The RipTide™ pump - built from the ground up as a homebrewing pump! Includes valve and base - a $50 retail value!
Gone are the days of making do with a general purpose pump such as the March 815 and all the variant imported copies. These pumps are cumbersome to disassemble, difficult to prime to get the wort moving, require the addition of a valve, a switch, and a proper base to hold the pump upright. They also use noisy open motors that must be shielded from liquids. All undesireable attributes for a homebrewing pump! The team of homebrewers at Blichmann Engineering and our friends at March Manufacturing have created the RipTide™ to solve all of these problems!
The all new RipTide™ is the very first pump designed specifically for homebrewing! We've solved the problems that have plagued homebrewers for years!
High performance curved blade impeller and strong rare earth magnets deliver 7 GPM and up to 21ft of lift!
Tri-clamp head connection fully disassembles in seconds for easy cleaning
1/2" NPT inlet and outlet connections
Totally enclosed motor is splash proof and super quiet (50 dB)
Integral linear flow valve for superior flow control - don't spend more money for a separate valve and fittings. A separate valve and fittings can easily cost you an additional $25-35!
Integral air vent valve and partially enclosed impeller design allows you to prime the pump in seconds - no more frustrating air locked pumps!
Stainless steel head rotates 360 degrees to fit in virtually any installation
Large stable base with protective rubber feet keeps the pump from tipping - a $25 retail value included!
Versatile pump with extra features including relief valve for priming and control valve. Desirable feature that it does not have is run dry capability like an X-Dry chugger pump.
Versatile pump with extra features including relief valve for priming and control valve. Desirable feature that it does not have is run dry capability like an X-Dry chugger pump.
There's a graph on Blichmann's website that shows wattage usage at various flow rates. It looks like it maxes out around 70 watts, which at 115v would be .6 amps.
BEST ANSWER:I do not believe so. The tower of power pump bracket was developed before the Riptide. The Riptide does not fit in the old pump brackets that were practically standard back then. We apologize for the inconvenience.
BEST ANSWER:I do not believe so. The tower of power pump bracket was developed before the Riptide. The Riptide does not fit in the old pump brackets that were practically standard back then. We apologize for the inconvenience.
BEST ANSWER:It can work great as a transfer pump, but it will depend on your setup. The Riptide will transfer at a faster rate than the surflo, but won't build as much pressure. Transferring long distances, to higher elevations, or into the bottom of a large tank might slow or even stop the flow. That said, it's a great pump and I love mine. Tech support at Blichmann is great, let them know how you plan to use it and I'm sure they can give you an idea how well it will work. They want their customers to be happy
BEST ANSWER:It can work great as a transfer pump, but it will depend on your setup. The Riptide will transfer at a faster rate than the surflo, but won't build as much pressure. Transferring long distances, to higher elevations, or into the bottom of a large tank might slow or even stop the flow. That said, it's a great pump and I love mine. Tech support at Blichmann is great, let them know how you plan to use it and I'm sure they can give you an idea how well it will work. They want their customers to be happy
Yes. We do the same. We have installed TC fittings on the inlet and outlet. The pump doesn’t balance in its base very well so you might want to mount it to something. The performance is good. We don’t use it very hard in our application.
Yes: I was a winemaker in Washington State in the 80s.The Rip Tide is built like a wine transfer pump and ideal for a small winery's. I own a Rip Tide.
I'm not sure what the rating is, but it's designed specifically for brewing, so I'd assume they did their homework on that. I own this pump and have used it several times to whirlpool on my boil kettle immediately after flame out on boiling wort and its still going strong.
This pump works great for whirlpooling hot liquids immediately after boiling. Our use this to help get the temperature from 210 down to 180° and it holds up fantastically. On top of this it is the quietest pump you can get and the simplest to clean.
I just checked my manual for this pump and i don't see a temp rating. I have used mine many times at 97° C (That's boiling where I live) and it works well. Very satisfied...
BEST ANSWER:Yeah it should work out just fine, even if you are pumping liquid vertical. We use is to assist with emptying beer from barrels. The dial on the face of the pump head is supposed to be for speed control, however we keep it wide open all the time. Not sure what the actual flow rate gpm is.
BEST ANSWER:Yeah it should work out just fine, even if you are pumping liquid vertical. We use is to assist with emptying beer from barrels. The dial on the face of the pump head is supposed to be for speed control, however we keep it wide open all the time. Not sure what the actual flow rate gpm is.
I use it on my 3bbl system for recirculating, whirlpool, and pumping through counter flow chiller and transfer to fermenter. I use a much larger pump for mash in, and pumping through HEX.
It has a 7 gallon per minute flow rate when fully open, so it might take a little longer than a larger commercial pump, but the volume shouldn't be an issue.
BEST ANSWER:I use my RipTide for all brewing needs and have had no problems at all. I also use them for CIP - brewing kettles and fermenters - works very well - pump pressure is more than enough to drive high pressure cleaning through a CIP ball.
BEST ANSWER:I use my RipTide for all brewing needs and have had no problems at all. I also use them for CIP - brewing kettles and fermenters - works very well - pump pressure is more than enough to drive high pressure cleaning through a CIP ball.
It does a good job in the whirlpool and I've not had any trouble yet. Tons better than the smaller magnetic pumps. Easy to take apart to get hops out of the impeller.
An old adage is that you should under-promise and over-deliver. This pump gets it exactly backwards.
Bought my Riptide in late 2019 and brew on average 6 times per year. Even when new, the Riptide would not pump at high flow rate when the water gets anywhere close to boiling. I eventually learned that if you simply reduce the flow rate at high temps you can get by. If that was the only issue, I could live with it.
Earlier this year, my pump started making all kinds of noise even when pumping room temp water so I took it apart and found that chrome (?) plating on one just side of the impeller magnet was worn completely off likely from it contacting the inside of the cup. When I checked the impeller shaft I found that there was a lot of deflection at the end of the shaft meaning that the whole drive axis was wobbling inside of the cup which explained the noise. Calipered everything and it is the recess in the head unit where the shaft is seated that widened out over time. Contacted BE customer service and their fix is to buy a new head for the pump. Simple.
Still not sure whether it was an imbalance on the part of the motor or the impeller that started the whole process. Guess I'll have to experiment when I fork over the extra cash for a new head. A lot of this issue could have been avoided if BE did not use a cantilever design to support the shaft which, in hindsight, was a bit lazy from an engineering perspective.
Meanwhile, borrowed a couple Chugger pumps from a friend that still work great despite being almost a decade older than my Riptide.
Within the spectrum of homebrew pumps out there, the Riptide is most expensive. It's not even close. I figured that the bells and whistles along with the better build quality were worth the extra cost. Wow, was I wrong. A head unit needing to be replaced in only three years?!?! Absolutely unacceptable.
At this point, my recommendation for others in the market would be to buy TWO Chugger or March pumps for the price of ONE Riptide.
The Riptide is simply overpriced and under-engineered.
This has happened twice. I was using it for the whirlpool/transfer and then it stopped midway through. I had to go back to the other pump. For something of this price, one would expect it to work more than 20 minutes.
After getting used to the idea of pumping to begin with over gravity feeding everything, I feel in love with this. Practice with water, nail down your priming processes, and this thing is simply perfect.
Very quiet, powerful, and taking it apart for cleaning is a dream.
I bought two of these to replace my old Chugger pumps. I used one for the HLT. The other for the mash and the boil kettle. At the end of the boil (207 deg F) I switched the hoses from the mash to the boil to start the whirlpool. It ran for a few minutes, then it quit and just hummed. I shut it off, let it sit for a couple minutes, turned it back on, it ran for maybe 30 seconds and quit again. I did this 3 times, then switched the hoses to the other pump. It ran fine. I also tried loosening the tri-clamp rotating the pump head around, tapping on it to no avail. Talking to customer service at Morebeer, they told me the pump is rated for 212 deg. They also told me they couldn't just replaced it without first talking to Blichmann. We'll see how long this takes. I spent $450 thinking I was going to get 'better' pumps. They are quieter, and I like the flow control, but my old pumps never did this.
Great pump! Creates a vigorous whirlpool in my 1/2 BBL kettles. Easy disassemble for thorough cleaning. Flow control and priming valve are very convenient.
I also use this pump on my 2BBL brewery. Not enough to whirlpool (that's what the pro pumps are for LOL), but the Riptide is great for the vorlauf and sparge... freeing up the big pumps for other operations.
Excellent pump. This handles everything I throw at it. Best pump I have ever used for homebrew. Simple to pull apart clean & then sanitize. And yes: simple to reassemble.
I like that this pump was well designed - inclusive of the built in flow control, fan to cool the motor, and held together by one tri-clamp fitting for easy cleaning. Completely brilliant design. However, I could buy three high quality pumps for the same price elsewhere... So it really depends on if you want a Ford or a Lamborghini. Both will get you there, but this definitely has all the features and could be worth the cost of it lasts for years.
I've had this for a couple of years with occasional use and it just died on me. I tried replacing every gasket in the thing and it just will not pump, and just makes a buzzing noise. I've had this happen in the past and usually replacing a specific gasket will allow it to work. I'm giving up on this thing as it is frustrating when it doesn't work when I am ready to use it and have it set up.
This pump is a game changer for me. It’s perfect for whirlpool and the flow control built in to the pump give you great control over recirc as well as transfers through chillers into fermenters.
A real boon if you are brewing alone. Just move hoses and you can send liquid anywhere. I used it to recirculate sparse water and to transfer wort to the boil pot. Then the finished wort through the chiller into the fermenter. Eliminates almost all the lifting on brew day.
Go this thing a little over a week ago, used it for 2 brews, 2 cleans and a test run for a CIP ball I just got.
Started acting up today in the middle of my Pale Ale mash.
Out of nowhere it just turned off. Motor was still humming, but nothing was turning. Unplugged it and cleaned it, and adjusted the head, and a million other things, no joy.
When it was working, it was amazing...... but thats an awfully short lifespan.
I upgraded my chugger by adding the Blichmann pump head and that was an improvement. But I still had problems with the motor and the torque on the head mounting screws had to be perfect to have no leaks and not squeal. When the motor itself started having problems, I replaced it with a Rip Tide and what an improvement! Slightly more capacity and much quieter. I also like not having the motor exposed to splashes and drips. If you are going to buy a pump, get this one.
Best pump you can buy period. I have two of these both Tri-Clamp. They are fantastic pumps. easy to clean, mount in any position, great flow rate, and of course it's from Blichmann. All their products are fantastic and well made. DON"T CHEESE OUT ON A CHEAP PUMP! for the few extra dollars you get everything in one pump with unmatched performance.
Pros: 1) Very quiet and solid compared to the pump and motor that came standard with the MoreBeer brew sculpture. 2) The relief valve was a benefit in priming.
Not sure:1) Flow control as part of the pump design is a neat sounding feature. I found, however, that it was difficult to make fine adjustments such as are needed when pumping the finished wort out of the brew kettle through a cooler. There seemed to be some variability - which is unwanted. This might be correctable with experience. 2) My practice is to run clean water through the hot side pump as part of clean-up and never did run PBW through it. I don't think this was detrimental. Now it is easy - for sure - to clean the Blichmann pump with PBW, but I frankly don't know if that is much of a benefit. I need to fiddle with this or talk to others who use different clean-up processes.
Cons: 1) The mounting is very different from the standard motor mount. I tried a couple of homemade mounting brackets until I found one that works. The hole pattern is very different and not compatible with the original frame attachment holes Also, the unit is pump-heavy which must be factored into the bracket design. I would hope soon either Blichmann or one of Morebeer's suppliers will develop an available bracket. 2) The packaging includes some environmentally unfriendly plastic foam. We should be beyond that.
[I will be ordering another one for the HLT. Whatever problems I have had are secondary to the quality of the design and manufacture.]
This is the best pump brew pump that I have ever purchased, and since this is the sixth one I should know. So if you think that it is rather pricey just think how much money I would have saved if I would have made this one my first choice.
I've used other pumps, but this one is by far the best. Does NOT cavitate pumping hot wort. The built in flow valve works great, so if you deduct the cost of an additional flow valve, this pump is a bargain. I have 2 pumps in my system, and they are now both Blichmann's.
Love this pump! Very well made easy to clean and super quiet. The flow valve on the discharge makes it easy to regulate the flow. I recommend quick disconnects for your lines as makes it easy to pump sparge water, wort to boil kettle and then thru chill plate all with same hoses. Highly recommend this pump.
I bought the traditional pumps many of us start with and they got the job done. I recently upgraded my whole setup to HERMS and bought riptides. These things are so quiet and the extra length of the cord is great to reach my panel. The ease of clean and built in valve plus the poppet just make this a no brainer. By the time you buy a stainless pump and add the valve and other items to make it comparable to a riptide you’re pretty much at the same price without the ease of clean and heavy build or quietness.
This replaced a chugger pump and the difference in noise is definitely noticeable as the RipTide hums quietly along. Disassembly is easy and the the larger base / power switch are awesome features.
The PRV valve definitely works to prime the pump but it can make a mess if you're not prepared.
So much quieter! Love the ability to control the flow. Nice ability to orient the in and out in different positions. After years of the grating whine of my old pump - this is so nice. I also like the pull pin prime ability. Only downside is that it is so quiet that I have to be close to tell that it is coming on and off with my sparge control. Only downside is that it doesn't fit the old bracket I have on my B3-1500 Beer Sculpture.
I own 3 of these. And mostly love them. For a home brewer they are great, a lot of pro's but also a few con's MAIN PRO's +Very quiet +Easy to clean +Adjustable flow rate (additional tweak to your ball valve), +Easy to reposition (swivel) the head by loosening Tri-clamp. +Long power cord
MAIN CON's -Spring loaded relief valve sticks with wort and spits HOT liquid on hands when pulled (Wear brewers gloves) Or don't use this feature. -Very easy to lose small internal washer during disassembly. -I am always fearful that the base will get liquid inside (But has not yet)
FYI: As with most pumps make sure you don't run dry and plug into a GFCI outlet. -Gary-
I bought this as a second pump to augment my Chugger pump, and the RipTide is superior in every way. Quiet, more stable on its own base, integrated throttle valve and power switch.. .it's all designed to work.
My only quibble is that the integrated "bleed valve," which is basically a PRV from a corny keg adapted to the pump, can't help but make a spewing mess when you release it. It faces upward and, by virtue of its design, any output flies outward in all directions. It will work in a pinch, but uncontrolled spewing of hot water or, worse, wort, isn't ideal.
Still, it's built in, which is more than any other models can say, and it does reprime the pump when you need it--without buying $25 worth of additional hardware.
Pump is very quiet, easy to take apart for cleaning, easy to put back together. The built in relief valve for priming is nice and the built in flow control is brilliant. I'm definitely going to buy another when I expand to a three vessel system.
The ability clean it makes it worth it alone. Despite the purge valve, it DOES NOT self prime or prime easily. God in wish there was a self priming (diaphragm) pump that came apart to allow cleaning.
Very quiet, reliable, and the priming option is helpful in saving extra plumbing. It's also nice that the pump assembly can be rotated to any position.
My only complaint is that it is somewhat fussy to reassemble after cleaning, at least until you get some practice.
My old March pump lasted many years doing double duty, but I was always fighting cavitation issues and constantly having problems with priming and flow. Took the plunge on the Riptide and am so glad I did. Quiet, great flow rate, no cavitation issues, and easy complete cleaning. Paired with two of morebeer's Camlock Male X 1/2 in. FPT (Type A) item Number: H530--one for in and one for the out--for a compact, easy quick connect with my exciting cam system. Highly recommended!