New Mash Tun - I'm In Lurve

[Thirsty Boy]

Just out curiosity why did you request the full width falsie instead of the standard one?

I particularly want the maximum possible surface area on my false bottom to ensure maximum flow rates through my RIMS. Plus I am more theoretically sure of how the dynamics of a flat flase bottom work - and I just like them better. Domed false bottoms look kinda funny.

Hi ThirstyBoy,

Love the new mash tun, looks great.

IN your last picture what are you using to heat your kettle? Looks just like a little gas burner. How did it go boiling?

It was 50/50 - it got the 12L boiling alright - but it took a while - and it was quite sensitive to wind. No good at all if there was a breeze. Inside, it would have been sufficient, but thats as far as I would go. I used it for half a dozen brews and then upgraded to a three ring burner... which burned a hole in my bench and had major excesses of grunt for the small pot. But on the bright side - I am still using it for up to 40L batches he small burner still gets a run when I am doing decoction or cereal mashes.

TB

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

I particularly want the maximum possible surface area on my false bottom to ensure maximum flow rates through my RIMS. Plus I am more theoretically sure of how the dynamics of a flat flase bottom work - and I just like them better. Domed false bottoms look kinda funny.

TB

Thanks for that thirsty. another thing to consider. Once you have used it you'll have to tell us how she goes.

Farside

 

[komodo]

Thirsty, hows this mash tun going?

After using my 70L SS BeerBelly kettle, I'm now looking at getting BB to fabricate a mashtun for me and I too am intrigued by the idea of a flat false bottom over a domed false bottom. Have you found any issues with the design?
How far from the bottom of the stock pot does your false bottom sit? would there be enough room to fit a low watt heating element - ie could this be made into an electric "direct fired" mash tun? if not would there be any issues with having wayne fabricate the false bottom high enough to have an element under it working with a recirculating system.

 

[jel]

would there be enough room to fit a low watt heating element - ie could this be made into an electric "direct fired" mash tun? if not would there be any issues with having wayne fabricate the false bottom high enough to have an element under it working with a recirculating system.

i would say no.

your main problem would be that the false bottom doesnt prevent fine particles from collecting in the dead space beneath. by placing an element beneath the false bottom, there is no way to agitate the wort and these particles would catch and burn on the element. not exactly ideal.

 

[QldKev]

Thirsty, hows this mash tun going?

After using my 70L SS BeerBelly kettle, I'm now looking at getting BB to fabricate a mashtun for me and I too am intrigued by the idea of a flat false bottom over a domed false bottom. Have you found any issues with the design?
How far from the bottom of the stock pot does your false bottom sit? would there be enough room to fit a low watt heating element - ie could this be made into an electric "direct fired" mash tun? if not would there be any issues with having wayne fabricate the false bottom high enough to have an element under it working with a recirculating system.

If you used a low density heater with recirculating I can't see why not. After all this is basically what a RIMS would be doing.

QldKev

 

[komodo]

Exactly my thoughts QldKev.
Hmmm - more pondering to do...

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I see no reason why it wouldn't work - you would have to recirculate of course, and I suspect that like my RIMS (in a separate chamber) you would need a decent flow rate or things don't work so well. Have a search around here, the Brewing Network forum and in general on the web for "Brutus 10" style systems - they are a gas fired RIMS recirculated directly from the mash tun.

As for mine... I assume you could get Wayne to fabricate you anything you want, but it would be different to mine which only has a few mm clearance under the FB. No room for an element.

The other thing is cleaning - you get a build up on the RIMS element no matter what you do - its mostly break material that forms directly on the hot surface. I find that with the new FB I have to recirculate till the wort is clear before I power up my element, or the build up gets bad enough to effect the performance of the system and even to burn a little. BUT, you get some build up every time no matter what. With a fixed in place element that would be a bitch to clean. With separate chamber with removable element, you just whip it out and soak it in pbw for a while and it wipes straight off.

hope thats useful

TB

 

[komodo]

Cheers Thirsty. More food for though!