Converted Keg For A Mash Lauter Tun

[dicko]

I was just looking at Asher's very impressive set up in the photo gallery and I noticed that he has used a keg for a mash tun which brings me to my question.
I am thinking of making a bigger tun for my brewery and I can get another keg and I was wondering what sort of screen / false bottom / manifold you were using Asher?
I would like to take advantage of the concave shape of the bottom of the keg so as not to lose a lot of wort when draining and I was thinking along the lines of a false bottom and have the outlet come from the bottom rather than the side.
Is a s/steel screen material or a false bottom that fits available in Aus?
If so, where?
Or does anyone else have any comments or ideas?
Cheers

 

[Hopeye]

Hey Dicko (aka BBB),

I'm thinking of using a false bottom made from a dryer drum, though the holes in it may be a bit big, though I guess I could always cover it with a screen. I'm talking about the old SS drums that have a bunch of holes at the back on a raised platform. I got the angle grinder out and too easy.

 

[GMK]

dicko

i bouught a SS false Bottom from st pats - 10 inch and it has a concave side to it - ie it is specifically made for kegs.

If you do a search and goto Sabco - i think they make one as well.
Can also check out Brewtree.com

Hope this helps...let me know when you get your new toy.

 

[Jazman]

Jayse made his own our of stainless steel flasr bottom as he mashes in a 50 litre keg

 

[Asher]

Heres a pic of whats inside my mashtun.

Its a ss false bottom from ESB. Its from my old 5 gal setup and ment for a 5 gal rubbermaid cooler. I've just used copper pipe and flared fittings (hand tightened for easy removal) to attach it to the bulkhead tap
It seems to handle the new size well and I've had no problem with stuck mashes even with the pump re-circulating quite fast.

I've seen a baking tray at a comercial kitchen supply place thats made of the same stuff as my false bottom. I was thinking of buying one and cutting out someting from that if my old one didnt work...

I can easily swap it over If I want to do a smaller batch with my old tunn this way

Asher for now

 

[Vlad the Pale Aler]

Get your hands on some Termimesh. SS mesh with a weave small enough to keep termites out, used in house footings, in WA anyway.
I use it for a hop basket and think it would make a cheap false bottom.
Btw i use ss braid in my mlt.

 

[Darren]

Get your hands on some Termimesh. SS mesh with a weave small enough to keep termites out, used in house footings, in WA anyway.
I use it for a hop basket and think it would make a cheap false bottom.
Btw i use ss braid in my mlt.

Howdy Vlad,
I tried termimesh in my early days. I think the holes are too small and tend to clog very easy, especially if you are pumping through it. Works really well for hop bags/dry-hopping though.
I use something similar to Ashers set-up. Bought an off-cut of stainless screen (lucky find) from Stratco in Gilles plains. Worth giving them a call Dicko!

 

[jayse]

I know you have seen mine a few times dicko but i'll post it here for everyone else interested. Here's the false bottom i had my brother drill up at work it took him 4 hours and 6 drill bits in a drill press just to do this many holes.
It would be easier to make the tap in the side and use a pipe like asher has in the pic there to go underneath the false bottom.
Even the professional welder i had do mine in the very bottom didn't do a very clean job but it is great and i don't have any dead space at all.
These kegs are great for a herms system because when making a 25 litre brew the keg is only half full so you do tend to get some temp lost over time.

Just another option i have on mine is where the spear used to be is the bottom of the tun and has a screw in plug put in it so rinsing it out is all to easy.


Sorry no new ideas for you dicko has you have seen all my stuff before. Just put all this stuff here for anyone else reading this.

Cheers Jayse

 

[dicko]

Thanks for all the comments and pics fellas,

I have read that if you use termi-mesh that you need to use rice hulls for the sparge to work.

Asher, How much wort is left in your tun and what sort of efficiency do you generally get?

I checked the ESB site and the false bottom is $85.00 which is probably cheaper than drilling a blank plate.

The Stratco lead sounds good Darren,
I think your close to that industry Jazman, Have you heard of any s/steel perforated plate that is available?
I'll have a look at yours Darren when I come to Adelaide.

I looked at a dryer drum but I recon the holes might be a bit big in the one I saw.
Anyway it has given me some good ideas,

Cheers

 

[user 384]

Dicko

If you're considering a false bottom like the ESB style, maybe More Beer in the US would be worth cosidering. They have convex SS false bottoms for US$19.95. Normal parcel post is an extra US$21.50 (although there could be a cheaper alternative). All up that would be about AUS$60 delivered.

Cheers
MAH

 

[dicko]

If I went the way of ordering one from the US and with it I would order a 3" temp guage so can anyone tell me if the thread they use on the temp guage is compatable with fittings that are available in AUS? or would I be better just buying another guage in AUS?
They are a bit cheaper in the US.
Cheers

 

[user 384]

The thread on the 3" thermometers on More Beer have a 1/2" MPT thread. Is this compatible with a 1/2" Female BSB thread? Depends who you talk to. Both have the same amount of threads per inch, 14. A 1/2" MPT and Male BSB, have the same OD of 21.3mm. So on face value they should be compatible. BUT the MPT is a tapered pipe and the BSB is a straight and from personal experience I can say it will leak.

I was getting a whole load of stuff frm the US and got a Zymico bulkhead. Didn't bother about the ball valve because I already had some. I was lead to belive there would be no trouble with it sealing. Bollocks! It dripped, only slightly, but it still dripped. Now I overcame this problem by simply using a black rubber washer (off a fermenter tap). This sealed it perfectly.

So what does it all mean?
1) Yes 1/2" MPT and BSB threads look compatible on paper
2) No they are not compatible in real life
3) Yes with a little bit of tweaking the canbe made to fit without leaks

So it's up to you Dicko.

Cheers
MAH

 

[Asher]

Ive used the 3" temp gauges from morebeer on my system.
The Male NPT thread on the thermometer screws into a standard parallel BSP female threaded socket no worries.
Just make sure you use thread tape thats all.....

Asher for now

I'm just moving one from my HLT to my mash tun at the moment as I've gone digital ATC on the HLT. I can post some pics of exact bulkhead setup I use for a thermometer if you like...

 

[Goat]

I don't want to hijack the thread - but do you have any photos of the control setup for the gas fired HLT Asher?

Temp control is looming as one of my biggest challenges...

 

[Justin]

Hi Dicko, 3" dial thermometer from Ambit (www.ambitinst.com.au) will run you for $90 each plus postage of $15. They do have 2" ones with a 1/4" NPT thread on the back and they were $30 I think off memory.
http://www.ambitinst.com.au/Temperature/BiMetal/Bimetal.html

As you know, you could buy the ones from morebeer with a weldless fitting included as I don't think that it costs much more.

Or you coule just use a 1/4" compression fitting (rather than using the 1/4" thread already on the thermometer-yes, I know it would be better if you could use that one -I don't know if they fit or not either) to grab the stem of the thermometer, then mount the compression fitting through the wall of your keg. If you drop the copper olive that comes with the fitting and just wrap teflon plumbers tap around the stem when the nut compressed it creates a nice seal. I'm tossing up buying a couple of these 3" thermometers myself, although maybe from Brewtree.com instead.

Cheers, Justin

 

[dicko]

Thanks Mark and Asher,

If you want you can post pics of bulkhead but I know what you are talking about.
It may be of interest to other readers.
I too, would like to see pics and description of the temp control on the HLT,
Maybe on a new subject post.

Cheers

 

[Asher]

Autimatic temp comtrolled Gas HLT - Yes its possible...
Hopefully I'll get time to sort out some pics etc this weekend...

West Aussies - We may have to stand around and watch it make beer for us while we drink GL's ale from the last get-together.... will be a while off as I'm still mastering it - dont know If i can brew with it pissed yet....

Asher for now

 

[dicko]

Hi Justin,

I saw the other day that Brewtree had those temp guages and they were a few dollars cheaper than MoreBeer.
That Ambit price is pretty good for AUS, I think I paid about $120 odd for the one for my HLT but the rip - off came when I asked the supplier for a bulkhead fitting. Guy on the phone says " No worries mate" probably about $40 to $50 so I say OK send it to me.

Well you all better go and get a beer and sit down to listen to the next bit.

When I get the guage and the fitting, it has been welded and the cost-----$100.00 plus the guage.
Sorta makes you a bit wary when they have got your credit card.

Anyway thanks for the info - I really love this site!! Plenty of feedback on any question
Cheers

 

[Hoops]

Dicko
I F%#@*N hate it when they do that S#*T.
When I was getting quotes to build this SS conical I'm planning, the guy at QLDmetalspinners said "no worries we'll make you a cone up, $90 cash".
Well I took a day off work to go to Brisbane and buy all the stainless and get the project in motion, but just to double check before forking out hundreds of $$$ on SS I dropped in to see them in person and get a written quote.
"No worries mate, it will be $2000 to make the die then setting up costs, then $90 per cone!!!!!!!"
F$#@ERS

 

[dicko]

Yeah Hoops,
I fully agree, If I did that in my business I would have no customers left after a while.
Cheers