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Stupid question about a pump i saw at Tractor Supply

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  • Stupid question about a pump i saw at Tractor Supply

    I was wandering around my local Tractor Supply store the other day and saw that they had a 1 HP, stainless steel pump, capable of handling up to 240 deg. Link to pump below, could this be used as a wort pump? If it's stainless steel i would think it would be ok, but just looking for advise.


  • #2
    I would NOT use this pump as a wort pump or on the hot side of brewing. We used to use this exact pump (purchased at Ace Hardware) as a CIP pump on our 3bbl poly fermenters. It handled 160°F PBW and 140°F Acid #6 just fine, but the only thing stainless on it is the housing on the pump head, the impeller assembly is plastic and would occasionally chip off and rattle around inside the pump head. I would be very hesitant to use it on any wort or beer, no matter the temperature. Unfortunately, you may need to shell out some more $$ for a reliable hot side pump.

    I'm actually curious where the tractor supply place got their info from for the 240°F stat?

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

    Cheers,
    Tom

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    • #3
      If you read the reviews, that pump uses a British Pipe thread, 1" 11tpi. ASE pipe threads are 1" 11 1/2 tpi. Good luck finding that fitting!

      I also note that they don't list the rating of the motor enclosure. It appears to be TEFC, but nothing is written in the specs. Take it on luck?

      What about rebuild kits/seals for the pump? Hot wort eats seals, especially if they aren't washed seals.

      Get a nice C114 from one of the suppliers here, with a 1 hp, 3=phase, TEFC enclosure motor and a VFD to drive it. Easiest pump to maintain I've ever seen, and with a washed seal, needs very little maintenance.
      Timm Turrentine

      Brewerywright,
      Terminal Gravity Brewing,
      Enterprise. Oregon.

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      • #4
        Don't do it!

        Besides the above, if a pump is not specifically made for food products then DO NOT use it! This goes for everything in a brewery. With so many startups coming on, it's only a matter of time before somebody chooses a really bad item for their frankenbrew setup and hurts someone with it. Then the whole industry suffers. Using bronze fittings for wort comes to mind. Or plastic kegs for that matter. There are some other major concerns I have with unprofessional equipment being used to make inferior beer at best, and dangerous beer at worst. The big stink about BPA in can liners is minor compared to what could happen with someone who cuts corners just a bit too much.... Like mashing in Chinese plastic trash cans. Boiling in a stainless vessel that used to contain lead acetate. If it's not food rated, then it's not fit for a brewery.
        Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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