Grain To Water Ratio

[starkesbier]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick query. Is the void space under a false bottom included or excluded when considering water to grist ratios. I ask this because the two liters under my false bottom can be a significant percentage of the total water.

Any commnets?

Thanks
Starkesbier

 

[raven19]

I would add another 2L once you have calculated your target ratio.

How big is your Mash Tun? 2L in a 23L batch more significant than 2L in a 50L... but if you are in the 2 - 3 L per kg of grain, then I wouldnt worry about it at this stage.

Also depends on your sparging method a bit too, and you will recirculate your first part of the runnings anyway.

2c.

Edit: Add 2L on top of target ratio for sure - as you have 2L water below the falsie, and your grain and target water above the falsie. But take into account this extra water in your boiling/sparging calcs.

 

[Fourstar]

Also depends on your sparging method a bit too, and you will recirculate your first part of the runnings anyway.

Dont forget Raven, this will effect the mash thickness slightly because of the dead space. Personally I would account for this. Calculate the deadspace with some year 9 maths and whatever your mash-in literage is, then add the dead space in L to the figure. That way your mash will be the same as having 0L deadspace.

 

[sav]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick query. Is the void space under a false bottom included or excluded when considering water to grist ratios. I ask this because the two liters under my false bottom can be a significant percentage of the total water.

Any commnets?

Thanks
Starkesbier

2lts is a fair bit, Can you screw a threaded rod to the end of it so its just above the dome,as I dont know what tun you are using,it dosent sound like much but 2lts out of tun then loses after kettle drain,it all adds up too more beer.

 

[Ross]

Sav,

I don't think he was saying that he loses this wort, just it's not part of the mash mix, being under the false bottom.
I have similar & just ignore it; 2.8L/Kg gives me the consistancy I want, allowing for the 2L under the FB - All my wort gets drained to the kettle.


cheers Ross

 

[reVoxAHB]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick query. Is the void space under a false bottom included or excluded when considering water to grist ratios. I ask this because the two liters under my false bottom can be a significant percentage of the total water.

Any commnets?

Thanks
Starkesbier

Good question and one that I've never contemplated. I would say the 2L is included when considering w/g ratio.. otherwise, you'd see all manners of w/g ratios (and software or publication that provides them) with consideration for dead space, etc.

When thinking about mash, the 2L under your falsey is certainly a part of it, and when you open your valve to pull wort and/or recirc etc. you're pulling that 2L first, presumably. Palmer did fluid mechanic testing in tuns for continuous sparging with lauter flow vectors and his research supports this.

I guess the point is, there is no dead space or void in movement.

reVox

 

[starkesbier]

Thanks everyone,

Mixed opinions there. I haven't been allowing for it but when I started reviewing my efficiency I wondered whether I was truly getting the water to grist ratio I was hoping for. I think I will just add extra water to account for the deadspace and adjust my sparge water to account for the extra volume upfront. The theory being that I will get more extraction from the first running than from sparging.

Cheers everyone
Starkesbier

 

[t2000kw]

2lts is a fair bit, Can you screw a threaded rod to the end of it so its just above the dome,as I dont know what tun you are using,it dosent sound like much but 2lts out of tun then loses after kettle drain,it all adds up too more beer.

Thanks for passing along this suggestion. I'm using a Listermann false bottom and it is curved upward a bit. I could get almost all of the wort trapped under it with a small extension under the angled fitting. I'll have to see how I want to do this but it's a great idea.

A future item on my to-do list is to make a perforated false bottom for a large picnic cooler, using the existing drain hole for a valve and then slant the whole thing slightly when sparging to get just about all of the wort out of the grain bed.

I also want to try the brew in a bag concept and compare things. I think it might be almost as efficient as fly sparging.