New Paddle/spoon Needed - Suggestions?

[Tony]

One person above mentioned smashing doughballs against the side of the tun. I must say that I nave never seen a doughball in my mash whether that be a batch-sparge or BIAB But if I ever got one wouldn't it be easier mashing it out against the bottom of the tun rather than the side? Yes - it would. Obvious stuff.

So, why am I posting here? Because I absolutely know that my mash paddle works better than a traditional one.

Hi Pat.

I have no doubt that your paddle works the best in your system but in MYYYYYYYY system it would damage my flase bottom if i tried to bust dough balls with downward pressure.

I have no doubt you have never had a doughball. I may crack my grain finer, use different malt to you, use a different water/grain ratio, dough in in a different way that causes the odd doughball. I cant find the doughballs in a full 50 liter mash tun sometimes and by stiring from the bottom up they come to the top and i trap them on the side (im talking tenis ball size when i first dough in)

And how can you claim it would be easier to smash it (the said doughballs) on the bottom of the tun if you have never had one to try it out?

a lot of the time i do a protein rest at about 1.8 L/KG with 12kg of grain. Its not fluid...... at all...... and i need the shovel style paddle to turn it over and mix it evenly. I dont really know if your paint stirer would cut it in that situation. and it would definatly dammage my false bottom then.

so for me it comes down to versatility and compromise. what will work best in all situations in MYYYYYYYY setup.

I personaly dont like the idea of timber paddles, i recon i would snap one with what i do somethtimes, but im not going to tell everyone that is very happy with timber that they suck cause mine is made from staino'

im not going to get into the 80% failure bit

cheers

 

[PistolPatch]

Howdy Tony,

I must admit that I never have done a really thick mash with my paddle but I have been known to use it to mix plaster up from time to time Works OK - lol. I also never thought of the false bottom bit but I've never actually needed to use more than a couple of fingers jiggling this paddle up and down. In other words I've never found myself in a situation (yet) where I've had to use much force. Good to see Doogie likes it!

Oh and yep, I have also used it to mix paint with but maybe I shouldn't have said that

Spot ya mate,
Pat

 

[deadly]

5 pages all about a spoon? :huh: only on AHB.

 

[SJW]

5 pages all about a spoon? only on AHB.

Just wait till Darren fires up a Botulism threat in the use of wooden spoons

 

[clintmo]

Just whipped up this bad boy out of inspiration from this thread. $7 worth of dowel from bunnings.





Heres a few shots of how i made it

 

[SJW]

Nice work Clintmo

 

[kook]

So, why am I posting here? Because I absolutely know that my mash paddle works better than a traditional one.

As Tony said, that may be the case on your system, but not on others.

On many other systems this would result in grain particles being pushed into the holes of the false bottom, potentially causing a stuck sparge, or in bad cases failure of the false bottom. In a braid system, you could collapse the braid completely if you were "smashing" against it.

Plus, on a direct fired tun you'd be pushing the dry grain against the heat source, not a good idea if you're trying to avoid scorching.

 

[Kai]

Plus a BIAB mash stirs in a lot more easily than a more traditional liquor:grist ratio mash does.

 

[winkle]

Just whipped up this bad boy out of inspiration from this thread. $7 worth of dowel from bunnings.

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Heres a few shots of how i made it

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Good work - feel like knocking up a few more? B)

 

[clintmo]

haha this one did take me a fair while maybe like an hour or so to make... (maybe more) as i was trying not to fudge it up cos i didnt want to go back down to bunnings. although i think i could whip one up alot faster in the future all i have to do is test it out now... one more piece added to start AG

 

[PistolPatch]

My goodness!

Brewers are the nicest hobbyists I have ever met BUT...

There are many and most of them are still great troops, that question or oppose new ideas.

Look, my suggestion of the paint stirrer mash paddle was no more inconsequential to me as to whether I used Octane 98 or 95 in my van. It's not a big deal. But it IS a good suggestion.

BUT a few troops have objected to using such a simple mash paddle. The reasons they have given though I certainly object to. What they don't realise is that I have used the same paddle in my whole brewing career and it has always served me very well...

I have used it in the thicker mashes of batch-sparging with a mash tun with a braided manifold. No way you will squash a braided manifold. You can even ''feel'' it and push it around.

Obviously for a thinner mash as used in BIAB things become even better but the way some of you talk about a mash it's like you are mixing up triple the consistency of porridge. This is ridiculous. Mashing a brew in is totally simple. Why do people make it complex????

The other advantage of my old paint stirrer mash paddle is that it can be used, on the chill, to speed the chill up and also direct trub to the place you want it.

Is that of interest here? Or should we continue to point out the what are actually unreal or readily solvable negatives?

Pat

 

[kook]

My goodness!

Brewers are the nicest hobbyists I have ever met BUT...

There are many and most of them are still great troops, that question or oppose new ideas.

Look, my suggestion of the paint stirrer mash paddle was no more inconsequential to me as to whether I used Octane 98 or 95 in my van. It's not a big deal. But it IS a good suggestion.

BUT a few troops have objected to using such a simple mash paddle. The reasons they have given though I certainly object to. What they don't realise is that I have used the same paddle in my whole brewing career and it has always served me very well...

I have used it in the thicker mashes of batch-sparging with a mash tun with a braided manifold. No way you will squash a braided manifold. You can even ''feel'' it and push it around.

Obviously for a thinner mash as used in BIAB things become even better but the way some of you talk about a mash it's like you are mixing up triple the consistency of porridge. This is ridiculous. Mashing a brew in is totally simple. Why do people make it complex????

The other advantage of my old paint stirrer mash paddle is that it can be used, on the chill, to speed the chill up and also direct trub to the place you want it.

Is that of interest here? Or should we continue to point out the what are actually unreal or readily solvable negatives?

Pat

I don't think anyone is "opposing" your idea Pat. I think that it probably works great on your system, and could on others. But not all. I personally wouldn't push grain down towards my false bottom as I like to keep the grain as fluid as possible down there to avoid the possibility of a stuck sparge. That is another reason I underlet (my liquor enters from below the false bottom) the mash.

The traditional mash paddle is very similar to the rakes on the mixer in a "proper" mash tun. It is designed to move the mash around to mix, whilst also avoiding pockets of grain and scorching.

Also, personally I would not put something used in my mash tun (a breeding ground for lactobacillus) into my kettle unless the wort was above 95 degrees. But I am pretty anal about sanitation, so others may not have a problem with this.

If it works for you, go for it! Others are welcome to give it a try too But personally I don't see it working for my system, and I'm happy with the performance of a paddle.

Isn't this board all about everyone sharing their viewpoints about brewing? What is wrong with questioning new (or old) ideas? Isn't that what innovation is all about? Trying something, working out the flaws and the good points, and exploiting the good points (and in some cases removing the flaws).

 

[Kai]

Isn't this board all about everyone sharing their viewpoints about brewing? What is wrong with questioning new (or old) ideas? Isn't that what innovation is all about? Trying something, working out the flaws and the good points, and exploiting the good points (and in some cases removing the flaws).

Exactly what I was going to say.