Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Anyone use a flow meter for filling their boiler? Any recomendations?

Following with interest

No but it's a bloody good idea, I've got a great little diaphragm pump for transferring wash but have to keep walking back and forth from the fermenter to the boiler so I don't overfill. Might look into a flow meter myself...
Ps, its only a 2 step walk but I am a lazy bastard :laughing-rolling:

How reliable are flow meters?

I use a dipstick and an impeller pump with a ball valve at the squirty end of the hose. Works a treat.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Yeah prof. Thats about the easiest way i can think of.
Just like a garden tap, close the valve when its full enough.

Exactly. Works a treat.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Bought a cheapie flow meter $20 from hoselink .will see how it goes was supposed to come today but no sign yet..failing that will try dipstick method. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Great idea along with a pump, I have neither and using clear transfer line to siphon out of fermenter on ground level is a nightmare towards the bottom.

Flow meter turned up had a quick play seems to be accurate enough. Tried it on 10l 20l and was spot on. Then losely ran water into it from tap some was overflowing the input and had output into a 2l coke bottle and was spot on again. Time will tell but should work fine.. :handgestures-thumbupleft: when/if you buy one make sure you get one that tells you volume collected then you dont have to do litres per hour to volume calculations.. i plan to rinse after each use or will most likely jam..

Pics?

Here you go



As i said only a quick play and very early days but looks like it will do the job :teasing-tease:

Can that's be set to whatever amount of litres you want and then it will shut off automatically once the desired amount is pumped in to boiler from fermenter ?

No dont think so. Buttons change litres to gallons and clear totals..

copperhead road wrote:Great idea along with a pump, I have neither and using clear transfer line to siphon out of fermenter on ground level is a nightmare towards the bottom.

Yep agree . I get worried near the end with the clear hose not to suck up the yeast sludge of TPW.
Otherwise I've done 4 runs so far and it works ok. I have stopped with the 50 litre washes as just to hard to handle. 2 x 25l is easier to work.

So second time i use the flow meter it stopped counting :angry-banghead: guessing bit of grain or something. I think I will need a filter of some sort..

Don't forget you can always use weight :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Never thought of that although weight would vary with alcohol% correct?

Or maybe a sight glass made from silicone hose and copper pipe like this.

I have a piece of 1/2" copper pipe bent in a U shape on the end of my hose so it hangs in the fill port. The end is just the right length that when I hear the wash stop running because the level in the boiler has reached the 1/2" filling pipe I know I'm full. So I fill to sound not litres, make sence? :handgestures-thumbupleft: