New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association
Brewing => Equipment => Topic started by: WJShaw on April 05, 2012, 08:54:06 AM
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Hello!
I've been searching the internet looking at different ideas for my AG setup and stumble across this pump.
http://greatbreweh.com/Beer_Pump.html
Have a look and please post you opinions.
Cheers!
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Wow, 12L per minute is pretty impressive for such a small pump...all food grade, heat resistant, and a live expectancy of 30000 hours! Very cool and cheap. you could buy two for less than the price of 1 march pump.
I might pick a couple up next month.
great find!
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It does look promising. And with a name like GreatBrewEh, I expect they are Canadian-based. It looks like they are just starting out, but I'm going to give them a call and see where they are coming from pricing-wise on other things. I really like Hopdawgs, but a little healthy competition is always good. Good find.
On that specific pump though, I searched and found no references to it or the store on homebrewtalk.com which is usually a good way to get reviews of brewing products or stores. If I were you, I might wait until some reviews show up. Also, Chugger pumps are cheaper than March pumps and have very good reviews.
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I spoke with Scott at GreatBrewEh this morning. They are just starting out, but they will have an impressive sounding inventory of all-grain products in a month or so. The pumps are available now. They are Toronto-based, so no duty / taxes at the border as with the US stores. They will let me know via email when they are fully up and running and about pricing.
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Super interested in this...
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I've been thinking about ordering a couple pumps for myself. Something like this would work fine with a herms system I'd assume?
This is an awsome find and looks like it could save me alot of $
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Half of what I paid for my march pumps, they look pretty small, but the it seems they could do the job. At that price it's hard to argue.
The 12 Volt Adapter makes me a little squeemish on the power front, I like having good old 110 blasting away...but like I said, at that price, great find.
JQ
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just put an order in for 1 of these pumps. I'll post a review once I get it and put it through it's paces...
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Good man; I'm interested in the results - especially versus one of the Chuggers; March seems too damn expensive to me.
I want a pump to run my chiller in the garage a'la Fakr's idea a long time ago - massive drum'o'water.
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good man!
Well, if the pump comes in before the next meeting, I'll bring it along to demo.
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Nice! If this works well I plan to order 2 of em ... although not sure if I can wait that long lol
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When using the pump, do you plan on hooking up a ball valve to tghe outlet to control flow? If so, do you screw it right on to the outlet?
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I'm going to put a cam lock on either end of it and restrict the flow with the ball valves on my kettles.
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I'm going to put a cam lock on either end of it and restrict the flow with the ball valves on my kettles.
The problem that occurs with that system is if you use the food safe silicone, then you are restricting the flow after the hose and it will blow up like a balloon.
JQ
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I tought you were supposed to go on the outlet bc you're not supposed to run dry? Not positive about that, but I thought I once heard that
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Also someone on here posted some info on valves, and ball-lock isn't much good for flow control beyond on/off.
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yeah, I can see that for sure Senior, thanks.
So I guess I'd run into a hose collapse situation if I was puming out of the mash tun and restricting the flow from the mash tun valve?
I might need to invest in a small lenght of firm hose from the mash tun to the pump then...
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Yes, you should always put on output sided, the way I read fakr's situation, he was still restricting on output side, it was where it was going into a kettle by putting it through the kettle valve in reverse. If he was talking about restricting input side by reducing the flow into the pump you are quite correct Jake, never, ever...the pump will run dry.
Yes Globe or Gate Valves are better than ball valves, but most people use ball valves.
JQ
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Really Richard? I wonder if the comment was in the context of pressure transfers? I use ball valves to restrict wort flow from my mash to the kettle and from the kettle through the wort chiller.
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ok, I see point about restricting flow on the output side of the pump. Thanks for the info. So if I use the pump to circulate wort in the mash, I'll need to restrict the flow going back into the tun, not exiting.
Good bunch of information guys.
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A ball valve will work fine for throttling your wort. Globe valve is more for thicker slurries. I'm not sure how easy it is to find a globe valve.
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just received notice that the pump was shipped today.
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first impressions of this little pump?
Its small, very small. I think I'm going to disconnect the wiring splice job and redo it with a quick disconnect. still haven't hooked it put but will later this evening. I'm hoping this is a tough little pump, but it sure is hard to think that comparing it's size to a march pump...
[attachment=1:16m90jou]pump2.jpg[/attachment:16m90jou]
[attachment=0:16m90jou]splice.jpg[/attachment:16m90jou]
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could be the difference in metals, but the 1/2" Male NTP fittings on the pump do not screw into the 1/2" SS fittings I have...might have to clean up the threads with a file.
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These guys are now taking preorders for pumps with stainless fittings. I'm strongly considering one, but I'm interested to see what you think of it. I may just end up playing the safe route and going with a March.
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could be the difference in metals, but the 1/2" Male NTP fittings on the pump do not screw into the 1/2" SS fittings I have...might have to clean up the threads with a file.
You should chase the threads with a dye.
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Well looks like the ss fitting i had was the issue. An SS lock nut slides on and off nice.
Tried out the pump and it definitely works well. I primed it and while it was flowing put my finger over the exhaust. The pump didnt slow down or sound like it was stressed. Taking my finger slightly off the end and could spray a good 8 + feet so there is good back pressure.
All in all, i would say this is a good cheap alternative to a march pump. It's light duty but more than enough for the small craft brewer. I will be buying another one at somepoint.
This thing is small and light enough to hold in one hand i'll also use it for transferring from carboys to kegs. I'll stick it inline with a spare auto siphon i have (to prime it) and let it transfer from one to another on the same level.
Even if i had a couple of march pumps, i'd still have one of these as a spare and for transferring.
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I guess, I'll have to buy one then :D
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Thanks to WJShaw for the great find! Thanks man!
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I wanted to add another point.
I've ordered a cam lock type D fitting to attach to the input of the pump so I'll be able to quick connect the pump directly on all my ball valves. Its light enough that it wouldn't put weight strain on any of the ball valves.
The more I think about different uses for this pump, the more I like it.
I'll test a hot transfer during this weekend's brewing and will post the results.
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this is great. I have a march pump, but if I go single tier with a future brewstand, that pump is an attractive option price-wise for sure.
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I wanted to add another point.
I've ordered a cam lock type D fitting to attach to the input of the pump so I'll be able to quick connect the pump directly on all my ball valves. Its light enough that it wouldn't put weight strain on any of the ball valves.
The more I think about different uses for this pump, the more I like it.
I'll test a hot transfer during this weekend's brewing and will post the results.
Any details on the results? I was thinking of ordering one this week.
Cheers!
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If you are going to order one of these, let me know if you'd like to combine shipping. It's over $90 to order one after tax and shipping, but only about $150 to order 2.
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Im waiting on 2 stainless steel pumps, although from what ive heard the liquid never actually touches the brass so it might not make any difference at all.
Like Fakr said, they are apparently small enough that you can mount it directly onto your kettle using a quick disconnect, which i think is awesome.
Homebrew talk has some okay info on them too.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/looking ... ut-317600/ (http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/looking-pump-input-317600/)
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I ended up using regular male cams on this first pump, attaching a 6 inch lenth of silicone tubing to attach to my ball valves. I will be buying another pump at some point and putting a type D on it to connect directly to ball valves though.
The pump works bloody excellent, though I have nothing to compare it with as I've never used a march pump.
I've probably put 6-7 hours on this pump already as I use it to continually circulate my mash.
The thinkg workst great, highly recommended.
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anyone use one of these pumps to create a whirlpool, or pump wort through a CFC? im on the fence if I should buy one or not. Not too sure what I would use it for yet.
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I have requested a bulk purchase to see if we can get a lower price. Once I have some info I'll post it.
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Not sure how to create a whirlpool with the pump but i use it with my cfc and its crazy quick.
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Not sure how to create a whirlpool with the pump but i use it with my cfc and its crazy quick.
No wonder you're still Jr., Jr...
Sheesh, was that a Metric CQ or an Imperial CQ??
I'd like to do a comparison, but it's kind of tough to Measure in CQ's...
When you get a chance, can you do me a favour and measure in Litres per minute maybe at the output...along with how long the CFC is.
JQ
(Sr. for a reason other than the greying hair)
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I have requested a bulk purchase to see if we can get a lower price. Once I have some info I'll post it.
I'm interested in this as well for a group buy.
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Aye; WJ - let me know how it goes re: price-breaks.
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Will do Senior. I'll get an accurate transfer rate next time I brew.
It takes roughly 10 minutes to run 16GAL through the cfc with the pump, so i'm assuming 6L per minute through 25 feet. Obviously much faster through 1/2" hose.
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So did anyone get any of these in yet?
If so did you try them?
If so, what do you think?
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Haven't gotten one yet but I'm damn close to ordering a couple of pumps.
I called and emailed the guys about a price for 10. (Sorry Bill, I didn't want to go over your head) They haven't bothered getting back to me.
I'll order a couple of these pumps simply because two comes out cheaper than one - and I might sell one once it gets here.
But I also need to order some camlocks so the reality might be about three weeks before I actually try it.
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Haven't gotten one yet but I'm damn close to ordering a couple of pumps.
I called and emailed the guys about a price for 10. (Sorry Bill, I didn't want to go over your head) They haven't bothered getting back to me.
I'll order a couple of these pumps simply because two comes out cheaper than one - and I might sell one once it gets here.
But I also need to order some camlocks so the reality might be about three weeks before I actually try it.
I'll buy one from you pliny. I've been waiting for somebody to split the cost with.
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I'll let you know when I order it and let you know when it comes in.
Should be within the next week or so.
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I'll let you know when I order it and let you know when it comes in.
Should be within the next week or so.
Great. Thanks!
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Hey guys,
If we order 10 pumps, he's offering free shipping which instead of the ($93.04 for 1) or ($77.24 for 2) it's $59.95 each.
I'll get one
ChrisCraig wants one.
Any other takers?
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Awesome!
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I'll take another one. When do you need the $?
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No rush for the money right now. Let's see how many we get first. Then I'll order.
If we don't get 10 it might not work out.
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If we can get 5 or 6 people willing to buy now, maybe it'd be worth while for the club to carry the balance in inventory for future purchases...
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I might as well get another. you guys getting the stainless steel ones or brass?
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I'm ok with either.
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Either is fine with me.
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Same. I pre-ordered a couple SS for the same price as the brass so we might be able to do that if we order soon... Not sure though. Im good with either
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Bump.
Just wondering,
Who all is interested in this pump?
If we get 10, we get a break on the overall cost because of free shipping.
So far there is ChrisCraig, Fakr and myself so that makes three so far.
Anyone else?
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You forgot Dan...
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So, I just got my pump with SS fittings. The camlocks don't fit. I emailed the guys at greatbreweh.com, and they replied that the fittings are BSP fittings, not NPT fittings. WTF is up with that? Where the hell do you even find BSP fittings around here, let along SS ones?
The site says this:
Specifications
Voltage: 12V~24V DC
Max Flow Rate: 12 L/Min
Max Water Head: 3M
Brass 1/2" BSP / NPT male Inlet/Outlet
Max system pressure: 10Bar
Max working temperature: 110°C (230° F)
Low noise: =45dB from 1m distance
I would expect from this, that my camlocks would fit fine.
Anybody else have problems?
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They must be European pumps, they don't use our NPT thread.
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Yeah. The fact that it says "BSP/NPT" should have made me think.
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I spoke with the guy about this before buying them and he sorta warned me, but said with some teflon tape you can manage. He said everyone else has managed to get a seal anyway. Im trying mine for the first time tomorrow, so ill see how it goes.
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Mmm, I got my fittings at bargainfittings.com and they're NPT and they fit on the small pump.
I've used them during a brewing session and they work fine.
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Mmm, I got my fittings at bargainfittings.com and they're NPT and they fit on the small pump.
I've used them during a brewing session and they work fine.
I'm sure I could get the fittings on, but the fittings on the pump are pretty poor quality. That's the big issue. They're mangled pretty good.
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The threads on my pump were quite sharp and very tight when threading on a cam lock. When threading on an SS female NTP threaded fitting, it threaded on fine. The threaded fitting was lose on all threads I tried, but the cam locks have a very precice thread with very little variation room.
I used some teflon plumbers tape on the pump threads, and threaded on the cam locks. They only thread in about a third of the way, but they haven't leaked yet. Remember too, it's not like our brew setups produce 30PSI of pressure or anything, so I wouldn't worry too much about leaking, just juse some teflon tape.
I'm still very very happy with my pump.
BUT, for the record, I was pissed too when I first went to thread on the first cam lock and it didn't thread on very far.
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The threads on my pump were quite sharp and very tight when threading on a cam lock. When threading on an SS female NTP threaded fitting, it threaded on fine. The threaded fitting was lose on all threads I tried, but the cam locks have a very precice thread with very little variation room.
I used some teflon plumbers tape on the pump threads, and threaded on the cam locks. They only thread in about a third of the way, but they haven't leaked yet. Remember too, it's not like our brew setups produce 30PSI of pressure or anything, so I wouldn't worry too much about leaking, just juse some teflon tape.
I'm still very very happy with my pump.
BUT, for the record, I was pissed too when I first went to thread on the first cam lock and it didn't thread on very far.
I experienced this same thing.
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Any of you guys try your new pump yet?
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You can get BSP to NPT adapters if you want.
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I'll probably go that route. It'll just be a little difficult to get SS adapters, I should think.
I'm going to have to get myself a file and clean up the threads before I can do anything at all though.
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Exact same with me Fakr... Some teflon tape and no leaks.
Just finsihing up my brew day with my new pump. Still havent quite figured out how ill use the pump, Theres so many possibilites.
Worked really well though.
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Any of you guys try your new pump yet?
Yep, used mine this week and all is well and I'll use it again.
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McMaster-Carr carries BSP to NPT adapters, but they're not cheap—anywhere from ~$25 to $45.
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yeah Chris, I used a small triangle file to widen up the threads a bit.
The first time I used my pump, I used it to recirculate the wort in the mash for the last 10 minutes of the mash. Produced really clear wort and gave me the motivation to start building a HERMS or RIMS system.
The second time I used it was to transfer kettle wort through my CFC instead of lifting the kettle to a higher location to gravity feed through the CFC.
just those two uses made buying the pump worth it.
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Yeah. I can get the fittings on one side about a third of the way. I'm going to try to file down the burrs on the other side. I don't think it'll be too difficult. It's just shoddy craftsmanship. If I could do it again, I'd get a march pump.
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So, I'm still trying to deal with these guys, but they're not very helpful. They keep insisting I need a different fitting. I got looking closer, and I notice that the threads on the side I'm having trouble with are actually thicker! They don't taper off like the other side.
(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/1852/pumpthreads.jpg)
If you're thinking of ordering one of these, hold off a bit until we see how they handle this.
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I paid more than 2X as much for a March Pump, but, the customer service is excellent and its a solid pump. I was planning on getting one of these Great Brew Eh ones at some point, but now I'm not sure...
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Well, no more replies from them. I say stay away from this, and buy a March pump instead.
That said, I did solve my problem. I just attached some silicone hose to the problematic thread and used a worm clamp. Then I put the QC on the other end of the hose. I'm going to be building a box with a switch to house the pump anyway, so this works fine for me.
The pump itself works fine, and it's really quiet. I tested it out by running water through my system, and it worked quite well. I'm brewing tonight after work, so that'll be the real test, I guess.
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I see what you're saying now Chris. The threads are not even close to NTP on these ones. It wasn't so bad with the other pump, but it didn't have SS threads, it was copper or brass, so it was more "forgiving" to pressure.
Not really sure what to think....can't get a fitting on this one...
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So what's the final verdict on the pumps worth it or not?
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Spend the extra and get a Chugger or March pump. You'll be happier in the end.
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Chugger seems to be the best of value and quality amongst the three