BM20 - Malt Pipe Seal Issues

[Siscokid85]

Hi all,

Looking to see if any BM owners on here have had any issues with the red / brown maltpipe seal dropping off when you extract the pipe?

I've brewed about 6 times now and it has happened twice recently. It's a b*gger to get out when it is below the elements once you have sparged, the first time I had to fully drain to a spare fermenter, fish it out and re fill, which lost a lot of heat and extended the time to get to boil and was just a total PITA. Second time it happened I remembered to check by lifting the maltpipe out far enough to check for it, and then let the malt pipe drain mostly, dropped it into a fermenter and fished it out with a set of kitchen tongues that were long enough as I hadn't added the sparge water, then put the malt pipe back on the cradle and sparged, adding any running's back in from the fermenter.

I don't think the seal would be in contact with the elements but I don't like the idea of leaving it in for the boil just in case.

When I clean up the malt pipe and the filters I usually remove it and then push the tip of my thumb into the slot in the seal and gently run it round to make sure it is clean, wondering if I have made it too slack by doing this, there is no visible damage to it. I could buy a replacement and see if that fits any better.

Any thoughts/ experiences from any owners?

 

[Pennine]

That would be very annoying, I have not had this issue but have with a seal going bad and the pump not being able to pump through the malt pipe. I just bought a few extras and I replace them every so often. Do you have a long spoon to fish them out with?

 

[Siscokid85]

That would be very annoying, I have not had this issue but have with a seal going bad and the pump not being able to pump through the malt pipe. I just bought a few extras and I replace them every so often. Do you have a long spoon to fish them out with?

thanks, I tried with a spoon first, but without being able to see I couldn't get it with multiple attempts, just ended up pushing up against the side under the elements and couldn't get under it to hook / catch it. the second time with the tongs it was dead easy to get and it wasn't a major stress/hassle, but they arent long enough for the water level post sparge. I think i just need to have it engrained in my mind to check every time when i lift the malt pipe out and before I sparge.

Might be worth me having a spare in stock and then give it a go and see if i have the issue. If not then it will still come in eventually.

Out on interest, roughly how many brews do you get out of the seal before you replace?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Pennine]

thanks, I tried with a spoon first, but without being able to see I couldn't get it with multiple attempts, just ended up pushing up against the side under the elements and couldn't get under it to hook / catch it. the second time with the tongs it was dead easy to get and it wasn't a major stress/hassle, but they arent long enough for the water level post sparge. I think i just need to have it engrained in my mind to check every time when i lift the malt pipe out and before I sparge.

Might be worth me having a spare in stock and then give it a go and see if i have the issue. If not then it will still come in eventually.

Out on interest, roughly how many brews do you get out of the seal before you replace?

Thanks for your help.

Quite a few, I have replaced it 3 times in roughly 200 brews. But I have a 10l and think that because it's smaller it probably holds it's integrity better than the larger ones.

 

[Pennine]

I also don't wash it like you I don't even pull it off every time and if I do it's just to clean the malt pipe and rinse the seal.

 

[RichardM]

I've had it happen once in very many brews. I don't know what caused it but I always remove the seal and clean it after brewing.

 

[grooves]

I've done 60+ brews with no problem - I remove the seal from the malt pipe and just wash it off in water. You can probably get a replacement from BrewUK - who are the UK distributor. Give them a ring. Unfortunately, thanks to Brexit, Speidel no longer ship to the UK.

 

[foxy]

Never had that happen in all the time I had mine, I did get a split in the bottom one and just changed it with the top seal, and I did buy a spare just in case. The reason for the top seal was when I tightened the thumb screw down I dented the top, I later made 2 new screens for the top so I could get more grain in.

 

[RichardM]

Never had that happen in all the time I had mine, I did get a split in the bottom one and just changed it with the top seal, and I did buy a spare just in case. The reason for the top seal was when I tightened the thumb screw down I dented the top, I later made 2 new screens for the top so I could get more grain in.

View attachment 73795

I think we are talking about the silicon seal on the bottom of the malt pipe, not the mesh screens (which fray and are best replaced with BacBrewing versions).

 

[foxy]

I think we are talking about the silicon seal on the bottom of the malt pipe, not the mesh screens (which fray and are best replaced with BacBrewing versions).

That's what I am talking about too. I fitted them to the top as well as the bottom. As I said putting a seal on the top saved the rim of the malt pipe, plus later acted as a seal when I made up the larger screens for the top.

 

[Siscokid85]

I think we are talking about the silicon seal on the bottom of the malt pipe, not the mesh screens (which fray and are best replaced with BacBrewing versions).

Thanks for all the advice, I like the idea of a seal on the top with the flat plate. Maybe I am unlucky, ive had it twice in 6 brews which is quite a high percentage, the first time i wondered if id tightened the nut down too much and it had stuck / fused (done an overnight mash) and pulled it off. second time, it I was conscious of this and made sure it was thumb tight and done it again.

I am after the Bac brewing screens along with the screen / yield increase disc they do. however I have been asking brew uk since october when they will get them back in stock and no idea just "soon"! I looked at buying direct but the shipping / import duty made it unviable really given the cost of the items. are there any other ways of getting them in the uk? or other stockists in the uk?

 

[foxy]

Thanks for all the advice, I like the idea of a seal on the top with the flat plate. Maybe I am unlucky, ive had it twice in 6 brews which is quite a high percentage, the first time i wondered if id tightened the nut down too much and it had stuck / fused (done an overnight mash) and pulled it off. second time, it I was conscious of this and made sure it was thumb tight and done it again.

I am after the Bac brewing screens along with the screen / yield increase disc they do. however I have been asking brew uk since october when they will get them back in stock and no idea just "soon"! I looked at buying direct but the shipping / import duty made it unviable really given the cost of the items. are there any other ways of getting them in the uk? or other stockists in the uk?

I bought my BM direct from Germany and got it posted to Australia, cost me $80, but I also got the vat taken off so it was a 20% discount straight away. Surely there must be someone selling them in the UK. I will have a look if I have a spare seal.

 

[RichardM]

Thanks for all the advice, I like the idea of a seal on the top with the flat plate. Maybe I am unlucky, ive had it twice in 6 brews which is quite a high percentage, the first time i wondered if id tightened the nut down too much and it had stuck / fused (done an overnight mash) and pulled it off. second time, it I was conscious of this and made sure it was thumb tight and done it again.

I am after the Bac brewing screens along with the screen / yield increase disc they do. however I have been asking brew uk since october when they will get them back in stock and no idea just "soon"! I looked at buying direct but the shipping / import duty made it unviable really given the cost of the items. are there any other ways of getting them in the uk? or other stockists in the uk?

If you want a seal around the top disc get a length of silicon tube, slit along its length then fit it over the disc and mesh before fitting them.
I don't know if tightening the wing nut too much caused the bottom seal to stick, but it doesn't need to be tight.

 

[Siscokid85]

I bought my BM direct from Germany and got it posted to Australia, cost me $80, but I also got the vat taken off so it was a 20% discount straight away. Surely there must be someone selling them in the UK. I will have a look if I have a spare seal.

Hi Foxy,

Yes brewUK are one of about 3 uk distributers for Speidel and the BM, thats where I got the BM from originally, they also stock the Speidel spares so getting a seal from them isnt a problem. I think BrewUK have an affiliation with Brauland which are EU / Belgium based and so they have an easier time importing Speidel gear in the post brexit world.

They do also occasionally stock Bac Brewing accessories for the BM, but as they are based in Italy and what with brexit I think they struggle to get a regular supply I think exporting to the UK is harder than everywhere else in the EU, so I think we are on the too hard list!

 

[foxy]

If you want a seal around the top disc get a length of silicon tube, slit along its length then fit it over the disc and mesh before fitting them.
I don't know if tightening the wing nut too much caused the bottom seal to stick, but it doesn't need to be tight.

Even better, get one ready made, I got mine off Aliexpress. Pressure cooker seals they come in all sizes.
https://www.google.com/search?q=sil...0j0i390l4.24274j1j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[mathorp]

I have had the seal fall off a few times, but it was always as I was removing the malt pipe after sparging. I recovered the seal after the boil and removing the cooled wort - with no apparent damage. I have had the BM about 10 years with many brews and have never needed to replace this seal, probably because I have a spare(!)

To prevent this problem, I use two pieces of coat hanger wire. It is bent at both ends to hook under the seal and over the top of the pipe.

Like other posters, I always remove the seal for washing and do not tighten the screw much, just a little tension to keep the pipe in place. No problems with bypassing the seal.

 

[RichardM]

I have had the seal fall off a few times, but it was always as I was removing the malt pipe after sparging. I recovered the seal after the boil and removing the cooled wort - with no apparent damage. I have had the BM about 10 years with many brews and have never needed to replace this seal, probably because I have a spare(!)

To prevent this problem, I use two pieces of coat hanger wire. It is bent at both ends to hook under the seal and over the top of the pipe.

Like other posters, I always remove the seal for washing and do not tighten the screw much, just a little tension to keep the pipe in place. No problems with bypassing the seal.

I don't understand this. Can you post a photo?

 

[Siscokid85]

I don't understand this. Can you post a photo?

Me too, Im struggling to understand this, surely this would prevent the seal from forming a proper "seal" against the bottom of the tank, providing an easier route for the pumped malt to escape rather than up through the malt pipe. A length of bent coat hanger might be usefull to help me fish it out though.

 

[RichardM]

Me too, Im struggling to understand this, surely this would prevent the seal from forming a proper "seal" against the bottom of the tank, providing an easier route for the pumped malt to escape rather than up through the malt pipe. A length of bent coat hanger might be usefull to help me fish it out though.

Yes, that's what I was thinking

 

[mathorp]

The bit I did not explain well was that the wires only go in after sparging.
I put them in place while the pipe is hanging clear of the bottom.
(I have never had trouble with the seal falling off before this point).

Not the easiest thing to photograph - hope these help.