wort through it, it is just what I needed. The head is very easy to remove, it did have four small studs holding it on, but i replaced them with stainless threaded rod, and put wingnuts on for easy removal. Takes me around a minute to strip it down to its component parts, which can then be cleaned individually.

www.mtp.com.au

dreamboat

 

[JasonY]

Dreamboat, do you have a brand and part number for the pump? if it is $150 then it could be a good alternative.

Got the price from processpumps today $253 +$12.50 delivery ... was hoping a strong dollar may have helped ... ahh well

 

[wessmith]

Darren, the problem is not the pump chamber but the ceramic shaft/impeller housing. The clearances are very tight and only intended to provide liquid to lubricate the bearing surfaces. When you go to clean, it is almost impossible to reach all these surfaces - a bit like the fermenter vessel taps the you find in most locally made vessels.

But as I have said, if you are still on the hot side there is no real problem.

Wes.



Why is that Wes? I too was worried that there would be some unseen build-up in the head of my march pump. I pulled it apart and to my surprise it was spotless.
Wish I could say the same for my ball-lock valves.
I sanitise my March pump, CC chiller and lines by recirculating hot wort through it
for about 10 minutes before flame out.
CFC chillers are more likely to be a cause of infection problems than the head of a march pump.

 

[dreamboat]

JasonY,
Sold in Australia by Malcolm Thompson Pumps, the y have about 8 offices in the country, Perth, Melb, Syd, Bris etc.
Model is Magplus MG-10R.

has a max flow of 10 Litres/minute, and a max head of 1.5 metres. ie, no flow at a pumping height of 1.5m.


Dreamboat

 

[user 384]

I recently bought a mag-drive pump and had a look at the various models for sale in Australia. I looked at the Malcolm Thompson Pumps, and there was bugger all difference in the price between the model they recomended and the March 809 PL HS pump that I eventually bought. The reason I went for the March is that it has a lot more grunt for a few dollars more.

March 809 PL HS
Max flow = 27 liters per minute
Max head = 3.7 meters
Max temp = 121C

The March pump does everything that the Idra pond pump etc does, but doesn't need jerry riging to be effective. If you want hassle free usage from a pump I would recommend a March pump. Yep it costs more, but it is very versatile and has the capacity to grow with your brewery.

Cheers
MAH

 

[JasonY]

Thanks dreamboat, just got a quote and it is $205 (MP-10R). Getting the datasheet faxed through. I am leaning toward the extra $50 for the higher temp rating. Will see what the datasheet is like.

 

[dreamboat]

Hmmm... depends on who you talk to I guess, I just spoke with the bloke here in Brissy, admittedly I buy 10 or 15k worth of pumps from him each year.... but he will sell me one for $100 including GST.


Probably not making any money out of it, but they have two in the country, and they are keen to sell them.


Dreamboat

 

[dreamboat]

Maybe if anybody is keen, I could pick them up, at my price, then send off to others?

I have a slightly smaller model than that, the MP-6R, and it is alright also, but perhaps a touch small.


dreamboat

 

[Doc]

Dreamboat,

Is that the Model is Magplus MG-10R for $100 or the next size up ?
If it is the next size up I'll probably be keen.

Beers,
Doc