March pump questions

[stadelman]

I'm contemplating the purchase of a March pump.

Can this be used for recirculating and transferring wort from the mash tun to the boil kettle?

Are these difficult to prime?

I'm thinking about buying a TopTier and getting a March pump to keep the boil kettle and mash tun at a manageable height and still be able to transfer into a fermenter (by pumping with the March pump).

Thanks in advance!

[mookie1010]

I love mine. I use it for a direct fire poor mans manual RIMS, to pump wort between the MLT and the keggle and to whirlpool. I'm buying more soon so I can keep them in place on the HLT, MLT and keggle. Right now I move it from one to the other depending on where i am in the brew day.

They're very easy to prime. Gravity is your friend.

[mabrungard]

My system has an over-the-rim outlet from the tun, so I have to prime my March pump by sucking on the discharge pipe (no inuendos please). It is easy to prime and once primed is good to go. Once the pump and piping are filled with water, I find that I don't have to prime anyother time during the brew session. This includes pumping the wort out of the kettle and through the chiller.

If you can plumb your piping through the side or bottom of your tun or kettle, that would be even better. It's just not absolutely necessary.

[stadelman]

Thanks for the info. A couple more questions...

Can you recirculate/vorlauf with the pump?

Does it need to be drained after every use?

[Travisty]

I do a continuously recirculated HERMS mash with my march pump(s). Works great though I always start the recirculation gradually using the ball valve on the output of the pump so as not to compact the grain bed.

I have my pumps moutned so that the input is pointing towards the floor and store them with all the valves open so that any water left in can drain out. I'm not sure how necessary that is as long as you're not worried about anything inside freezing in storage. Mine stay outside and so they will freeze if I don't drain them.

[Kbar]

Have two March Pumps. One is for the BK pot - use it to CIP the heat exchanger and O2 injection tee loop, then main purpose is BK to the Conical Fermentor.

The second pump is for the MLT/HLT system. Circulate HLT through Stainless 3 ways for even 240V element heating, then transfer to the MLT, then RIMS system circulation and finally, transfer to BK. One pump for all - with the help of the 3way stainless ball valves.

Love them for the cost. Would like self priming positive displacement pumps, but these work very well for the garage brewer. Gravity is not just your friend, it is a must.

[stadelman]

I'm considering using Polysulfone quick disconnects for the whole setup- pump and mpt ports on the kettle and mash tun.

I like the idea of a the versions that have a shutoff built in to minimize dripping when swapping hoses.

Is anyone using qds with built in shut off valves? My two concerns are- is this going to make it a pain to clean stuff out and are these going to get clogged?

Thanks again!

[Kbar]

When QD's are valved, they suffer from flow restrictions in same size comparisons to non-valved. Be aware of that. I use both in the brewery, but the non-valved ones are in the pumped systems, where as I have valved on the cold water feeds.

FYI