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How are you moving wash into the still? I'm transferring 50L batches from a 55 USG fermenter.

I used one like this for two runs:

https://www.tenaquip.com/product/portab ... IIEALw_wcB

But it has failed. It spins fine and will pump water if the cover plate is loosened, but stalls on wash when properly assembled. I've inspected and cleaned and lubed with olive oil the pump cavity and it seems fine, but it just won't pump wash. It stalls.

Siphoning has proven inefficient, as has moving wash by bucket.

I've been wondering about this. Is there a special pump that's designed to move mash like material? How do the pros do it?

I use a pump like that for a sump in my yard when it needs it. They're not the best, but they're inexpensive. Maybe a flojet pump would be better?

Found this:

The range of pumps that can be considered for handling solids laden liquids, slurries and pastes can be narrowed down to rotary lobe, rotary piston, reciprocating positive displacement, progressing cavity, hose, centrifugal and air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) designs.

This is the only one I found for solids on Amazon

This handles up to 3/8 in solid


This handles 1/2 in solids

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wayne-1-6-H ... /203663848

Bucket and an auto syphon. 3 x 5g buckets less than 10 minutes in total.

OP sounds like you need venting. No reason that pump shouldn't transfer. Have you primed?

I use a Blichmann Riptide and love it. Fast and easy to prime. Handles hot liquids well.

Hambone wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 3:05 pm I use a Blichmann Riptide and love it. Fast and easy to prime. Handles hot liquids well.

Can it handle solids?

seabass wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 4:17 pm

Hambone wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 3:05 pm I use a Blichmann Riptide and love it. Fast and easy to prime. Handles hot liquids well.

Can it handle solids?

I don't think it would. Has a sealed impeller that likely would jam up...but I haven't tried it.

Yes, primed. It'll run for a few seconds and then stall. Strange that it worked perfectly for a while but now, nope.

If hose kinks or grain bed tight the negative pressure can cause theliquid to cavitate around the impeller and vapor lock. Maybe decrease your flow rate, if adjustable?

I used a chugger pump and the trick to make it work was to have a valve on the outlet hose. Pump needed back pressure to keep primed.

bluefish_dist wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:43 pm I used a chugger pump and the trick to make it work was to have a valve on the outlet hose. Pump needed back pressure to keep primed.

With solids? I'd love to find a pump that could move grain slurry (cornmeal-ish) out to the compost pile.

Kansas wrote: ↑Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:48 am

bluefish_dist wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:43 pm I used a chugger pump and the trick to make it work was to have a valve on the outlet hose. Pump needed back pressure to keep primed.

With solids? I'd love to find a pump that could move grain slurry (cornmeal-ish) out to the compost pile.

Only small amounts. Would not pump a true slurry.

My take away was that the pump needed restriction on the outlet to work. If not it instantly lost prime.

glasseye wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 9:52 am How are you moving wash into the still? I'm transferring 50L batches from a 55 USG fermenter.

I used one like this for two runs:

https://www.tenaquip.com/product/portab ... IIEALw_wcB

But it has failed. It spins fine and will pump water if the cover plate is loosened, but stalls on wash when properly assembled. I've inspected and cleaned and lubed with olive oil the pump cavity and it seems fine, but it just won't pump wash. It stalls.

Siphoning has proven inefficient, as has moving wash by bucket.

What kind of pump is it ? Could be centrifugal , But Maybe its a flex impeller . If so, I’m pretty sure I read some where that the impellers wear and need periodic replacement . ... but thats unlikely after two uses

But are you saying that the motor stalls . ? ... that doesn’t sound good . How are you determining that its stalling .

Motor/pump stalls in use after a few seconds pumping. Motor disconnected from pump spins perfectly. Impeller and cavity appear normal.
Thanks for your interest.

I use an allinone winepump vacuum pump system to rack from fermenter into carboys for clearing then siphon 1/2 - 3/4 5g bucket to dump into the still. This system works well and I have used it extensively for wine xfers, bottling, bulk aging, and degassing to minimize O2 exposure.

I’d love a simple pump that doesn’t need priming for wash with minimal solids to xfer into the still. Something appropriate for low wines would be awesome too if anyone has any ideas.

Cheers!
-jonny

With no solids there really should be no issue as the specs are fine from what I can remember. What's the inlet dia?

I'm using a tiny 12v DC pump, sometimes pumping from a bucket that the wash is gently siphoning into, or is filtering itself into through the grain bed via the spigot. If I wanted to start earlier, I would get out of bed earlier, or use the spare pump I bought at the same time.

It's only the wash for the first strip that needs to be transferred quickly and that can be done by siphoning the clear off the top.

If you are using a preheater, you should easily be able to gravity filter enough wash through it's own grain bed to cover the preheater coil before the preheater starts to produce.

I use a tiny 110v, cheap, fountain pump, put 5’ of 3/8” clear hose then zip tied the hose to a 3’ stick so I have good control lowering it into the fermenter as it pumps the liquid out, when I hit the grain bed the grill on the front keeps the grain out and builds a natural filter so to speak, you can push it down and make a well in the grain bed and get 90% of the wash, close enough for me, but it will not handle solids. I like it because it pumps the wash with some force into the boiler and I hold the discharge high to knock as much of the CO2 out as it drops in. I know its likely not designed to do it but I pump my hot back set with it when making KSSF generations. I always have a bucket of clean soapy water ready when i get done pumping whatever, I stick it there and let it circulate and clean itself.

Tabucowboy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:44 pm Found this:

The range of pumps that can be considered for handling solids laden liquids, slurries and pastes can be narrowed down to rotary lobe, rotary piston, reciprocating positive displacement, progressing cavity, hose, centrifugal and air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) designs.

This is the only one I found for solids on Amazon

This handles up to 3/8 in solid


This handles 1/2 in solids

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Wayne-1-6-H ... /203663848

A sump pump makes good sense! Never thought of that. I have one sitting idle in my well. It runs about once a year during spring thaw to empty out the pump house. Since my annual shine run is in summertime, perhaps I can re-purpose it. Thanks!

Kansas wrote: ↑Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:48 am

bluefish_dist wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:43 pm I used a chugger pump and the trick to make it work was to have a valve on the outlet hose. Pump needed back pressure to keep primed.

With solids? I'd love to find a pump that could move grain slurry (cornmeal-ish) out to the compost pile.

Have you thought about a macerator pump like this one?
https://www.amazon.com/Jabsco-18590-209 ... th=1&psc=1

Deplorable wrote: ↑Mon Jul 20, 2020 8:25 pm

Kansas wrote: ↑Fri Jul 17, 2020 4:48 am

bluefish_dist wrote: ↑Thu Jul 16, 2020 6:43 pm I used a chugger pump and the trick to make it work was to have a valve on the outlet hose. Pump needed back pressure to keep primed.

With solids? I'd love to find a pump that could move grain slurry (cornmeal-ish) out to the compost pile.

Have you thought about a macerator pump like this one?
https://www.amazon.com/Jabsco-18590-209 ... th=1&psc=1

I haven't! Have you heard of anyone using them successfully?

Only for the intended purpose, which is moving waste water with chunks. It’s basically a compact, portable garbage disposal combined with a pump.
I have one made to fit on the end of my RV waste dump gate. It turns sewage solids into a thin slurry that can be pumped through a garden hose into the sanitary sewer clean out across the yard from where I park mr RV.