Beer Forum

I am planning out my sculpture and I have a question.

If I am using a pump to go from my mash tun to my boil kettle, do I have to have a grant in between the two?

Excellent question there, Thirsty! I am planning to go to a single tier, Brutus type of brewery in 2008. I too am wondering the same thing. My last two batches have stuck by developing a thick layer of flour on the top of the mash. I'm suspecting my LHBS changed their crush. Time for me to get a mill. Anyway...

Fortunately, both were cleared by just slicing it up with the back of my spoon. But if I was pumping directly and happened to walk away for a few minutes (even if I was pumping really slowly), I pretty sure I would have walked back to a solid mash plug, compacted to a third it's normal volume. A grant would be a safer bet, I'm thinking.

Let's hear your horror stories, there all you Brutus and Brutus Clone brewers out there...


Mylo

I posted almost the same question in the B3 forum with not many replies, but what i have seen and think will work pretty well is a false bottom with a SS braid under it. Im planning the single tier set up as well with a new fly sparge setup. If the FB and SS braid dont work, Ill prob just go with the braid and add a grant somewhere like youre thinking.
-Crut

cguntzviller wrote:I posted almost the same question in the B3 forum with not many replies, but what i have seen and think will work pretty well is a false bottom with a SS braid under it.

That doesn't sound like the braid will add much value there in that configuration. The false bottom should already spread out the "suction" load to the entire bottom. The braid would at that point just add some additional filtering - which shouldn't be necessary if you vorloff and/or recirculate. You might be onto something with the necessity of a false bottom vs. a manifold, however. I would think that there would be much less compaction potential when the load is spread out over a greater area.

Do you guys have to slice up the top of your mash on a regular basis?


Mylo

I am looking at a single tier as well and I thought you could just control the flow with ball valves or something similar to prevent compaction.

I am interested in the answers as well.

currently I batch sparge so I stir it up anyways. But i have plans in my head for a new fly sparger with the new setup.

When I do get everything setup i'll probably try the false bottom, then the hose braid just to see if it makes a difference.
-Crut

Thirsty Mallard wrote:If I am using a pump to go from my mash tun to my boil kettle, do I have to have a grant in between the two?

I do.

Push E.

I would use one.