DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

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Evil_Dark
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DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Evil_Dark »

Hi guys,
Looking slowly to help myself displacing my mash from a mash tun to a fermenter with the use of a pump...
Sometimes I ferment off grain, and sometimes on the grain. Is there a pump that could pump a mash with the grain without problem?
I think the brewers could already use that kind of pump?

Thanks for the help!
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by still_stirrin »

Evil_Dark wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 7:45 am.. Is there a pump that could pump a mash with the grain without problem?
Yes, there is such a thing. But you won’t like the cost. Search the web for a “grist pump”. It will be a positive displacement pump, not a centrifugal pump like your “pond pump”. And, PD pumps are more expensive because of the service requirements.

For a hobbyist, the cost will be prohibitive. If you’re commercial, then it would be a “sunk cost”, ie - equipment investment.

As a result, most of us just deal with the messy inconvenience of manually moving the slurry about.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Salt Must Flow »

This site mentions using air operated diaphragm pumps to transfer grain mashes, but I don't see diaphragm pumps listed on their website. I've used diaphragm pumps of all sizes before and while they are pretty forgiving, they have ball checks that can get hung up if the particulates are too large. There are diaphragm pumps that use flaps instead of ball checks that allow for larger objects to pass through. Diaphragm pumps work great, but they require a good volume of continuous air for them to be worth while using.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by TwoSheds »

I have used the Blichmann Riptide to move mash/wash around with grains and found that it DOES work if your grains are all ground pretty fine and you keep the valve completely open. Things like flaked corn and oats will jam it up good if not ground. Thankfully it also comes apart easily for cleaning.

It's certainly not in the manual, and your mileage may vary.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Windy City »

I have been using a March Nano Brewery Pump for quite some time with great success.

https://www.marchpump.com/pump/te-5ssb- ... rive-pump/

The caveat being that I mill all my grain to flour. I also have my mixer on at all times which does keep everything pretty evenly in suspension.
I never throttle the valves down but if I was going to, I would only throttle the outlet.
On average I am running approx 2.5 pounds per gal, sometimes a little more and sometimes less.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Evil_Dark »

TwoSheds wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 10:56 am I have used the Blichmann Riptide to move mash/wash around with grains and found that it DOES work if your grains are all ground pretty fine and you keep the valve completely open. Things like flaked corn and oats will jam it up good if not ground. Thankfully it also comes apart easily for cleaning.

It's certainly not in the manual, and your mileage may vary.
I'm assuming that the more liquid and homogenized the solution is, better the chances are that it won't clog up?

After mashing the grains are more gelatinized so It makes sense that they are more easy to pump throug a centrifugal pump.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Windy City »

Evil_Dark wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:17 am
I'm assuming that the more liquid and homogenized the solution is, better the chances are that it won't clog up?

After mashing the grains are more gelatinized so It makes sense that they are more easy to pump throug a centrifugal pump.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I am using my pump for temperature control during the mashing and fermenting stages.
When I run bourbon I gelatinize my corn at 185/190 f Then crash to 145 f by pumping through a tube in tube chiller that is approx 105' of 3/4" copper.
Even when it's that thick it still pumps.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by TwoSheds »

Windy City wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:26 am
Evil_Dark wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:17 am
I'm assuming that the more liquid and homogenized the solution is, better the chances are that it won't clog up?

After mashing the grains are more gelatinized so It makes sense that they are more easy to pump throug a centrifugal pump.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I am using my pump for temperature control during the mashing and fermenting stages.
When I run bourbon I gelatinize my corn at 185/190 f Then crash to 145 f by pumping through a tube in tube chiller that is approx 105' of 3/4" copper.
Even when it's that thick it still pumps.
Yeah, I usually stir like Windy mentioned. In this case it might also be adventageous to NOT have the built-in valve which creates a choke point.

I also use high-temp enzymes, not sure if that really matters if you're getting good conversion anyway, but it seems to make things runny.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by still_stirrin »

Positive displacement pumps, like the diaphragm pump is, work better for pumping slurries. And if the slurry has lumps or chunks in it, then a screw-type PD pump or possibly a dual-lobe PD pump would work best. But, as I noted in my 1st response, both of those types of pumps are expensive.

Sure, you may be able to coax a centrifugal pump like the March pump or a Blichmann brew pump to move your wort or even the fermented beer. Again, the heavy slurry may cause the impeller to plug and that would stop the flow requiring disassembly and cleaning. Magnetic drive heads don’t couple with a physical shaft. But they are still centrifugal pumps.

I have process design experience for oil production platforms and we engineer the pump to the performance requirements. Slurries are moved using positive displacement pumps (axial flow screw pumps or dual and tri-lobe impeller style). Piston pumps (also PD pumps) are best for high pressure discharge but will not work if the fluid is viscous (thick and chewy).

Understand your “requirements”, ie - fluid viscosity, material chemical resistance, temperature, suction head, flow rate, discharge pressure, hours of operation, power source/prime mover, etc. And that includes “budget” as well.

OK, if you want more engineering advice, I’m going to have to send you a bill.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by MurbinMash »

Evil_Dark wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 7:45 am Hi guys,
Looking slowly to help myself displacing my mash from a mash tun to a fermenter with the use of a pump...
Sometimes I ferment off grain, and sometimes on the grain. Is there a pump that could pump a mash with the grain without problem?
I think the brewers could already use that kind of pump?

Thanks for the help!

I use the pump I use for cooling I just put the strain bag around it. Been working for years with no problems. I'm sure someone will say something is wrong with doing it but for me it works great and had for a long time.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by squigglefunk »

no idea if this will work ok or not, but this is the one I've been eyeing up.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284995443901
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Tōtōchtin »

A trash pump would work I believe. Costs depends how bad your back is or how good your bank account is. It's all relevant...
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Deplorable »

squigglefunk wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 6:36 am no idea if this will work ok or not, but this is the one I've been eyeing up.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284995443901
I use one of these for pumping out a sump basin in the back yard, I've had to replace the impeller a couple times. I wouldn't subject it to an all grain mash. You're saying it pumps a whiskey mash through a 3/4 inch hose without problems? Maybe I need to let go of my reservations.
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by madspeed »

What size batches are you talking about?
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by shadylane »

Tōtōchtin wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 7:14 am A trash pump would work I believe. Costs depends how bad your back is or how good your bank account is. It's all relevant...
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And as Madspeed ask.
"What size batches are you talking about?"

On a side note.
Ingenuity and gravity is often the most efficient and reliable way. :ewink:
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by TwoSheds »

shadylane wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:31 pm Ingenuity and gravity is often the most efficient and reliable way. :ewink:
This seems to be the best advice yet. I just made a 2x5 foot platform that brings my fermenter and boilers up high enough that I can get a 5 gallon bucket under the drains. The drains and valves are 1.5" tri clamp so anything you could mash will flow right through it (apart from the mistake I made in my last mash-in, but that's another story.)

So far so good. I just added elbows to the drains to direct the output straight down. Haven't tried them yet. Probably this weekend.

Good luck!

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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by squigglefunk »

Deplorable wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2023 4:19 pm I use one of these for pumping out a sump basin in the back yard, I've had to replace the impeller a couple times. I wouldn't subject it to an all grain mash. You're saying it pumps a whiskey mash through a 3/4 inch hose without problems? Maybe I need to let go of my reservations.
my mistake, he said grain mash wort in the title

now i do see he wants to be able to do either just the liquid or the liquid plus all the grains... and no that pump would not do that, it's specifically for liquids.

I would think he's going to need agitation to keep the grain suspended in the mash tun while pumping and probably needs to have the grain milled to flour consistency? Maybe he should ask in the continuous still forum, I believe a lot of those guys pump the grain and all into the column.

FWIW, I am not finding much on the web for a "grist pump"
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Re: DO you know a good pump for pumping grain mash wort?

Post by Tōtōchtin »

I used a Honda trash pump this size but for a much higher price. This is more then you need. I look at it as trading 5-8 bottles of product for a lifetime of ease.

https://www.waterpumpsdirect.com/Tsurum ... p7023.html
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