I am looking at building a very simple 3-tier setup but also need a big cooler for race weekends. It would be nice to combine the two and go down to a 2-tier system. I have always been a gravity feed guy because I like the simplicity. I tend to do 10 gal (finished quantity) brews ranging from 1.037 to 1.050 OG.
Now I am considering a 40-48 quart rectangular cooler as my HLT and for those weekends where the finished product goes to the track for post race festivities. I do not want to modify the cooler itself as a result. This is less about money and more about space (between the LeMons race car, engine hoist, spares, 2 extra sets of wheels, engine stand and the woodworking stuff, my 2-car garage is getting full!).
I would like to fabricate a two-piece insulated cooler insert for a 2000W heating element in an aluminum outdoor two-gang box, a long shank thermometer and a submersible pump like this...http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007XHZ25G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20.
The concept is:
Pre-heat the strike water using a timer (say 6 gal to 168F but I would always heat with the cooler full).
Pump from the bottom of the cooler 19" up to the top of the mash tun (insulated keggle from my old system)...figure with the almost 2' head, probably 15 minutes.
Refill the HLT and heat to 170'ish.
Pump to sparge ring while draining by gravity to the boiler (about 20 minutes, keggle from my old system).
Boil with existing propane burner.
Chill.
Drain to demijohn via gravity.
So now the questions:
I have used tiny pumps like this for lots of applications (CPU coolers, evaporation cooler water, etc) but not for anything as warm as 170F. Anyone had any experience with the higher temperature applications?
Should I just plan up front on making it a 3-tier so the pump just has to lift the water over the cooler wall?
If I had to go with a "better" pump, are any of the popular pumps self priming up to say 14"?
Anything else I am missing?
Edit: Never mind...submerged operating temp is too low.
Now I am considering a 40-48 quart rectangular cooler as my HLT and for those weekends where the finished product goes to the track for post race festivities. I do not want to modify the cooler itself as a result. This is less about money and more about space (between the LeMons race car, engine hoist, spares, 2 extra sets of wheels, engine stand and the woodworking stuff, my 2-car garage is getting full!).
I would like to fabricate a two-piece insulated cooler insert for a 2000W heating element in an aluminum outdoor two-gang box, a long shank thermometer and a submersible pump like this...http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007XHZ25G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20.
The concept is:
Pre-heat the strike water using a timer (say 6 gal to 168F but I would always heat with the cooler full).
Pump from the bottom of the cooler 19" up to the top of the mash tun (insulated keggle from my old system)...figure with the almost 2' head, probably 15 minutes.
Refill the HLT and heat to 170'ish.
Pump to sparge ring while draining by gravity to the boiler (about 20 minutes, keggle from my old system).
Boil with existing propane burner.
Chill.
Drain to demijohn via gravity.
So now the questions:
I have used tiny pumps like this for lots of applications (CPU coolers, evaporation cooler water, etc) but not for anything as warm as 170F. Anyone had any experience with the higher temperature applications?
Should I just plan up front on making it a 3-tier so the pump just has to lift the water over the cooler wall?
If I had to go with a "better" pump, are any of the popular pumps self priming up to say 14"?
Anything else I am missing?
Edit: Never mind...submerged operating temp is too low.
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