Yet another CIP build

[grip_beer]

Hi all! After spending years working in a craft brewery I decided it was time for a career change and I'm excited for brewing to become a hobby again. That being said, I'm not willing to give up CIP. I've built some rudimentary ones in the past, but I'm doing it right this time with a proper rotating spray ball and a centrifugal pump.

I'll post some photos of my build as I get started, but I wanted to share a great deal on a pump for this.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/122452058335

While most utility/sump pumps kind of sketch me out with oil leakage, overheating, and mysterious plastics and seals, this one seemed like the ideal pump. Normally it's pretty cost-prohibitive for us homebrewers (retails for $800), but at $200 it's cheaper than a Chugger Max, and a good bit more powerful too!

I looked up the specs and it's chemical resistant and handles liquid up to 200 degrees. At 3/4 hp it should have enough wallop to spin a spray ball inside a corny keg. I wouldn't recommend this as a brewhouse pump, but who the heck needs to pump wort around their garage at 45 gpm anyway?

Sorry for the long winded explanation, but I'm excited to try this pump and wanted some other brewers to get a good deal too. More to come. Cheers!

 

[helterscelter]

Thanks! that's an awesome deal.. been waiting for just the right reason to ditch my utility pump setup.. this is it!

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Magnetically driven pump?

 

[helterscelter]

Magnetically driven pump?

No its mechanical.
Here is an Amazon page

AMT 429B-98 1" Self-Priming Centrifugal Pump, Stainless Steel, Viton Seal, 3/4hp TEFC, 1 Ph Motor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HUZFCA6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Thanks!

 

[grip_beer]

Hello! I hope someone else managed to score that pump. I finished my build and got to fire it up, and boy does it work great! The keg is cut on top to support the rim of an inverted corny, with a couple ears cut out of that circle to allow the hoses coming off the gas/liquid ports to clear. It also has ports for a temp probe and heating element, so as to keep my PBW warm.

The keg drains through a stainless bar sink drain from the hardware store, which then adapts to 1" pvc. The rinsing apparatus is all copper and cpvc, so as to rinse with potable water before sanitizing (done the old fashioned way).

The niftiest part of this system, IMHO, is that you can rinse the ports/diptubes without having to disconnect anything. Just shut the pump down, move the keg onto the rinsing stand, and turn on the cold water supply. The check valves take care of the rest (see diagram). I naturally plan on breaking down the ports for sani, but this guarantees a healthy flow of cleaner and rinse water though them beforehand. I don't feel like running brushes through my dip tubes

Up next is adapting the top so it will drain when I put my kettle/mash tun (both 1/2 bbl kegs) on it for a passivation cycle. I'm so glad to be back in the homebrewing game! Cheers!

 

[helterscelter]

I snagged 2. Should be here tomorrow. Another project to accumulate parts for. Lol

 

[helterscelter]

Can u video that awesome system in use? I may be a Little too drunk to understand your pictures. Lol

 

[grip_beer]

Sorry the picture of the whole thing didn't come through. Here it is. And that garden hose was just for testing. I obviously use an RV hose for my brewing/rinse water.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Awesome setup !

Clean up, or roll the edges on top of that keg!

 

[jeffreybandel]

I scored one of these to make a keg cleaner. The instructions say not to restrict the discharge tube (I always thought you weren't supposed to restrict the inflow). I was thinking of going to 3/4" piping with a CIP ball. Do you think that will be a problem.

 

[grip_beer]

I would plumb it all in 1". That's the thread size on the pump head and I see no reason to restrict the in or outflow any more than you need to. It is a self-priming pump, but you still don't want to restrict the inflow by going smaller than the pump's thread size. I got a 1" FPT spray ball as well, so I was able to stay the same size throughout the loop. This pump is rated to something like 60 feet of head, so I don't think the resistance of the spray ball is going to hurt it. I wouldn't, however, run it with some kind of shutoff valve on the push side (just switch the pump off). I'd love to see some photos of your build! Cheers!

 

[jeffreybandel]

I have a 3/4 CIP ball I wanted to use. I plan on plumbing the in-side with 1". I guess I could plumb the discharge with 1" and then choke it down to 3/4" right at the CIP ball.

 

[grip_beer]

Yeah that would work fine.