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Author Topic: Three vessel brewing system with one versus two pumps?  (Read 616 times)

Offline trapae

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Three vessel brewing system with one versus two pumps?
« on: June 20, 2022, 04:31:29 pm »
Maybe you all can help me out.  I have a a SS brew tech three vessel system with a mashtun, a hot liquor tank, and a brew kettle. It’s electric and I batched sparge.  Been using this for years and it works great. I use one pump and just switch hoses.  I pump the hot liquor tank strike water and underfill the mash tun.  When the mash is done, I switch hoses and Vorlaf with my pump to the top of my mash tun and then pump my first runnings from the same hose that is going to the top of my mash tun into my kettle.  Then I switch hoses and pump the Sparge water from my HLT into the tun from the bottom valve to underlay the water.  Then I Vorlaf as above and then pump the second running into the brew kettle.  Then I start my boil. In the last 10 minutes I run the boiling wort from the bottom Spicket through the pump back up to a whirlpool arm to sanitize The pump and tubing.  When I’m done cooling, I pump wort into my fermenter.   Looking online, it looks like everyone with a three vessel system has two pumps. Aside from less hose switches, why would you do this?  What is the advantage? Seems like just additional hoses and an additional pump to have to clean at the end of brew day. Am I missing something? Thanks.
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Offline BrewBama

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Three vessel brewing system with one versus two pumps?
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2022, 05:59:36 pm »
I have three vessels (BK, MLT, and Herms HLT) and only use one pump. I heat strike liquor in the BK, pump it to underlet the MLT, stop the pump, move the output hose from the MLT and attach it to the HERMS coil, and move the input hose from the BK to the MLT. I recirculate from the MLT thru the HERMS coil the entire mash to maintain mash temp. Then when the mash is complete I turn a three way valve to divert flow from the top of the MLT to the BK. Boil. Move the input hose from the MLT to the BK, replace the hot water with cold water in the HERMS, and whirlpool/recirculate to cool the wort to pitching temp.

« Last Edit: June 21, 2022, 04:45:40 am by BrewBama »

Offline waltsmalt

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Re: Three vessel brewing system with one versus two pumps?
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2022, 07:40:51 pm »
I have a three vessel, electric brewery system.  The only reason that I have two pumps is that I fly sparge for no other reason is that is how I learned and it seems to work fine for me.  During the brew day, the only time that I use two pumps is during the sparge. 

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Three vessel brewing system with one versus two pumps?
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2022, 09:20:12 am »
Everyone seems to find a way to work around a second pump - I only use 2 pumps when mashing with recirculation; the second pump is used to recirculate the HLT water to maintain an even temperature in the HLT where the HERMS coil is located. 

But I have gone away from recirculating on many of my batches - just a plain old batch sparge for the most part anymore, with a few good stirs in a 90 minute mash.  The one pump is then used solely to underlet the mash and to underlet the batch sparge, so no cleaning is necessary for the pump.  I guess I am getting lazier in my old age.  One thing I really like is the center drain on the InfuSSion Mash Tun (and the manometer when I am recirculating).
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Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: Three vessel brewing system with one versus two pumps?
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2022, 07:55:25 pm »
In commercial brewery with HLT, MLT,  BK/WPool you would have a pump for each vessel.

I used to have only one pump when homebrewing but use elevated vessels to reduce need for pumps.
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