any experience with £25 "homebrew" pump

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KVSV

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Anyone tried to use one of these "homebrew" pumps available on ebay and amazon?
https://amzn.to/2x5ipSx

considering to add recirculation to my BIAB setup. Basically recirculate through the grain bag to clear the wort a bit.

thanks
 
Yes buy something decent like that. I bought 4 cheap pumps which all broke. Actually
cheaper here. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32631468711/32631468711.html?shortkey=jaaIfmyi&addresstype=600
Think its the same as mine. Paid £80 for it, very happy

I'll probably go for one like that myself next, if I ever upgrade mine bud, so I can get a proper whirlpool going (my little TS5 mini does a great job of pumping, but doesn't have the umph to get a good swirl going).

I currently use one of these https://www.brewbuilder.co.uk/ts5-mini-mag-pump.html, which is like a better version of that £25 one. As BeerCat said, those cheapo ones are a pita and a false economy. The impellers are too small and block up horribly for one thing from the pics I have seen.
 
Yes buy something decent like that. I bought 4 cheap pumps which all broke. Actually
cheaper here. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32631468711/32631468711.html?shortkey=jaaIfmyi&addresstype=600
Think its the same as mine. Paid £80 for it, very happy

thanks for recommendation. just bought one for £45. had to buy 2 1/2 BST to 1/2 barb adapters though (£7). Probably should also buy quick release. Hope it all arrives before my next brew. Now I think I probably should also get false bottom.
 
Having used QDs and camlocks, I now have a preference for camlocks. They're easier to operate when scorching hot, and don't stick from sticky wort getting into the workings like QDs do. At the moment though I am still using QDs on my pump as can't really justify replacing them. On the inlet of my pump I have a 90 degree elbow on the 1/2" bsp thread, into which I have a female QD fitting with a 1/2" male BSP thread screwed in to the elbow (plenty of plumbers PTFE on all threads, else you get leaks). On the outlet I have a male QD fitting with a female 1/2" BSP thread that screws onto the pump thread (again, plenty of plumbers PTFE to prevent leaks). This way I can remove the pump easily for cleaning, and take the hose off too.

I use camlock fittings at the kettle return end, hence I know I prefer them. Posted pics of my setup a few times, but here's another, you can see the pump bottom left, with the fittings on it. Because of the small size of the pump, and the way I have the fittings, I don't have to use a bracket or anything. The fittings hold it all in place.

Recirculating.jpg

The male camlock you can see with nothing on it is my whirlpool fitting, which doesn't do much for whirlpooling really, but DOES seriously help with cooling the wort, and is handy to connect up to so I can run the pump during the last 10/15 minutes of the boil to sanitise the tap, pump and hose ready for transfer to the FV after cooling. It's connected to another tap, so is just closed the rest of the time.

I will mention though, if you want clearer wort, forget lifting the bag from the wort. The minute you do all the effects from the pump go down the drain. You have to pretend you're using a mash tun if you want the clearer wort, and drain the kettle BEFORE you lift the bag, into a clean FV or some other clean food safe container. Then sparge if you are going to, re-circulate again to get your sparge clear (and make up for the volume you are going to lose from not squeezing the bag...) and drain that into the same container. Then clean out the bottom of the kettle (if there is any flour on the bottom of it, which if your bag is fairly course there will be), before putting the wort back in for the boil. Which basically mimics multi vessel brewing with a single vessel, and for many would negate the point of BIAB. BUT it does give you clear wort into the boil... Again, posted this before, but as it's on topic, this is a pic of wort from doing exactly what I just described:-

PocketRocketMooseIPAWort.jpg

It made absolutely no difference to the beer though to be honest, and you get the same quantity of trub pretty much. Now I just lift and squeeze, and re-circulate to allow me to use RIMS to control mash temp, and help with the mash. That one in the pic for example, I dry hopped with pellets which left the beer cloudy because I can't cold crash.... So a pointless exercise. lol My last brew I didn't even bother trying to filter out the break, I put the entire contents of the kettle into the FV, having contained the hops in a grain mashing bag for the boil. Samples of the beer so far have been delicious, and there was very little trub as I have a new bag that doesn't allow as much flour to escape.

Hope this helps.
 
thanks for recommendation. just bought one for £45. had to buy 2 1/2 BST to 1/2 barb adapters though (£7). Probably should also buy quick release. Hope it all arrives before my next brew. Now I think I probably should also get false bottom.
I have a link for them for a quid somewhere, will see if i can find it. A tap on the output is great for controlling the flow. You need it to be honest to slow the flow down and i have a y filter on the input ( not sure if that is needed).
Great advice above from Ade. I do the same as him as far as i can tell. :)
 

Thank you AdeDunn for excellent advice. Should try to get these camllocks. getting confused by all these BSP NPT MPT etc.
I want to keep my brewing single vessel and easy, so will try if just recirculation in the boiler helps. Interesting you said that lifting a bag ruins everything. Grainfather is basically glorified BIAB, though instead of a bag there is a metal basket with perforated bottom. Lifting a basket and sparging was not doing anything bad to the clarity. Having
 
Most of the fittings you'll see for sale in the UK should be BSP fittings. You will however sometimes come across NPT, which are more common in the US and ASIA. At a push, with a bit of PTFE tape and elbow grease, you can get a 1/2" NPT to work with a 1/2" BSP fitting, but it's not ideal. For example my temp probes for my brewing controller have 1/2" NPT threads on them, and the one is fitted into a 1/2" BSP female equal T, the other into a hole I cut and fitted using a silicone o ring and a 1/2" BSP backing nut with a recess for the o ring. Both with plenty of PTFE tape to make sure no leaks. If you can though, just stick to BSP.

The difference with a bag and a basket is squeezing. When you lift a BIAB bag, gravity causes the bag to squeeze the grist, pushing liquid out along with more fine matter. You don't get this with a basket. That's why if you drain the boiler before you lift the bag, you can keep your wort clear, by basically scrapping the particle filled wort.

The first pic by the way is of my current system, and is completely single vessel. I was using it sat on top of our stove in the kitchen that time around, in limited space. When I boiled I just turned the (high power) cooker hood on. I've also used it out in the back garden when it was warmer. I have a false bottom in there from Powell Brewing to keep the bag off the element whilst mashing. I tie butchers string to the handle on it so I can pull it out before I boil. I don't trust the "gasket" on it at boil temps, plus it blocks the "whirlpool" effect.
 
Already got the pump delivered! Also adaptors to 1/2 inch barb! all in a week.
One slight problem is that I can't figure out which one is in and which one is out.
Hope silicone tubing will be delivered in time for my sunday brew!
 
Already got the pump delivered! Also adaptors to 1/2 inch barb! all in a week.
One slight problem is that I can't figure out which one is in and which one is out.
Hope silicone tubing will be delivered in time for my sunday brew!
If its the 240w one you will need a tap on the output to throttle it. Something like this.

And one of these hex nipples
 
Good timing this thread, as the cheap pump that came with my Bulldog Brewer just gave up the ghost. Just ordered the one @BeerCat linked to. Looking forward to it, as the pump really lets the BB down.
 
Good timing this thread, as the cheap pump that came with my Bulldog Brewer just gave up the ghost. Just ordered the one @BeerCat linked to. Looking forward to it, as the pump really lets the BB down.
I'm interested to hear how you get on and how you connect to the brewer. Spot on about the pump being its weak point. I've got 2 of the BB pumps, and manage to limp through a brew using both if necessary, but it is a pain
 
I'm interested to hear how you get on and how you connect to the brewer. Spot on about the pump being its weak point. I've got 2 of the BB pumps, and manage to limp through a brew using both if necessary, but it is a pain
athumb.. I'll let you know how I get on.
 
not sure what's the difference.

Hi!
I would want to make sure that any ball valves in the system are stainless steel. You may need to pay a bit more than those you linked to.
My SS ball valves (cheap, from China) are excellent but they are standard port (bore) - they restrict the flow - the hole in the actual ball is much smaller than the bore of the valve body. The result is that more time is needed to empty a vessel.
My next purchase will be to replace these valves with full-port valves.
 
I reused the disconnect from the tap, with a bit of silicone tubing, which was inserted into a 1/2" BSP female hose tail, which connected to the inlet of the pump. The outlet was connected to a 1/2" BSP full bore tap, for throttling. To that was attached a 1/2" BSP to 3/8" OD hose tail, which plugged straight into the recirculation pipe that goes to the elbow that inserts into the lid of the Bulldog Brewer. The barb connections were secured with hose clips and the male parts of screwed connections were wrapped in PTFE tape (clockwise so as not to undo when tightening). All the bits are 316 stainless steel. The flow is good, faster than I'd need for recirculation, but I can slow it down as needed with the tap on the pump outlet. Testing it out with some VWP to clean off anything left over from manufacturing, I'm very happy with it and I look forward to testing it out on a proper brew. I've got a hefeweizen, a barleywine and a Belgian Dubbel coming up to put it through its paces.
 
I reused the disconnect from the tap, with a bit of silicone tubing, which was inserted into a 1/2" BSP female hose tail, which connected to the inlet of the pump. The outlet was connected to a 1/2" BSP full bore tap, for throttling. To that was attached a 1/2" BSP to 3/8" OD hose tail, which plugged straight into the recirculation pipe that goes to the elbow that inserts into the lid of the Bulldog Brewer. The barb connections were secured with hose clips and the male parts of screwed connections were wrapped in PTFE tape (clockwise so as not to undo when tightening). All the bits are 316 stainless steel. The flow is good, faster than I'd need for recirculation, but I can slow it down as needed with the tap on the pump outlet. Testing it out with some VWP to clean off anything left over from manufacturing, I'm very happy with it and I look forward to testing it out on a proper brew. I've got a hefeweizen, a barleywine and a Belgian Dubbel coming up to put it through its paces.

I have mine set up like yours and its a joy to use. I throttle it to about 50%.
 

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