Making A Mash Paddle

[Bigfella]

Hi guy I was thinking of crafting a mash paddle over Easter but I was wondering what type of timber would be best. I have a nice bit of black wood sitting in the garage but I remember someone telling me once that you can get poisand from black wood I don't know if this is true or not. can any one help.

 

[Outback Brewshed]

Im made mine from Flame Oregan, has flames through it, tassie oak looks nice too.

 

[homebrewworld.com]

Yeah, be carefull.
Timber will leach some resins and tannis when applied to heat.
So best the timber be dried to the max i.e sitting outdoors for a summer, and no coating of any type of sealer.
I bet if you soak the timber in water for a week you will see the leaching in the water.
I made my s.steel paddle from the spear of a Keg, and the blade is made out of the s.s i cut off the top of the keg. ( make sense ?)my mate welded it for me ,and the long handle is great.
Timber looks cool and was used many moons ago, but i like stainless.
All that said, nice day to make one though !

 

[Guest Lurker]

Bigfella

Mine is jarrah. On the first ever brew, I left it in the HLT while heating the strike water. The water went brown, but I didnt taste the tanin in the beer. I have the same paddle still, just leave it out of the vessel when not stirring.

 

[chiller]

Bigfella

Mine is jarrah. On the first ever brew, I left it in the HLT while heating the strike water. The water went brown, but I didnt taste the tanin in the beer. I have the same paddle still, just leave it out of the vessel when not stirring.

[post="50982"][/post]​

Buy a chef's ladel, they are the ideal size, about the same cost as a piece of unfinished timber and already shaped. At last check Globe imports have them for about $10.00

Get a 25 - 28 mm hole saw or wood bit and place 4 holes up the blade.

The timber used is [i think from memory] birch and has a very tight grain with no leaching into the wort.

Any pine or gum trees could leach resins and contaminate your brew.

Mine is 2 years old now with no signs of failure.

Steve.

 

[Bigfella]

That sounds like the go

 

[warrenlw63]

I got a Baker's Paddle for about $12 from a kitchen supply shop at the Vic. Market. Not sure of the type of timber but it's not leached anything I can see thus far.

Solid as a brick dunny, mixes the mash up beautifully and also doubles as a kettle dipstick. I just marked 5 litre increments on it with a saw blade then remarked them with a hot knife to be able to read it easier. :super:

Also good for chasing the dogs around the yard if they bark too much.

Warren -

 

[warrenlw63]

Here's a photo.

And yes. I know the garage door needs painting. The wife tells me so. :lol:

BTW Chiller is this the same thing you're talking about? If so I might drill a couple of holes in mine. Just curious, what are the advantages?

Warren -

 

[Jovial_Monk]

I bought a mash paddle from the States. It is made of maple, shaped roughly like a small criket bat (but with two flat sides) and has three holes drilled in it. Each hole starts out like 3' wide but in the middle is 2" wide then widens out to 3" again--as I drag it through the mash the design of the holes forces the grains closer and closer together, destroying any dry pockets.

I will get the digital camera fired up again and post some piccies later.

Prior to that i used a solid wooden spoon, about 2' long and 1" diameter, bought from Gaganis Bros.

Talking about cricket bats, willow is a toxic wood, do not convert a cricket bat to mash paddle! And a tight grain is essential as mentioned above

Jovial Monk

 

[jayse]

I made my s.steel paddle from the spear of a Keg,

[post="50980"][/post]​

Me too!

 

[chiller]

Here's a photo.

And yes. I know the garage door needs painting. The wife tells me so. :lol:

BTW Chiller is this the same thing you're talking about? If so I might drill a couple of holes in mine. Just curious, what are the advantages?

Warren -

[post="51030"][/post]​

Hi Warren,

Mine is longer in the "paddle" section but nonethless in reality makes little difference.

As for the holes : When the paddle moves through the mash without holes it can push grain clumps infront of the paddle where with holes the clump is pulled through the holes and breaks up the dough balls and provides a very uniform mash.

If you get a good uniform mash don't worry about the holes.

Steve.

 

[Outback Brewshed]

Here is my frame oregon mash paddle,


Oops tilt your heads to the left a bit.

 

[Bigfella]

not really worth making one is it

 

[Outback Brewshed]

not really worth making one is it

[post="51051"][/post]​

Think of the satisfaction you will get when you drag work of your own hands through your beautiful grist.

Ahhhh Life doesn't get any better than that.

Ok that was a bit much, mine cost me $5 and a little bit of work.

 

[warrenlw63]

If you get a good uniform mash don't worry about the holes.

Steve.

[post="51045"][/post]​

Cheers Chiller,

Actually mine does exactly what you said. Gets dough balls in front of the paddle, I usually push them against the side of the tun to break them up.

Makes sense, I'm grabbing my hole saw now.

Thanks again Warren -

 

[warrenlw63]

Done!

Warren -

 

[BrissyBrew]

Well I finally got around to drilling and adding measuring marks (used as a dip stick for the kettle) to my new mash paddle.

Here it is in all its $12.00 glory

 

[TidalPete]

Well I finally got around to drilling and adding measuring marks (used as a dip stick for the kettle) to my new mash paddle.

Here it is in all its $12.00 glory

[post="113910"][/post]​

A work of art BrissyBrew. I lean towards ss as you can see from the pic.

:beer:

 

[Gough]

I've got a fandanglin new mash paddle as made by Big Bad Borret.. It's great! I'll post some pics of it in action from tomorrow's brew...

Shawn.

 

[BrissyBrew]

Well I finally got around to drilling and adding measuring marks (used as a dip stick for the kettle) to my new mash paddle.

Here it is in all its $12.00 glory

[post="113910"][/post]​

A work of art BrissyBrew. I lean towards ss as you can see from the pic.

:beer:

[post="113944"][/post]​

Stainless....Steel............ the green eyed monster looks on.

Nice work did you whip that up yourself? If not where did you get it. I love stainless as well but I saw the wooden paddle and could not resist.