Hi!
I read a post very recently in which the poster got a clearer wort by recirculating during the mash.
Easiest Mash Tun Ever
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Hi!
I read a post very recently in which the poster got a clearer wort by recirculating during the mash.
braziliain
Small Batch Brewer
Ideally would love to try that (is it called vourlorfing???) but with BIAB and no tap on my pan I'm just not sure it's possible.
Wondered if passing it through some sort of filter after mash and before boil might be a compromise with the setup I have, similar to in the photo on the previous page.
Hi!
Post number 14 here is interesting: https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=23354.0
Try Googling "BIAB filtering" - there's quite a few pages.
braziliain
Small Batch Brewer
That's a useful link, thanks! I could certainly pour through the grain bag. I'll try it next time.
Ideally would like to fit a tap but I'm scared of drilling my pot.
Hi!
This video shows how to cut holes in metal with a special punch (Q-Max is a good brand) - the general principle is there.
If you already know about these, I'll get me coat!
Colin
This video shows how to cut holes in metal with a special punch (Q-Max is a good brand) - the general principle is there.
If you already know about these, I'll get me coat!
Colin
DocTrucker
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Brew day was yesterday. Here is my comments, but please be aware at the moment I think my efficiency problems are most likely due to my all-grain newbie status!
In terms of dead space between the buckets this is determined by the position of your tap. As this is only on one side I decided to buy some very cheap glass tumblers and use three to set the distance between false bottom tub and the main one. I was going to use new UPVC drain pipe cut to length but decided these would be more sanatary and easier to get the same height!
The volume of my dead space was about 6l I filled this with 80C water 5-10 minutes before my strike water. In retrospect I think I'll go hotter.
My strike water was heated to 73C and by the time I finished mixing in the grain the bed temperature was around 65C. I'm not quoting losses from this run because I'm not confident I measured them right!
After an hour I checked a small quantity of runnings with Iodene and it showed the conversion was complete, it did not turn black. I attempted a continuous sparge at approximately 0.5l/min after a couple of litres recirculation. It is likely it was on the slower side of 0.5l/min. I maintained the water level about 25mm above the grain bed. I stopped the sparge when the runnings fell to 1.008. At this point I had collected about 30l of water but could only fit about 28 in my boil pot.
I lost a lot on the boil as it took an age to heat to boil! Finished with about 21 litres. This was about 1.064 which worked out as a brew house efficiency of around 56%.
I look forward to the next brew day, but with about 60 bottles in stock and another batch in ferment this may be a while!
In terms of dead space between the buckets this is determined by the position of your tap. As this is only on one side I decided to buy some very cheap glass tumblers and use three to set the distance between false bottom tub and the main one. I was going to use new UPVC drain pipe cut to length but decided these would be more sanatary and easier to get the same height!
The volume of my dead space was about 6l I filled this with 80C water 5-10 minutes before my strike water. In retrospect I think I'll go hotter.
My strike water was heated to 73C and by the time I finished mixing in the grain the bed temperature was around 65C. I'm not quoting losses from this run because I'm not confident I measured them right!
After an hour I checked a small quantity of runnings with Iodene and it showed the conversion was complete, it did not turn black. I attempted a continuous sparge at approximately 0.5l/min after a couple of litres recirculation. It is likely it was on the slower side of 0.5l/min. I maintained the water level about 25mm above the grain bed. I stopped the sparge when the runnings fell to 1.008. At this point I had collected about 30l of water but could only fit about 28 in my boil pot.
I lost a lot on the boil as it took an age to heat to boil! Finished with about 21 litres. This was about 1.064 which worked out as a brew house efficiency of around 56%.
I look forward to the next brew day, but with about 60 bottles in stock and another batch in ferment this may be a while!
johnnyboy1965
Landlord.
Its called a "Chinoise" available from Nisbits, not to be confused with a conical strainer, the mesh on a chinoise is a lot finer and no "debris" can get through.
Hi!
I have been thinking about a "tap" on the base of the mash tun - this would reduce dead space to almost zero. A tank connector, an elbow, a length of straight pipe and a ball valve would be fitted to a hole in the centre of the bottom of the tun. This would probably only be feasible with a recirculating system as there is some "stagnant" wort in the pipe.
If the tun was on some kind of tallish stand, the ball valve could be fitted directly to the tank connector and the elbow fitted after the valve. There then may be problems operating the valve.
Did you consider batch sparging?
DocTrucker
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That makes sense. It wouldn't be a great deal of extra kit to attempt either. I've got one of the little pumps that I'm considering using to pump wort about next time. so could use this to recirculate the wort during the mash which I guess would help even the temperature.
Didn't consider a batch sparge as I got the impression the continuous was suppose to be most efficient. I'll re-read the mashing sections of my books again now I've had a go once and have some experience to relate to!
Didn't consider a batch sparge as I got the impression the continuous was suppose to be most efficient. I'll re-read the mashing sections of my books again now I've had a go once and have some experience to relate to!
keat64
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Hi!
Found this on BeerSmith.com:
"Aside from claims about time, ease or tradition, it comes down to mash geometry. The shape of your mash bed will determine the best sparge method.
When mashing in a cooler, more horizontal surface area is available, letting the water move through the grain bed evenly. The water doesn't have too far to go, so it percolates through the grain without compacting it. Fly sparging makes sense here because it keeps an even head pressure on the grain and the grain has more contact time, yielding more sugar.
When mashing in a kettle or keg, the mash is taller than wide, so the water has a tendency to compact the grain bed and seek the path of least resistance, which is usually the side walls. In this configuration, batch sparging makes sense because the water is remixed with the grain (usually stirred), which equalizes sugar distribution. Allowing the water to sit with the grain for 10 minutes pulls sugar out and multiple batches increase efficiency."
