I made the mistake of not using a hop bag for my pellets and it appears that my pump and/or the pipes around the pump are clogged. Any thoughts on the best way to gain access to the pump (I have the V3 model)?
Fixing a Clogged Pump/Circulation
Boomer10
#2
So here I am replying to my own post. Having not received any feedback, I took matters into my own hands and discovered that in fact the pump was clogged.
For those of you who are concerned about dissembling your Robo V3, never fear! With a few simple tools it can be done is short order. I was amazed at the simplicity of design of the product inside the base; a circuit board, 2 ceramic heating coils, a few wires and the pump. Speaking of the pump, it is a small 6 watt magnetic unit, and, after removing the front end, I can see why it got clogged. The outlet hole has what amounts to 4 rather small ports through which the wort and any particulate matter must pass.
The recipe I was brewing was a saison that called for a 10 minute whirlpool. Well, hey; I’ve got this nifty Robo V3 with a pump, so I can use that to whirlpool with; awesome! Except dummy me did not put the hop additions (pellets) in a hop bag; the result of which was a clogged pump. Live and learn!
Hi Boomer10
I’ve just found your post. I had the same problem with hop debris and managed to fix it without taking anything apart.
Find yourself an outdoor tap with an electricity supply nearby, attach one end of a garden hose to the tap and hold the other end over the outlet hole that goes through to the base in the bottom of the robobrew.
Turn the water tap on quite high to get some pressure going and while this is happening turn the robobrew on and start the pump. It took about 20 seconds to clear mine. You’ll need someone to help you.
Now I make sure that I run clear water through the pump as part of my cleaning process
Cheers, Doug