Need Ideas For an HLT Stirrer.

[slayer021175666]

What I was thinking about running the aquarium pump through the sight glass was, putting the air line in the top of the clear sight glass tube. No T involved. If done this way and only in the HLT, You would use the sight glass as normal for measuring your water but, once you start heating, you would send the air down the sight glass tube into the bottom of the tank. Simple! And, no need to pay and wait for a stainless T, either! To me, it just has my affore mentioned drawbacks such as the cooling effect it would give. No "biggie" really, for the right guy. The heating element and controller would compensate. The little pump is still the way to go though, IMO.

 

[passedpawn]

What I was thinking about running the aquarium pump through the sight glass was, putting the air line in the top of the clear sight glass tube. No T involved. If done this way and only in the HLT, You would use the sight glass as normal for measuring your water but, once you start heating, you would send the air down the sight glass tube into the bottom of the tank. Simple! And, no need to pay and wait for a stainless T, either! To me, it just has my affore mentioned drawbacks such as the cooling effect it would give. No "biggie" really, for the right guy. The heating element and controller would compensate. The little pump is still the way to go though, IMO.

As I tried to explain above, I believe the sight glass level wouldn't go down when the tank was emptied. I think that if the diaphragm pump was connected, it'd be like putting your thumb on the top of a straw and lifting it out of a drink.... with the top closed, liquid won't exit the column.

Easy to test, and if it comes to mind this weekend I'll do just that.

 

[slayer021175666]

I think I see what you are saying but, why not just disconnect the air tube from the sight glass? Or, just let the pump run the whole time until the HLT is drained?
I'm probably missing something here.

 

[passedpawn]

I think I see what you are saying but, why not just disconnect the air tube from the sight glass? Or, just let the pump run the whole time until the HLT is drained?
I'm probably missing something here.

You'd have to disconnect any time you wanted the sight gauge to show the correct volume. Sure, it'd work. That would be inconvenient I think. Just looking for the ultimate solution.

 

[slayer021175666]

AHH! I think I see what you mean. Your process must differ from mine. I just fill to whatever the water requirement of the initial mash is, heat it up and let it go into the MLT . I dough in and as the mash works, I again fill the HLT to the sparge requirement and fly sparge until it is drained. If, a different lautering process were employed where other water measurements were needed, sending the air down the sight glass wouldn't work.