ChrisfromAbby
Well-Known Member
This seems to me like a stupid question to ask when I've been brewing for over 25 years.
But you've got to understand that I am only just now building a brew stand, and have a pump ready to go. I've built myself a sweet little sparge arm out of a piece of 1/4" copppeer tubing. I've got stainless fittings and lovely 3 piece ball valves...
However something occured to me - how do you measure the amount of water you move from your HLT to your MT when you are pumping the water? In the past, I used a really big measuring cup and just filled it from the HLT and poured it into the MT carefully.
There must be a simple way I'm missing because 1000's of people do it, not even counting the automation guys. I guess I could put a sight glass on the HLT but that seems to me to be a pretty inaccurate method on a 54L kettle.
I'm toying with 2 ideas.
1) using a grant that received from the HLT by gravity feed, but has a bulkhead fitting on the bottom that feeds to my pump. A simple ball valve opens it up once I've fillled the grant to the desired volume and I pump it all into the MT. Of course I still need to measure the volume in the grant - maybe a sight glass there, or smple volumetric markings on the side. Biggest issue in my mind is potential for heat loss.
2) I install a flow meter. These can be bought for about $40. But I will probably need a solonoid valve. I know next to nothing about these, but I'm willing to bet someone here does.
So please! Inform me of your methods!
Chris
But you've got to understand that I am only just now building a brew stand, and have a pump ready to go. I've built myself a sweet little sparge arm out of a piece of 1/4" copppeer tubing. I've got stainless fittings and lovely 3 piece ball valves...
However something occured to me - how do you measure the amount of water you move from your HLT to your MT when you are pumping the water? In the past, I used a really big measuring cup and just filled it from the HLT and poured it into the MT carefully.
There must be a simple way I'm missing because 1000's of people do it, not even counting the automation guys. I guess I could put a sight glass on the HLT but that seems to me to be a pretty inaccurate method on a 54L kettle.
I'm toying with 2 ideas.
1) using a grant that received from the HLT by gravity feed, but has a bulkhead fitting on the bottom that feeds to my pump. A simple ball valve opens it up once I've fillled the grant to the desired volume and I pump it all into the MT. Of course I still need to measure the volume in the grant - maybe a sight glass there, or smple volumetric markings on the side. Biggest issue in my mind is potential for heat loss.
2) I install a flow meter. These can be bought for about $40. But I will probably need a solonoid valve. I know next to nothing about these, but I'm willing to bet someone here does.
So please! Inform me of your methods!
Chris