29 replies to this topic

[Deerslyr]

Thanks for all the input!If I go this route, I'll definitely be looking at a pump. Lugging around that much weight is not going to be an option.Something just occurred to me... If I brew in my garage and want to ferment in the basement, would there be any reason why I couldn't run a really long length of hose from kettle to fermenter in the basement with a pump? Will the length the liquid have to travel effect the type or power of pump you'd need? There would be some amount of gravity working for me...

That's a lot of hose! Is there a spot in the basement that is close to the garage wall? Can you feed the hose down through a wall and have it come out in the basement? I guess I'm thinking that you could position your kettle and the fermenter so that it's just running the vertical distance for the most part. You might be able to get away with 10 to 15 feet of hose, which I don't think is bad. And given, as you stated, that it's almost all "downhill" you shouldn't have too much dead space. IIRC, most specs for pumps are on a level ground.

[stellarbrew]

Your pump will operate on a curve, specific to that particular pump (pressure vs. flow). Higher developed head (pressure) corresponds with a lower flowrate. You should be able to obtain a copy of the operating curve from the manufacturer. If you add up the pressure drops through the hose/pipe and fittings (frictional losses), plus with the lift in elevation from pump suction to discharge, plus any increase in discharge pressure from the suction pressure, then that total number will equal the operating pressure of the pump. If that pressure exceeds the capability of the pump, then the pump will be dead-headed, and you will have no flow (frictional losses decrease as fluid velocity decreases approaching zero, so all of the pressure loss at a deadheaded condition is either elevation change or a flow obstruction). If you have so little pressure drop that the pump's flowrate is way out on the curve, you could have issues with everloading the motor, and you have an increased chance have cavitation (where the available net positive suction pressure, NPSH, drops below the required NPSH). If you are pumping down hill, as in from the garage to the basement, then you have a negative elevation change, which will negate an equal amount frictional loss. In that case, you could probably run a very, very long hose without worrying about not having enough developed head. The greater concern would probably be running the pump out on the curve.

[ColdAssHonky]

That's a lot of hose! Is there a spot in the basement that is close to the garage wall? Can you feed the hose down through a wall and have it come out in the basement? I guess I'm thinking that you could position your kettle and the fermenter so that it's just running the vertical distance for the most part. You might be able to get away with 10 to 15 feet of hose, which I don't think is bad. And given, as you stated, that it's almost all "downhill" you shouldn't have too much dead space. IIRC, most specs for pumps are on a level ground.

I have a feeling a lot more thinking/planning/plotting will be involved with this project before I start buying supplies. Thanks for the input yalls.

[davelew]

If I brew in my garage and want to ferment in the basement, would there be any reason why I couldn't run a really long length of hose from kettle to fermenter in the basement with a pump? Will the length the liquid have to travel effect the type or power of pump you'd need? There would be some amount of gravity working for me...

I brew on the second floor porch of my house and ferment in my basement. I use 100 feet of high-temperature tubing, and a pure gravity feed. Well, I bought 100 feet of tubing, but then I cut off some of it, so I'm not sure how long it really is.The only issue I can see is that it can be hard to clean really long tubing. I have a sort of kluged contraption with a short piece of copper pipe that fits in the tube and makes it wide enough to seal on the inside of a faucet, and I use that to flush the tubing clean of beer. I sanitize by coiling the tubing up and putting it in a pot with water that I boil on the stove.

[zymot]

Is it the march pump specifically or is there something against pumping fermented beer altogether?

Check out the pumps at morebeer and williams brewing. They have pumps that are NOT rated to pump boiling/hot liquids, but designed to move liquids with minimum affect. Double check the web sites and confirm what I say.There are peristalic (SP?) pumps. You can find tem on ebay. They work by squeezing a hunk of rubber tubing. Interesting devices and usually expensive. But if you get lucky, you might find what you want. zymot

[Cliff Claven]

I remember someone using a plastic liner. Maybe something like this ??16 Micron x 43" x 48" HDPE Liners

[siouxbrewer]

I gravity feed from my BK using about 30 feet of polyethelene hose down to my basement through a window. I put my aeration stone in the fermenter as it fills. By the time its full, my wort is aerated and I pitch (big). I just run sanitizer through the hose at some point during the brew day, then when I'm finished I flush with hot water and give another round of sanitizer to be safe.

[Patrick C.]

I've got 6 gallon and 20 gallon LLDPE liners. I use the 20 gallon ones in a Brute trash can, but usually do 10 gallon batches. They are great- the one second cleanup rules. They are available to fit just about any size garbage can, uhhh, I mean fermenter, but I can't remember where I got them. US Plastic surely has them, but the link above didn't work for me. I'd go with the LLDPE over the HDPE, since they are tougher (harder to puncture) and less 'crinkly' than HDPE but either one will work fine.I second the concerns about moving a full 15 gallon fermenter. Ideally you'd want to pump or gravity feed into a temperature controlled ferment chamber, and pump or gravity feed out. I think you could get a good enough seal on it to transfer with CO2 if you add a gasket and clamp the lid.

[Cliff Claven]

I remember someone using a plastic liner. Maybe something like this ??16 Micron x 43" x 48" HDPE Liners

fixed the linkLDPE liners

Edited by Cliff Claven, 25 July 2009 - 09:02 PM.