Brewpump update

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GAM
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Re: Brewpump update

Post by GAM » Sun Apr 14, 2013 8:43 am

I have one here I can attach it or put it with the pump and others can attach it.

Sandy

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by OntarioBeerkegs » Sun Apr 14, 2013 12:28 pm

derek wrote:
OntarioBeerkegs wrote:We are pleased to announce our continued support of Canadian home-brew clubs. Today we sent out seven pumps to different clubs from one coast to the other! Thank you for helping us celebrate the launch of our new live website http://www.brewpump.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; hoping these fine clubs love them as much as we do!

Sob's
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Vanbrewers
Very cool, Patrick. The web-page could benefit from some advice about the power requirement (either Watts or Amps) of the pump, though. 12VDC doesn't tell the whole story - though I'm betting I could find an old laptop power supply with enough juice.
Thank you for the feedback. Any 12-24V DC adapter will work. Commonly called wall warts, chances are most folks have a few laying around.
Can run up to 2A if memory serves. Less will not harm it just kind of brown out the performance from max. When I manage to source them they will be available as a add on.

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CorneliusAlphonse
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Re: Brewpump update

Post by CorneliusAlphonse » Sun Apr 14, 2013 6:13 pm

Cell phone wall warts are usually like a couple hundred Milli amps, so they wouldn't work too well. Laptop cable should work great though
planning: beer for my cousin's wedding
Fermenting: black ipa
Conditioning:
Kegged: barrel barleywine from 2014 - i think i still have this somewhere

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by chalmers » Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:19 pm

Image

1.25A 12V power supply. Banana for scale.

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RubberToe
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Re: Brewpump update

Post by RubberToe » Sun Apr 14, 2013 7:47 pm

LOL, I read that as "banana for sale".

Sent from the brew timer.
Electric Brewery Build
On tap at RubberToe's:
Sometimes on a Sunday Belgian Dubbel, Oaked Old Ale, Ordinary Bitter

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by jason.loxton » Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:39 am

I would be interested in the comparison between these guys and the standard March/Chugger pumps. My physics is awful, so I do not know if working pressure/flow rate is scalable or not, but it looks like the head and gallons per minute are about half of that of the standard Chugger pump (for about half the price). For people who have pumps already, how do these outputs translate into performance? For example, how much of the Chuggers' maximum output does it really take to move wort through a counter flow chiller or through a HERMS tube? Would the BrewPump suffice? If so, great deal! If not... Still agreat deal for those who just want to transfer wort, etc. Either way, great to see this new (Canadian?) product!

Chugger:
Max Flow 7 GPM 22.7 LPM
Max Head 18.6 FT 4.1 M
Power .04 HP .029 KW
http://www.brewhardware.com/pumps/133-chuggerpump" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BrewPump:
Max Flow Rate: 12 l/min (3.2 gal/min)
Max Water Head: 3M
Voltage: 12V~24V DC
http://www.brewpump.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1514" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by jeffsmith » Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:54 am

jason.loxton wrote:My physics is awful, so I do not know if working pressure/flow rate is scalable or not, but it looks like the head and gallons per minute are about half of that of the standard Chugger pump (for about half the price). For people who have pumps already, how do these outputs translate into performance?
I originally owned a greatbreweh pump and switched to a Chugger because of priming issues. I would say your assessment above is pretty accurate, though I've not done any tests. The Chugger is at least twice as powerful as the GBE pump and also primes easier and maintains prime. It's noisier, but much more enjoyable to use.

The pumps that OBK are selling are apparently the brand name version of the GBE pumps, so they may be better, I'm not sure.

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by derek » Tue Apr 16, 2013 11:22 am

RubberToe wrote:LOL, I read that as "banana for sale".
I'm not buying it unless it dances.
Currently on tap: Nothing!
In keg: Still nothing.
In Primary: Doggone American Rye Pale Ale

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by jeffsmith » Tue Apr 16, 2013 11:52 am

derek wrote:
RubberToe wrote:LOL, I read that as "banana for sale".
I'm not buying it unless it dances.
:banana:

Name your price! :lol:

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John G
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Re: Brewpump update

Post by John G » Tue Apr 16, 2013 2:21 pm

Ok guys, here's my trial. I already have a March 809 pump on my Brutus e-herms setup that I use to circulate mash and then to add sparge water while gravity feeding into my boil kettle. I wanted to get a cheap pump to just recirc the HLT water in and out of the HLT for good heat exchange across the HERMs coil.

The brewpump is a Topsflo TS5 15PV 12vdc solar panel pump so it is rated for hot temps. The pump curve in the sheet that comes with it shows that the curve is relatively flat, meaning it cannot take a lot of pressure (3meters max head pressure) but this seems to be within what is usual for most homebrew setups and in particular single tier systems like mine. I hooked up the pump side by side with my March pump as shown below and ran through a few scenarios including just recirciulating water from the bottom of the HLT to the top as well as through the HLT coil to see the difference in water flow. I roughly calculated flow rates with a 1L graduated cylinder and measured current draw with my multimeter.
Setup.jpg
Pump Install.jpg
Control Panel.jpg
I used a 12vdc power adapter rated for 1.5A which was plenty big. The spec states that at the lowest head pressure (0) and highest output it draws about 1.25A (6Watts at 0m head pressure).

What I discovered is that this is a pretty good little pump for the size / cost. I had no priming issues (my pumps are below the liquid vessels which helps). The flow is probably just above 1/2 that of the March 809, but when I'm brewing, I always have my March pump throttled back quite a bit. I can see me using the brewpump at the same speed during a brew as I do with a throttled March 809, and may even have to throttle back the brewpump for the mash.

When running water through my 45' 1/2" ID HERMs coil, providing the most head pressure task in my system setup, the pump outputs approximately 5 litres per minute and draws 0.87amps.
When just recirculating water straight from the bottom of the HLT out to the pump and back to the top, I get about 7.5 litres per minute and it draws 0.89 amps.
When pumping water down into a bucket (as close to 0m head pressure as I can do) I get somewhere between 12 and 13 litres per minute and it runs at 0.97 amps.

The pump runs super quiet and seems to be well sized flow-wise for my setup, so I think I'll look at getting at least one of these for now and possibly two to have a spare for if one of my two pumps break down. I love the quietness and the cost. That combined the the electric elements makes the whole system so much more quiet than my old propane setup.

The down side of this pump to me is that it does not have mounting brackets so it is hard to install on my system. I used some string for this trial but will likely put them in a project box when I get one to keep it from getting splashed and to make it easier to mount to my brewing stand. Also, the pump head material itself seems very thin, so I was extra careful when threading on fittings so that I did not break the plastic (especially since this was a loaner pump). I bet it would be easy to break one of these during an install when threading on fittings.

Thanks OntarioBeerKegs for sending this out for us to try. :cheers:

I'll pass it along to whoever wants to try it next.

John
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Re: Brewpump update

Post by jeffsmith » Tue Apr 16, 2013 2:45 pm

Sounds like it's possibly a bit better quality than the greatbreweh pumps, or maybe I just didn't give the GBE pump enough of a chance.

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by jason.loxton » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:45 pm

Thanks for the lengthy review!

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John G
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Re: Brewpump update

Post by John G » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:50 pm

Yeah, sorry it was so long. Hopefully it's helpful though.

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by chalmers » Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:06 pm

Thanks for the review, John!

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by LeafMan66_67 » Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:13 pm

Great review!
"He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by adams81 » Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:03 pm

Great review! Thanks!

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by OntarioBeerkegs » Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:19 pm

John that is the best review for one of our products I have ever seen. PM me, I am sending you more shit.

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by John G » Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:16 pm

Cool, thanks! We're pretty serious about our brewing equipment here on the east coast. :cheers:

Send me your stuff, I'll give it a try. If I like it you may not get it back though.

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by Tony L » Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:31 pm

So John, did you use the pump for the mash circulation like you would with a March pump?

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by John G » Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:59 pm

I did, but without grains as a trial and only heated water. I still had to throttle the flow back with this pump but not nearly as much as with the March pump so it seems it will be sufficient for my mash flow rate for 10gal batches. Higher viscosity wort vs water may make a little difference in flow rate but l'll leave that up to someone else to try as I'm too busy to brew for the next 2-3 weeks. I'm sure it will still be fine.

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by HappyHopper » Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:01 pm

So where is the pump in its travels?
In bottle:Up the Kriek without a mash paddle, (insert Witty name)pumpkin lambic

On Tap:

Fermenting/Conditioning:

Future Projects:Chimney Sweepers Wife dark peated Scottish Heavy, Ginger bread brown, Home for the holidays spiced rum Brown Ale, Black Eye RyePA, Black Ryno Swartzbeir

Beer Laid To Rest (brewed it, drank it, loved it)Malt-n-lava AIPA, Single hop Citra pale ale, Belgian Blond, deforestation Ale Spruce Rye IPA,

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Jimmy
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Re: Brewpump update

Post by Jimmy » Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:05 pm

AFAIK it's still with John, awaiting the next person who wants to pick it up. I could be wrong though.

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by Barr » Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:31 pm

This looks like just the thing I need. So do I just follow the link and buy online or is there a group buy happening?
Tap 1: Little Pup Pale Ale
Tap 2: Orange Ya Glad I Said Light Beer?
Tap 3: Roof Top Rye-It
Tap 4: Straberry Vanilla Wine Soda
Tap 5: Big Brown Roof Hound

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by HappyHopper » Thu May 16, 2013 1:14 pm

As per normal things don't seem to be working for me.. I doctored up a power supply, pluged er in and got a loud screeching pump that did not have any suction...so either not enough power or it's gummed up inside, any ideas?

Edit: Uh huh!!! It's not self priming, got it!
In bottle:Up the Kriek without a mash paddle, (insert Witty name)pumpkin lambic

On Tap:

Fermenting/Conditioning:

Future Projects:Chimney Sweepers Wife dark peated Scottish Heavy, Ginger bread brown, Home for the holidays spiced rum Brown Ale, Black Eye RyePA, Black Ryno Swartzbeir

Beer Laid To Rest (brewed it, drank it, loved it)Malt-n-lava AIPA, Single hop Citra pale ale, Belgian Blond, deforestation Ale Spruce Rye IPA,

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Re: Brewpump update

Post by TimG » Tue Jun 25, 2013 5:34 pm

Where is this pump now? Any other folks make use of it? I'm looking for a pump recirc during mash and maybe move heated mash water into the tun (big brews where I want to use my kettle to heat the mash water instead of just a heat stick). This may fit the bill (as long as I mount below liquid level to solve any priming issues).

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