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I've done this and it worked for me. But it means that you start your mash with a lot of water and there is a trap for the unwary.
If the tip of your recirc pipe is under water (mash), be careful when you turn the pump on. It can suck grains into the pump. Reduced pump efficiency can cause a build-up of burned mash on the bottom of your unit. The black cake will then reflect the heat from the element back down onto the element. The unit will overheat and switch itself off. So half way through your mash you will find your unit switched off and wonder why. Sure you can turn it back on again, and it will run for a minute or two, but again switch itself off.
Remember the tip of the recirc pipe is underwater so you won't see the decreased/non-existent flow. If you're like me you'll have no idea what is going on.You will swear curses at the manufacturer, worry about losing the entire batch, your dog will hide from you and the four horsemen of the apocalypse will think now must be the time. Thankfully I found a post from WEAL hidden in another thread that explained the problem and I was able to save the batch.
The easy fix is to drain all your liquid into your old BIAB pots, lift out the malt pipe, clean off the burned cake, flush the pump and you're ready to go.
If the tip of your recirc pipe is under water (mash), be careful when you turn the pump on. It can suck grains into the pump. Reduced pump efficiency can cause a build-up of burned mash on the bottom of your unit. The black cake will then reflect the heat from the element back down onto the element. The unit will overheat and switch itself off. So half way through your mash you will find your unit switched off and wonder why. Sure you can turn it back on again, and it will run for a minute or two, but again switch itself off.
Remember the tip of the recirc pipe is underwater so you won't see the decreased/non-existent flow. If you're like me you'll have no idea what is going on.You will swear curses at the manufacturer, worry about losing the entire batch, your dog will hide from you and the four horsemen of the apocalypse will think now must be the time. Thankfully I found a post from WEAL hidden in another thread that explained the problem and I was able to save the batch.
The easy fix is to drain all your liquid into your old BIAB pots, lift out the malt pipe, clean off the burned cake, flush the pump and you're ready to go.