Brew Pump

[maglorski]

Are the chugger pumps the only way to go or can anyone suggest a reasonable equivalent that will do the trick?

Thx.

Mike.

[Celiacbrew]

Depends on what you want to do with it. Chuggers are like a pickup truck. Super useful if you need it, but really expensive if all you only needed a bicycle.

If you are pumping short distances and not way above where the pump is then the cheap solar panel pumps are okay. Sometimes you will see people complain about their pump not having enough power but usually it is because they are using long runs of very flexible tubing that absorbs all of the pressure the pump is putting out. They likely would be better redesigning their system. That said I had a chugger pump that I used for whirlpooling to speed up my chilling. Worked awesome and to me it was worth every penny.

[GAM]

There are other options. Shop around. The bigger pump reduces frustration.

Sandy

[Swine]

I got a center inlet Chugger from Dave before the holidays.
I wanted to start with using it to circulate for cooling.
It works great, very happy I got it, used a few batches so far.

[Ruby]

I brew between 5 and 10 gallons. I use a pump now, and I love it. It takes a lot of the effort out of the fluid transfers, but requires a little forethought when you first integrate it into your system For example, you might have to change out some or all of your fittings to work with a camlock or butterfly valve system.

I started out about as pump free as I could and the only reason I decided to get a chugger pump was to get a feel for how a much bigger system might be to operate. Before that, my system was rustic AF. I filled my kettle with a hose, vorlaufed with a jug and a spoon, fly-sparged with a watering can and I still collect wort in buckets. I cooled and whirlpooled with a spoon to stir. I didn't experience any issues with hot side aeration when moving things by hand. Its an effort vs. technology thing, and your purse decides whether you run with a cheap or expensive pump. Whether you need one at all is up to you, and how much beer you're brewing at one time.

[mikeorr]

It's probably overkill, but the new Blichmann RipTide pump http://www.blichmannengineering.com/pro ... ewing-pump looks pretty nice.

There's a good review/comparison against March and Chugger pumps here:

[Foxannefak]

How can you siphon past an electric pump, are you taking water from you holding tank?