Show Us Your Return

[mschippr]

Hi,

I am trying to design my mash/liquid return on my mash tun.

Does anyone have any smart ideas on how to put one togther that doesnt disturb the grain bed or get clogged up?

Pictured is the mash tun that im currently building, my current idea is to just have some hose layed on the top of the grain but im not sure if it will work the way i intend without making hose in my grain bed.

Thanks,

 

[Jarthy]

could make something like this

photo credit beerbelly

but just use a SS mug used for camping maybe cut down?

 

[reVoxAHB]

I'm about to order a Blichmann AutoSparge


Have been using this which sits just under surface for gentle return..


I've fashioned a few hard plumbed extensions so can be adjusted vertically depending on batch size, g/w ratio, etc.
Looking forward to the Blich solution, tho.

reVox

 

[dicko]

Here is a pic of mine.
It is a s/steel camping cup.
Works well.


Cheers

 

[Cortez The Killer]

This is an option too

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/mash-lauter-tun?page=3

 

[mschippr]

All great ideas.

Hey Dicko what is holding up the mug? is it one of those anti-gravity mugs ive heard about?

I like the beerbelly returns (i have a lot of their stuff at the moment) but the website says they are out of stock and i cant really justify the cost at the moment.

I had Screwtop send me a PM about him using the same setup to what i have in the first picture but with a fishing net float attached to the end which is probably the cheapest improvement option.

 

[dicko]

All great ideas.

Hey Dicko what is holding up the mug? is it one of those anti-gravity mugs ive heard about?

I like the beerbelly returns (i have a lot of their stuff at the moment) but the website says they are out of stock and i cant really justify the cost at the moment.

I had Screwtop send me a PM about him using the same setup to what i have in the first picture but with a fishing net float attached to the end which is probably the cheapest improvement option.

Hi msc,

There is a piece of flat s/steel bolted to the bottom of the cup with a hole in one end to fit onto a piece of 3/8id s/steel thread.
The s/steel length of thread then screws into the bottom of a 3/8" s/steel tee which is screwed onto the fitting that comes through the wall of the tun.
I then got a female blanking plug to seal off the bottom of the threaded tubing.
There is a nut on each side of the flat s/steel that allows you to adjust it up and down for various heights.
Because I didn't cut the mug down the height adjustment does not have to be that spot on.
I made it this way because I had most of the bits and pieces from a previous brewery build.
When I "ripped" the handle off the mug it left a couple of pin holes where the spot welds were and these tiny holes allow the cup to drain as the mash tun empties out. Very well engineered I thought. :lol:

This pic might show it a bit clearer



Cheers

 

[dicko]

This is an option too

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/mash-lauter-tun?page=3

When I had my water cooler mash tun I tried that hose on top and I found because it created a whirlpool the sparge started channelling down the sides of the tun and I lost efficiency.
To stop it I made a piece of wood that fitted neatly across the tun and I drilled a hole in the middle of it so the hose could be pushed through it as an interference fit.
This allowed me to adjust the hose to the height required.
I then got one of those aerator fittings and put it in the end of the hose and as long as it was under the surface of the wort it spread the return liquor across the top of the grain bed. It worked quite well actually.
I was using as copper manifold with that set up and I have now changed to a falsie with the brewery upgrade because I went all stainless.

I am not knocking the manufacturer in your link but purely stating my personal experiences.

Cheers