Pumping and Cavitation

Chris Craig · April 30, 2014, 09:15:45 AM

I've been having some trouble recirculating wort during the last 15 minutes of the boil. Some of you would have seen me trying to figure out what was going on at the last Mash Occur.

I have a second valve on the outlet to help with priming issues, and this usually works just fine, but sometimes, the pump just doesn't seem to have the power to pump the wort back up to the top of the kettle. Turns out this is cavitation caused by the bubbles from the boil.

The only reason I'm pumping during the boil is to sanitize the pump, tubing, and whirlpool arm. I'm thinking that restricting the outflow may help. If not, anybody got any other ideas?

Roger · April 30, 2014, 09:29:54 AM

If you take the pump head off and turn it around so the out side is facing up that should solve the issue. At least that's what they told me last week when I was having the same issue. I haven't had a chance to make the modification yet so I can't say for sure if it works or not but if it does let me know and I'll do the same.

Chris Craig · April 30, 2014, 09:36:46 AM

That's not really an option for me where it's built into the toolbox. I'd have to rebuild the whole thing.

Chris Craig · April 30, 2014, 09:40:26 AM

Well, I may be able to do this...I just have to check to see if there's room in there.

Roger · April 30, 2014, 12:46:01 PM

Isn't you're pump head on the outside? Yea I was kind of pissed off when he told me that. If it's supposed to be oriented that way it should be like that from the start or at least some notification of the proper orientation. Now I need to build a whole new set up for it.

Chris Craig · April 30, 2014, 01:05:50 PM

Well, it's intended to be mounted somewhere. You could just turn it on its side and then the head would be oriented the correct way. The side of a vertical support on a brew stand, for instance.

I don't have the head on the outside of the toolbox. My pump is completely enclosed.

Roger · April 30, 2014, 01:42:05 PM

I like being able to move it around so I'll come up with something portable.

Al-Loves-Wine · April 30, 2014, 01:50:38 PM

Your toolbox is pretty big Chris, any reason you couldn't mount it on a piece of 2x4 inside and raise it up to give you the ability to rotate the head around?

Chris Craig · April 30, 2014, 01:54:42 PM

Quote from: Al-Loves-Wine on April 30, 2014, 01:50:38 PM
Your toolbox is pretty big Chris, any reason you couldn't mount it on a piece of 2x4 inside and raise it up to give you the ability to rotate the head around?

That's basically what I'm going to try. I'll need some longer bits of silicone tubing inside though.