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Just at mash in then when sparging. When sparging I will give a stir one or a few times if I remember or can be bothered. Just to stir up the fine particles on top and improve flow through the grain. Some commercial breweries have rakes at the top of the MT to do the same.

I usually, or at least when I remember to stir the top few inches or 60cm-90cm of the mash when fly sparging and find it improves efficiency. So long as you are not disturbing the bottom ¾ or so you should be fine and will help avoid channeling down the sides of the mash tun.

Where are you located? Does it get very hot or cold? Is this in the UK by any chance? You mention “double breeze block walls with thermal lining” is that breeze block with an insulated cavity? Have you given any thought to roof and floor insulation? Jablite under the concrete makes a big...

Here is an old thread, Polypins.. Anyone use them? in post #82 I posted a picture and instructions on how to suck all the air out of the bag and fill it with co2 from the fermenter.

If you don’t have bottled co2 you can fill the bag from your fermenter, just connect it to the airlock or whatever while you are fermenting.

Yep that pretty much sums it up. So the main points are: 1. A PRV is fine to use instead of a spunding and is no more likely to block up. 2. If you overfill your fermenter and don’t leave enough headspace you are asking for trouble and it won’t make much difference how many PRVs or spundings...

Ok, I get that you would be unlucky to get one blocked, but why would it be incredibly unlikely to get two blocked under the same circumstances and in the same ferment? Do you think it follows that if a third PRV was fitted it would be absolutely impossible to block in the same ferment?

But if your theory is correct and hops will block up a PRV then you wouldn’t have two reliable options to vent CO2 would you? It wouldn’t make a lot of difference if you are using the PRV instead of a spunding or as well as. If a PRV would as you say block with hops then by the same argument it...

To be fair I don’t think he/she was trying to fool us or make it the case, at least that’s not how I read it? Just airing a view that pressure fermenting without a spunding would somehow be dangerous and cause the fermenter to explode? Not the first time someone has thought that pressure...

Yes I understood that. I don’t see that it will make much difference. A spunding is just as likely to block as the PRV. If the spunding blocks then the pressure will build up and activate the PRV which in turn will block up.

I don’t think it would really make a lot of difference if you were venting through a spunding and also had a PRV as backup. If the krausen and hops reached the top of the fermenter they would block the spunding first then the PRV when it activated.

Yes but what make are your ball lock kegs? Are we talking Mytton Rodd ball lock kegs, Cornelius ball lock kegs or something else? The link in your OP is for Mytton Rodd O’ rings.

Is it o rings for Mytton Rodd kegs like the one in your link that you are after? If so you can get Taylor - Liquid Dip Tube Gaskets from Grain & Grape. Kegs and Accessories | Grain and Grape

If you don't already have one and don’t mind spending a little more money you could get a cheap stock pot for hot water additions. I picked one up from Salvos for $6 a few months ago, as a bonus it works on my portable induction hob so I can use it next to the mash tun and don’t need to boil...

OP didn't explain why it had to be a SMaSH but I just assumed from the thread title and his/her post that’s what was wanted. Totally agree there is no reason at all not to use both hops and even home roast some of the Maris otter to make for a more complex beer.

I thought SMaSH was supposed to stand for Single Malt and Single Hop? If you use Cascade and Mosaic surely it wouldn’t qualify as smash? So to my thinking a good recipe would be 100% Maris Otter and use either the Cascade or the Mosaic to the IBU you desire?

Yep.

Not the pub cellarman but sometimes the cask is dry hopped at the brewery just before being sent out to the pub by venting and removing the shive puting in the hops and replacing the shive with a new one.

After re-reading my posts above just want to be clear that I’m not disputing anything kadmium said but I have not noticed any problems with dry hopping in the fermenter or cask while still actively fermenting. I don’t actually dry hop very often these days though as I prefer just late hopping...

I should add that cask dry hopping is often done after secondary fermentation. The shive is removed, the cask dry hopped and sealed with a new shive before being sent out to the pub. Dry hopping refers to hops being added to the wort or beer at any time after it has left the kettle and/or has...