Using a pump to vorlauf

Dave Greenbaum

South Jersey FC Member
I don't know why I didn't do this years ago. Maybe because "How to Brew" recommends drawing off part of the mash with a pitcher and pouring it back into the mash tun to vorlauf. Today, for some reason, it hit me that this would introduce hot side aeration and I have a perfectly good March pump, so I used it. It was much easier and less sticky than using a pitcher. I'm frequently amazed at how long I can go before an idea occurs to me. The worst part is, I brew with people who recirculate with a pump during the mash and still didn't think to do it.
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It's funny, because on my 3 vessel system, I vorlauf with a pump. But on my Mash and Boil which is all I've used in the past year or so, I'm back to the old pitcher method because getting the pump out seems like more work!
 
Before my 3 vessel I used a small pump on my cooler to recirc. I definitely ran it too fast sometimes and compacted the mash.. leading to stirring it up only to have to vorlauf again
 
Now that I have shifted to an all-in-one (Anvil Foundry for me), I don't even sparge. I have transitioned to a no-sparge BIAB-style mash, no looking back! :)

I use the pump to recirc during the mash and during the rampup to the boil, and then again at the end for whirlpooling and transfer to the fermentor.
 
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