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Author Topic: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice  (Read 2027 times)

Offline tomsawyer

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Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« on: October 29, 2013, 08:51:39 am »
I am setting up a winter brewing area in the basement, and for chilling water I am going to use/recirculate from a plastic 55gal drum filled nearly full with water.  I think I can get a 5gal brew chilled to a stable temp and I will let it finish dropping in the cool basement before pitching.  I have a 12V DC centrifugal pump I bought to run a CIP unit, it didn't work for this so it is extra right now.  It pumps to 50psi and 300gpm.  I power it with a battery charger.

My question is, can I put a valve inline with this pump and slow the pumping rate?  300gpm seems to be too fast to run chilling water through a 3/8' copper IC.  I don't want to be blowing hoses off the chiller and shooting water everywhere.  I don't know what rate I need, if I can't slow this pump I guess I can buy some other kind of pump.  I have a March pump but I want to use it to transfer wort and mash water, and this cooling water is going to be a little dirty.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline tomsawyer

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Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2013, 08:57:57 am »
In the past I've used a hose and run it slow, probably just a few gpm in order to conserve water.  With this new setup I won't need to keep the flow down, I just don't know how fast I can pump without building up a boatload of pressure.  I might make a new copper IC and put hose fitting on it, that would withstand the pressure better than my hose clamps and plastic hose.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2013, 09:06:52 am »
One more item.  I'm trying to calculate how much the temp of the 50gal@60F will go up after removing the heat from the 5gal@210F.  I figure if I take 50 x 60=3000, and add 5 x 210= 1050, that 4050/55gal= 74F.  Is this about right?  That'd be sweet, this should work.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2013, 09:10:06 am »
The specs say 300 gallons per HOUR. That's all 55 gallons in 11 minutes and in reality with resistance from tubing and bends it won't be even that fast. You can put a valve on the output, but you may not need it. For a centrifugal pump I think you have to put the valve on the out side.
 
And I think your water temp algebra is correct since specific heat is linear as long as you don't have a phase change (ice to liquid)
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2013, 09:43:04 am »
One more item.  I'm trying to calculate how much the temp of the 50gal@60F will go up after removing the heat from the 5gal@210F.  I figure if I take 50 x 60=3000, and add 5 x 210= 1050, that 4050/55gal= 74F.  Is this about right?  That'd be sweet, this should work.

although you are probably not going to be able to remove ALL 210 degrees from the wort. I don't KNOW but I would guess that it only works till the temps are the same. and realistically till they are kinda close

like wort ~85 and chill water ~70
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Re: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2013, 10:27:09 am »
The maximum safe pressure for supply water in a residential plumbing system is 75 psi. So at 50 psi for your chiller, no worries.

Offline kramerog

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Re: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2013, 11:21:18 am »
I agree with the above comments especially 300 gph, not 300 gpm.  I calc'd 73.6 F as a theoretical back of envelope equilibrium temp. 

If you can recirculate your wort fast enough over your IC with your March pump, you should get better efficiency by not recirculating your cooling water.  In other words mixing hot water with your cooling water  eliminates the possibility of cooling the wort below the equilibrium temp of ~73.6 F with your cooling water. 

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Chilling using a 50gal Reservoir and Centrifugal Pump? Advice
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2013, 11:32:56 am »
Thanks, I guess I should've known 300gpm wasn't even feasible.  I turned it on and it does shoot out quick, I suppose its going to operate on the fast side since there 3' of water pushing on the inlet side.  I'll try and hook up a chiller and see what kind of pressure that generates.  I don't care if it flows fast, I just don't want to blow connections.

I also don't want to have to get another drum to keep from mixing the hot water with the cold during chilling, although I'm pulling from the bottom of the barrel so the hot might stratify to the top for awhile.  I'll take 74F any day.  Heck I usualyl quit when I'm below 90F and just let the stuff cool on off in the fermentor.

I also plan to ferment in the Brewhemoth, and I've made a little chamber for it out of 2" blue foam.  I have a temp controller to run an AC unit or a small fridge this summer.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO