Okay guys, you helped me out with the hotplate. Think I have it figured out now. The hot plate is always on, I thought I would still be able to modify temperature, but obviously I can't.

Have everything hooked up, mash is cooked, and was ready to go tonight. BUT went to hook up water pump, and I don't see how I can do it.

Here's what I think I need to do: Hook up all hoses, with the 1 end of each the 8' hoses in the water bucket. 1 end of one of the 8' hoses needs to be hooked up to the water pump.

Based on everything I've read before I need to be able to modify water flow ,in which case I have to use the valve piece,. I have a choice of several pieces to hook up to my hose. I can stick the gate valve directly into the water pump, it seems to work. The problem is - the hose is absolutely too small for the end of the gate valve. Their is a piece that goes from big to small ,straight line no bends goes from big diameter to small diameter,, and I put that on the end of the gate valve. But even then the hose doesn't fit on the end. So I cut the hose ,Just 1' on the end, and put it over. I was able to get it over, but some of the cut extends past the end of the piece. AND I still can't get the hose clamp over. Please help someone! I feel like I got some wrong parts or missing parts???

This is not the first time I've seen people get confused with the hookups. I have had my heart set on getting an essential extractor in Jan but I'm starting to wonder if I have made a good choice. One major method I tend to judge a product by is the quality of it's instructions/manual. I'm seriously starting to have doubts. I own a retail electronics store and have learned over the years that knowing exactly how to use something in a simple and straight forward manner is as important as the product itself. I have also learned that the end user is more often than not, not an expert. Instructions make all the differance. If they were skimped on then what else was?

That said. I looked at the instructions on the website a while back. They seemed clear enough. Are they going to be that clear when and if I have the parts in front of me?

Allen

Even the instructions on how to reply to this message are complicated beyond need compared to every other mail list that I belong to which is quite few.

We brought in several different people when writing the booklet in order to do our best to make the cooling line setup as clear as possible. The problem is that our opinions must be tossed out because we already know how the hookup goes, so we cannot read it as though we are new to it, and must rely on outside opinion, which was favorable with the current booklet. While we have actually had very few people contact us confused, we have taken from these calls some input to improve the instructions for the next printing.

'we have taken from these calls some input to improve the instructions for the next printing.'

Great. Just remember that you are trying to communicate rocket science and brain surgery to the average drunken idiot and you will do fine. I'll buy your still as I can see that it is a good product and am pretty confident in my ability to configure things correctly. As for your common customer however you may wish to consider consulting with the people who wrote A DICTIONARY FOR YANKEES AND OTHER UNEDUCATED PEOPLE or other similar book.

That may sound like a joke but sadly it is not. Remind yourself of what you are selling and who is buying it.

Allen

I must have been drunk when I hooked mine up, no problems, no confusions, and it works fine. Use some common sense and it isn't a real problem. Tab A into Slot B and make the next one a vodka tonic.

On another note - Rick, we need to start a sign up list for the new tequila essence, maybe we could get it packaged in the large bulk packages.

Nobody answered my question! Someone Please help!
I just got the thick covered book ,about 30 pages,. Their are no instructions at all in it about the water pump. I can't find any on the webpage. I think maybe I didn't get an instruction book I was supposed to get?? I'll be the first to admit I'm book smart but no common sense. I am not good at figuring out mechanical stuff on my own. Hopefully someone can help??

Okay, Rick helped here's the answer ,and it worked for me,.

In the water pump their is a plastic piece that has two diameters a large end maybe 5/8' and a small end 1/2'. It is not tapered. This piece goes directly into the water pump. The hose goes on the other end. The hose does not fit easily on the other end. Boil a cup of water in the microwave. Stick the hose in the water for a minute or two to loosen the hose up.

You should now be able to get the hose onto the pump piece.

You probably don't need the valve in line, as I did not. The hose goes directly from the pump to the pro-design 2.