Pumps for Fillers

[Kuraokami]

Hello All,

 

We got one of those gravity type fillers that has a hose port on the bottom. Didn't get a pump with it because it was $$. Are there pumps you guys can recommend that might work well with it? Our idea was to just use one of the smaller pumps we have in the distillery and hook it up to a dead mans switch and go at it from there.

[MichaelAtTCW]

This may or may not directly answer your question since I'm not sure if you got the Mori Filler. I can tell you in general that we use:

1. The Flojet Quad on our electronic Mori Fillers (not to be used with any products that have a flash point below 100 °F, which rules out many spirits)

2. The Flojet G70 on pneumatic Mori Fillers for spirits.

But the pump alone may not do much, and the pump is not the expensive part of a level-control system on a filler anyway. The expensive part is the level-sensing controls that turn the pump on and off automatically.

Most gravity fillers use a "toilet bowl float" to open and close against the pressure of gravity. The pressure they're designed to shut off against is, thus, usually just a few feet of head, or up to about 2-3 psi. Both of the pumps I link above (and, really, any positive displacement pump) will generate much, much more pressure. The net result is that even a puny pump will overpower the toilet bowl float and cause the reservoir to overflow unless you monitor it.

You may be able to circumvent this by restricting the outlet of the pump, closely monitoring the level of liquid in the reservoir, and not leaving the filler unattended with the pump running. Or just leave the lid off and turn the pump on and off yourself, which will slow down your filling.

All this sounds penny-wise, pound-foolish, IMHO.

I will close this by saying that we've sold many, many, many Mori Fillers. While I've never talked to anyone who regretted getting an electric or pneumatic level control system, I've talked to plenty of people who regretted not getting the electronic or pneumatic level control. They're the ones who call back to ask us if it's possible to buy the level control system and retrofit it themselves.

[TuftedTurtle]

I've used the FloJet G70 to fill my Mori.  I have hooked it to the bottom valve, but found it a hassle, so I ended up putting the hose through the top.  That way, you keep an eye on it and close the valve on the FloJet when full.

You may not have the set up for this, but elevating a tank for the gravity filler is the best.  We've started putting a tote on a platform just above the filler, gets us constant flow.  The Mori has a float valve that (mostly works) cuts off the flow when full.

 

Cheers,

 

James