Slotted Manifold Or Braided Hose ?

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Hey Growler,

Good work mate, looks the goods...

I went a similar route and ended up with this:

View attachment 27171

All I have left to do is buy a good rat tail file to clean up the inside of the slots and solder the in to the end, which are done and soaking in cleaner atm....

Cheers

EDIT: Oh, and cut down the threaded length I guess....
 
Finished it all up! Cheers again to Gavo, Chap Chap and TP... and all really. Oh and thanks Fents for posting your BB stainless Falsie in another thread and reminding me it would have cost about the same and been a shite load easier! :p

Ok tap fitted and seals well:

View attachment 27275


View attachment 27276


Bottom of manifold - slottage:

View attachment 27277

Fitted:

View attachment 27278


Now I just have to tap this bad boy and get a few bits and pieces and it quad batches ahoy! :)

View attachment 27279
 
I'm in Wuv Cocko :wub:

Well done mate. I reckon you'll be crankin' out some mighty tasty brews outa that set up. Man I'm sooo jealous of that tun. Quad batches :beerbang: .

I noticed number 23 cut on the upper arm of the manifold looks about 5-6 deg off perpendicular. Might need to cut a new piece and replace it? :ph34r: :lol:

Cheers

Chappo
 
View attachment 27171

All I have left to do is buy a good rat tail file to clean up the inside of the slots and solder the in to the end, which are done and soaking in cleaner atm....

Cheers

EDIT: Oh, and cut down the threaded length I guess....

You could cut that ss all-thread in halves & put the other half on your kettle. Contrary to what a lot of others will tell you you will NOT cause any heat damage to your outlet valve. I use a NASA & have no trouble with heat causing problems with my ss outlet ball valve. See my boiler pic in my Gallery link below if you need visual confirmation.
For a hassle-free kettle outlet valve you could do worse than getting a 3-piece. :)

Just saw your post Chappo. :p

TP
 
I noticed number 23 cut on the upper arm of the manifold looks about 5-6 deg off perpendicular. Might need to cut a new piece and replace it? :ph34r: :lol:

Cheers

Chappo

LMAO :lol:

TP: I am going to use stainless shank and 3 piece for the kettle tap, thanks for the tip - it saved me asking!

Cheers
 
Nice work cocko.

I used Palmer also to plan my manifold, and it works a treat for me.
I'm sure yours will work just as well.
 
Cheers Warra,

I hope so mate.... I hope so....

should have others odds and ends in about 4 weeks and test run will be afoot. No doubt in my excitement I will post all about it!
:icon_cheers:
 
Any one got any ideas on attatching the braid to the bottom of the eski, thanks in advance
 
I screwed mine directly onto the All thread I had put through the hole I drilled...

:icon_cheers: CB
 
You could cut that ss all-thread in halves & put the other half on your kettle. Contrary to what a lot of others will tell you you will NOT cause any heat damage to your outlet valve. I use a NASA & have no trouble with heat causing problems with my ss outlet ball valve. See my boiler pic in my Gallery link below if you need visual confirmation.

Sure, with a NASA you won't experience any problem as it's a very small area on the burner itself. If you're using a big old 4-ring or something like that, then you will get a bit more heat licking up the sides of the pot when at full throttle. My ball valve would have been toast if it wasn't as far out from the kettle as it was.
 
I'm currently making a mash tun from a recently purchased 26 L esky. I've drilled out the front of the esky, fitted a threaded pipe and tap and sealed the threads with thread tape.

So far, so good - easy and fun.

taptest.jpg


insidetunbeforemanifold.jpg


However making the manifold has been a challenge and I really need some advice. I bought 3 m of annealed copper pipe, thinking I could bend it into shape in one continuous pice but that proved quite difficult. That piece was discarded due to excessive damage from bending and drilling and with the remaining copper I cut the appropriate bits to make a reasonable looking manifold. However I don't have t and elbow pieces so I may have to wait till I can buy them before continuing. So as not to waste the last bit of pipe, can someone offer advice on how to fit the pipe into the elbow joins properly? I don't have a soldering iron (although I guess I could borrow one in a pinch). I have a couple of brass olive fittings to screw the manifold into the t-piece fitted to the tap/thread leading to outside the tun so should I be looking at getting more of those?

I have some other questions.

Firstly I have been working with this copper pipe for several hours and my hands are covered in a blackish deposit which tastes like copper. That's to be expected but I'm now going to put my grain in next to this stuff. How does it not affect the flavour of the wort and/or beer?

Secondly why is the manifold necessary as opposed to something simple like fitting the internal threaded channel with a mesh? Could I place an appropriate sized cake cooling rack and some mesh above the tap? Is there any major reason why other types of straining (besides puring through colanders) are inappropriate?

Sorry if noob questions are noobish but my brewing assistant insisted that I ask

prushhelpingmashtun4.jpg
 
Theres a decent guide on youtube, you might have seen it already but here it is anyway;
- pt 1
- pt 2

It shows how they solder it together and so on.

I was going to go down a similiar route to you (I think I bought the same esky!) but decided to purchase a beerbelly falsie/bulkhead n stuff instead.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm currently making a mash tun from a recently purchased 26 L esky. I've drilled out the front of the esky, fitted a threaded pipe and tap and sealed the threads with thread tape.

So far, so good - easy and fun.

taptest.jpg


insidetunbeforemanifold.jpg


However making the manifold has been a challenge and I really need some advice. I bought 3 m of annealed copper pipe, thinking I could bend it into shape in one continuous pice but that proved quite difficult. That piece was discarded due to excessive damage from bending and drilling and with the remaining copper I cut the appropriate bits to make a reasonable looking manifold. However I don't have t and elbow pieces so I may have to wait till I can buy them before continuing. So as not to waste the last bit of pipe, can someone offer advice on how to fit the pipe into the elbow joins properly? I don't have a soldering iron (although I guess I could borrow one in a pinch). I have a couple of brass olive fittings to screw the manifold into the t-piece fitted to the tap/thread leading to outside the tun so should I be looking at getting more of those?

I have some other questions.

Firstly I have been working with this copper pipe for several hours and my hands are covered in a blackish deposit which tastes like copper. That's to be expected but I'm now going to put my grain in next to this stuff. How does it not affect the flavour of the wort and/or beer?

Secondly why is the manifold necessary as opposed to something simple like fitting the internal threaded channel with a mesh? Could I place an appropriate sized cake cooling rack and some mesh above the tap? Is there any major reason why other types of straining (besides puring through colanders) are inappropriate?

Sorry if noob questions are noobish but my brewing assistant insisted that I ask

prushhelpingmashtun4.jpg


Couple of points Manticle, I would run thread tape over the all thread where it fits inside the tun wall and use a flange nut and red fibre washer or silicon washer both inside and out. Screw these onto the thread taped area to waterproof your through wall fitting. There will be heaps of other posts and options to think about also.

Don't try to reinvent the wheel, a simple slotted manifold works well, use some 1/2 inch copper, easy as. As far as the copper taste goes, ask your yeastie buddies if they like the taste :lol: Have a look at some old brew kettles, RDWHAHB


Looks good, you're on your way.

Screwy
 
@ manticle,

I think you will be fine mate, its not rocket science.....

A copper manifold is the ultimate in my eyes.......

Beer you will have!!

Go for it...


Let us know how you go!
 
@ felten: Thankyou. I notice Grain and Grape don't sell those false bottoms. Is there anywhere you (or anyone else) knows where to get them in Melbourne?

@ screwtop : I used thread tape on both sides but no washers. Do you mean thread tape should cover the entire thread or just between the nut and the wall (which is currently where it is)? I know next to nothing about plumbing and pipes so all of this is completely new to me.

The copper manifold idea I'm happy with (provided metallic twang is no issue and I trust millions of brewers before me that it isn't). However joining those bits (91mm/1/2 inch) into elbows and t- pieces is done how exactly? Do I need more olive fittings or can I pinch the ends together somehow or...or.....or.? Another visit to Bunnings is on the cards but I'd like to make it the last.

The plumbing guy who gave me the advice on which bits to get asked if it wouldn't be easier just to buy that stuff wot you add the sugar to.
 
Copper manifold does a good job but takes some work, and ideally needs to follow the principles laid out in HowtoBrew.

Stainless steel braid also does a good job, either one length to the opposite edge or double length and twisted around.

You can also do a BIAB in an esky, although your 26L one will be too small for 23L batches. I use a 55L esky with the standard drain plug. Line it with swiss voile, dump in the grain, and perform a 2 step infusion (1st step to mash temp maybe 67C , then 2nd step to mash out 76C). Stir heaps, lift the bag, then drain all the runnings into your kettle... and away you go.

You could in theory just put a mesh on the pipe, but the issues are stuck mash and pour draining.
 
Forgot to include the photo of the bits of pipe I hope to make the manifold from which might make the question make more sense. Remnants of my 3 m coil or do I need to start again?

manifoldunconnected.jpg
 
Ok,

My tip would go like this:


Those joints won't set you back much.. You should have run long way!! THAT SAID - it will be fine...

need more info? wait for my PM.....

SOO much fun cutting the slots....

Anyways, don't stress it - we will get you home!
 

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