Mash Tun Drain.

[sijani]

Hey all, I was thinking of putting a sink drain (s/s) in the bottom of my mash tun with a matching ball valve then a reducer to a 1/2 inch ball valve and related plumbing to the kettle. When finished sparging close the large ball valve, disconnect 1/2 inch then flush all the spent grains via a bit of dedicated hose into a waste vessel.

All of this under a false bottom.

I want to do the same to my elec kettle with a down stream hop back just after the drain's ball valve then a reducer to 1/2 inch to related chiller plumbing.

Has anyone tried this before? Would it work...

Hmmm, so many options.

 

[raven19]

I like the thinking, however with the spent grain, it will only flow out of your drain if its very wet (porridge like), hence in my mind you would be back to filling your Mash Tun again with water to get the spent grain out of the drain hole. Spent grain will clump and just sit there...

So depending on how water efficient you want to be, you may just be better off having the MT so it can be tipped into a bin.

2c.

 

[Sammus]

I think I read MHB saying somewhere that the smallest you could get away to do that with is a 50mm butterfly valve. He could've been talking about something else, but I think it was dumping grain from a mash tun... cant quite remember.

 

[sijani]

I love this place :beerbang: . I've got half of my kit and before I drill even one hole I'm gonna find out the best place to do it. Cheers guys.

Re flushing with water, how many liters would you need to get the grain to porridge like consistency? It's all gonna end up in the compost so I don't mind 3 or 4 liters. It's all gotta be washed out any way yeah?

 

[Batz]

Use one of these rather than a sink drain,it's already 1/2" BSP thread

http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdeta...tAbsolutePage=1

Batz

 

[TidalPete]

Use one of these rather than a sink drain,it's already 1/2" BSP thread

http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdeta...tAbsolutePage=1

Batz

:icon_offtopic:

I was just looking at that this this morning Batz. Just found a ss you-know-what. :super:

TP

 

[SJW]

I was thinking about a similar thing on the bottom of my kettle. But just a socket and valve going up through the middle of the burner so when I drain the kettle it would work like a conical fermenter. That being I could drain off all the trub first then rack all the clear wort.

Steve

 

[sijani]

SJW said..."it would work like a conical fermenter..." :beerbang:

That's exactly what I was thinking. Mash tun, kettle and fermentor all semi conical with the option to drain directly from the bottom. Not much lost wort and most unwanted crap gone! Although I thought I read on here somewhere that your wort can be to clean...?

I only wanted to go a large diameter outlet on the mash tun to help drain the spent grains but have since given up on that idea and am now working (theory) on a geared chain driven tipper... :huh:

With the kettle that drain plug here ( cheers Batz :icon_cheers: ) would work sweet with a whirlpool first.