Pumps

[dabre4]

Anyone tried pumps like these?

link

Seems like they would work, hell of a lot cheaper than a March pump.

I guess the problem might be that I don't think it's a magnetic drive, although there are three speeds you can adjust it to.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Maheel]

once you pay postage for the ebay one you maybe should buy this ?


http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=4270

 

[Maheel]

hmmmm

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MD-40-Magnetic-...=item2c5ded1dba

 

[MHB]

Been discussed umpteen times in the past, they really arent suitable which is why hundreds of brewers have march pumps that give the years of good reliable service, its never been cheaper to buy a march pump you can get one online for not much more than the one in the link.
If you do a search for Grundfos or hot water pump you will find plenty of threads to keep you entertained.
MHB

 

[Logman]

The march pump from tescopumps in the retail forum is posted in 10 - 15 days for $185. If you ask in the thread you can share the post and get one for $20 cheaper....

 

[dabre4]

All very good points, and I am aware of these other options. Reason why this one stood out was the flow rate with a maximum of 65 L/min (I don't know how it can be so much faster in a smaller unit?). March pumps and craft brewer magnetic pumps are 19 L/min. Although the second one Maheel pointed out (link) seems to claim 2700 L/hr (45 L/min), even though it looks the same as craft brewer one

Why the hell do I want a pump that pumps so fast? Because I want to upscale, 300 - 400L if possible, and want some pumps with a bit more grunt (and don't cost an arm and a leg!).

Also found this, although am unsure about the food grade qualities of such a pump: link

 

[Maheel]

they would be good for moving hot water around

but 300L of hot beery goodness after the boil might be worth the expense of a real pump ?

one dumped batch would = the value of the pump + more $$ ?

 

[Fourstar]

Why the hell do I want a pump that pumps so fast? Because I want to upscale, 300 - 400L if possible, and want some pumps with a bit more grunt (and don't cost an arm and a leg!).

I'd hate to break it to you you're not going to be able to upgrade the pump without upscaling the cost. Whats wrong with 30LPM~ if using a March 815?

Adding an extra 10 minutes to pump your wort in your brewday is going to be nothing compared to how long its going to take you to get 400L to the boil. Also if going that size, (brewpub volumes) Think about buying commercial pumps, otherwise you're wasting your time IMO.

 

[bignath]

i guess it come down to what you want to do with the pump...

I also think it's fair and reasonable to suggest that with brewing, there are several things you can do that cut corners and get you the same result.

DISCLAIMER: provided you know the risks about which corner your about to cut, you can save a lot of money.

Example: I use a cheap ass $30 solar hot water system pump. It handles above boiling temps, is small, and did i mention it's cheap??

Now, it's important to note that i don't transfer beer through this pump, but i do use it to transfer strike and sparge water.

Would i ever try to use this pump for wort transfer or recirculating, hell no.

would i spend the money and buy a march pump just for transferring water from my HLT, hell no.

I spend a lot of time trying to implement "best practises" with my brewing, i know what's not important, i know what is important, and i know what is absolutely critical. If i can save some money by exploiting the parts of brewing that won't make a rats ass of difference, then i go for it.

All this is as i said - provided you understand any potential ramifications of the corner your about to cut....

If this is your intention to just transfer hot water, do as MHB suggested and do a search for hot water pumps or solar hot water pump and you should find some options.

Nath

 

[dabre4]

I'd hate to break it to you you're not going to be able to upgrade the pump without upscaling the cost. Whats wrong with 30LPM~ if using a March 815?

Adding an extra 10 minutes to pump your wort in your brewday is going to be nothing compared to how long its going to take you to get 400L to the boil. Also if going that size, (brewpub volumes) Think about buying commercial pumps, otherwise you're wasting your time IMO.

30LPM is ok. It's a very good point about not being able to upgrade without spending lots of dough, but, like all home brewers I'm a massive tight wad. I'm just looking into different options and wanted some advice on the cheaper pumps and if they would work. I think the general consensus is for beer the brass style pumps aren't really suitable.

 

[komodo]

Question - if your on a tight budget, why are you upgrading to a 3-400L brewery?
If your going commercial (even small scale) you're going to need some big pockets. I've been researching the options and being cheap is not the way to go about it. Get a real pump - because if your going commercial 3-400L is going to cut the mustard for a short period of time then your going to be upgrading to 1000+ litres.
There is however a guy in NSW doing small scale commercial (about 300L if i remember correctly) using gravity only.

 

[bigfridge]

All very good points, and I am aware of these other options. Reason why this one stood out was the flow rate with a maximum of 65 L/min (I don't know how it can be so much faster in a smaller unit?). March pumps and craft brewer magnetic pumps are 19 L/min. Although the second one Maheel pointed out (link) seems to claim 2700 L/hr (45 L/min), even though it looks the same as craft brewer one

Why the hell do I want a pump that pumps so fast? Because I want to upscale, 300 - 400L if possible, and want some pumps with a bit more grunt (and don't cost an arm and a leg!).

Also found this, although am unsure about the food grade qualities of such a pump: link

At the risk or repeating the advice already given - you can use anything you like for pumping Hot water that you are only going to wash your head or dishes in. If you intend to go commercial there are basic food handling standards that will prevent you using a cheap cast brass pump (lead content being one of them).

Pumping wort is a very different matter however. Look at any brewing textbook for information on 'shear forces'. Faster is not always better as the last thing that you want to do is smash up your proteins.

If you are looking at a good 'pro' setup expect to pay at least $700 for a stainless steel pump with minimum 1.5" pipe fittings.

HTH,
Dave

 

[Wolfy]

Given that the Magnetic Drive pumps are about the same price point, I don't see any reason not to buy one of them (from the links earlier in this thread) rather than the original Brass Hotwater pump linked in the first post.
However, the small Solar Pumps are a cheaper option if price is important.