Mash Tun Suction Gauge

[Mylo]

I was talking with a fellow homebrewer last night when the topic of using a pump to transfer out of the mash came up. We discussed the relative merits of using a grant to avoid compaction - but then we agreed that having one more valve to sync (and level to watch) during the sparge was a pain in the ass. I mentioned Push's liquid level controller as a possible solution.

Said dude then talked about what he called a "grant-less" system - in which and open tube (like a sight glass) is put inline with the drain valve (but before the pump). He said you can use this to gauge how much suction you are putting on the grainbed, and you could also note how (if) it changes throughout the sparge. Certain grainbills (without wheat or rye) you can crank the flow rate until the gauge was almost at the bottom, while others you might only want to lower it a few inches. If the bed started to stick, the gauge would bottom out and you would start sucking air. You could probably put an o-ring at the initial level.

I thought this was a very elegant solution and a great way to keep an eye on how your grainbed is doing throughout the process. I had never heard of anybody using a sight glass on the mash to gauge the amount of suction. What do you guys think?

(oh, and before some jumps in here)

I said: "pump", "ass", "tube", "suction", "crank", and "sucking"

(there, now be serious, mmmkay?)


Mylo

[ziggy]

Do you mean that there would be a tube that comes off the mash tun into a T joint with the "sight glass" tube going up vertically and then the pump sort of like this?
m
a
s t
h u
t b
u e
n___ |___pump____

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

(oh, and before some jumps in here)

I said: "pump", "ass", "tube", "suction", "crank", and "sucking"

(there, now be serious, mmmkay?)


Mylo

You forgot "flow". Just sayin'.

[Mylo]

Do you mean that there would be a tube that comes off the mash tun into a T joint with the "sight glass" tube going up vertically and then the pump sort of like this?
m
a
s t
h u
t b
u e
n___ |___pump____

Yup, that's how I understood it. Obviously if you ran it full bore it would suck the tube dry.

(dammit, I did it again)


Mylo

[BadRock]

I don't understand how a sight glass would help you gauge compaction. As long as you have fluid it's going to look the same, by the time you are sucking air it's to late. Why not just put a pressure/vacuum gauge inline, note the starting pressure, probably some where near 18" depending on where your pump is located, then watch for a loss.


Something like this.. http://www.drillspot.com/products/11995 ... sure_Gauge

[ziggy]

That gauge is rate to 150f so the mash might get too hot for it. If you suck hot fluid through it then it might not be able to handle it.

[Mylo]

I don't understand how a sight glass would help you gauge compaction. As long as you have fluid it's going to look the same, by the time you are sucking air it's to late. Why not just put a pressure/vacuum gauge inline, note the starting pressure, probably some where near 18" depending on where your pump is located, then watch for a loss.


Something like this.. http://www.drillspot.com/products/11995 ... sure_Gauge

Good suggestion, but I also don't think a pressure gauge would have any longevity with a sticky wort.

The level would initially be as high as the liquid in the mash. As soon as you started the flow through the pump, it would drop lower than the liquid - because there would be less resistance than through the mash. Too far, and you will obviously loose prime. I'm not saying it would be an exact measure of the pressure on the bottom of the grainbed or anything. But just a visual indicator of how hard your driving the recirc or run off.

Maybe one of our propeller head brothas would have some sort of formula to determine actual pressure with this method - but I think it might be more of a subjective thing. For example, you are mashing a pale ale - and you just did a mashout. Chances are you can run that thing pretty fast. On the other had, you doing a Roggenbier with a shit load of Rye - you might want to go real slow.... you get the point.


Mylo

[slanted & enchanted]

grant schmant. i pump out of my mash tun with no problems whatsoever. and i'm talking 50 gallon batches too. i almost never have stuck sparges. i saw almost because i have had 1-2 stuck sparges on wheat beers, but we're talking 2 out of maybe 150 or so total? as long as your pump outlet is throttled down and you have enough liquid in your mash tun you shouldn't have any issues.

this is with a false bottom and fly sparging, btw. i can't vouch for a bazooka tube or any other lautering device.