This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert.  Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer.  Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

Updated: 5/7/2024

Hands on Review Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump

In the world of hot wort pumps for homebrewing, there are a couple of big name players that have dominated the market for some time. There are also some new entries in this segment that offer just as good function, but at a much lower price. Blichmann came in with a completely different strategy. Rather than trying to do the same thing better, or the same thing for less money, they wanted to re-write expectations for what a homebrew pump should do. It’s like the first time you saw a BBQ grill that had lights to cook at night and a built-in bottle opener. You told yourself, “Wow, I didn’t know you could get one like that… I want one!”

As with anything Blichmann makes, the Riptide follows suit with top-notch quality and looks, and a price tag to remind you that you’re buying top of the line. In the case of this pump, they legitimately bring features that no other pump on the market has and at a price comparable to the current top of the line wort pumps (that don’t have these features). So it’s arguably reasonably priced.

Compare Models, Prices and Availability, Review Continues Below:

• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at MoreBeer
  • Blichmann Tri-Clamp RipTide™ Brewing Pump BL298
  • Blichmann RipTide™ Brewing Pump | Stainless Steel Head | Magnetic Drive | Curved Blade Impeller | 7 GPM | 1/2″ MPT Inlet/Outlet BL295
• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at Great Fermentations
  • BLICHMANN RIPTIDE BREWING PUMP WITH TRI-CLAMP FITTINGS AND CARBON FIBER DRY RUN PROTECTION
  • BLICHMANN RIPTIDE BREWING PUMP WITH NPT FITTINGS AND CARBON FIBER DRY RUN PROTECTION
• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at Beer & Wine Hobby
• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at Pro Flow Dynamics
• Search Amazon for “Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump” – offerings vary
  • RIPTIDE BREWING PUMP by Blichmann Engineering (from March Pumps) With Integrated Valve
  • Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump

RIPTIDE BREWING PUMP by Blichmann Engineering (from March Pumps) With Integrated Valve

$219.00

NPT RIPTIDE™ BREWING PUMP by Blichmann Engineering | Stainless Steel Head | Magnetic Drive | Curved Blade Impeller | 7 GPM | 1/2" MPT Inlet/Outlet

$219.49

Note that links could potentially show Riptide Pump, Riptide Upgrade and related Riptide parts and equipment

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Updated: February 12, 2025

This review is by Homebrew Finds Reader Benji S.  Benji has been brewing for 10 years.  His favorite style is Festbier.  He’s an all grain brewer and member of WIZA (Whidbey Island Zymurgy Association).  Check him out on Instagram at neon_hop

Tell anyone that you spend hours cleaning as part of a hobby, and you’ll probably get a few odd looks. Unfortunately this is our reality as Homebrewers. Planning, prepping, cleaning, and waiting take up large percentages of any given batch. We often chase new ingredients, techniques, equipment, and short cuts in an effort to reduce the time we spend on these areas. Sometimes introducing new equipment into your process can make some parts of these tasks easier, while introducing new steps to others.

Pumps help move around lots of liquid in a short amount of time, reducing the need to lift heavy kettles or pots. They also introduce some additional planning needed for connecting vessels in a loop of hosing and cleaning after use. This has essentially been the summary experience I’ve had with my Chugger X-Dry [Hands on Review]. In the never ending quest for reducing the time and effort needed to use it, I looked at what changes I could make to my setup to make using it even simpler.

Blichmann Engineering is well known for high quality and well designed equipment targeted at Homebrewers. It should be no surprise then that their Riptide pump is a fairly feature packed model compared to others on the market. Particularly their TC clamp attached pump head with built in flow control and priming valve. In recognition of their audience, Blichmann also produces an upgrade kit that offers these same features to anyone with a Chugger or March pump.

Upgrading my Chugger X-Dry with their kit seems like a perfect way to take a good pump and make it even better, hopefully shaving some steps off of the prep and cleaning process in the meantime.

Criteria

My original criteria when looking for a pump were largely satisfied by the Chugger X-Dry, but there were a couple of criteria that were lacking, namely:

• Head assembly should be fairly easy to take apart to aid in cleaning]
• Flow control valve for use when sparging
• Easy and intuitive to prime and get started

As the Riptide conversion kit is meant to solve many of these things, it made a natural candidate for trying out an upgrade to see if I could improve the usability experience. Additionally, my experience with the X-Dry suggested it was fairly easy to get into a state where it was cavitating. My hope was that the purge valve would help alleviate, or solve, this issue.

Compare Models, Prices and Availability, Review Continues Below:

• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at MoreBeer
  • Riptide Brewing Pump Upgrade Kit BL297
• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at William’s Brewing
• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at Great Fermentations
  • RIPTIDE UPGRADE KIT FOR MARCH & CHUGGER PUMPS, BLICHMANN ENGINEERING
• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at Beer & Wine Hobby
• Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump at Pro Flow Dynamics
• Search Amazon for “Blichmann Engineering Riptide Pump” – offerings vary

Note that links could potentially show Riptide Pump, Riptide Upgrade and related Riptide parts and equipment

• Riptide Brewing Pump Upgrade Kit BL297 – via MoreBeer
• RipTide Brewing Pump by Blichmann Engineering BL295 – Hands on Review
• Chugger X-Dry Series Pump  Stainless Steel – Hands on Review
• March Pumps

Continue reading →