making your own false-bottom from perforated stainless steel sheets

I need a custom false bottom with 3/32" holes on 5/32" centers. I'd like something exactly like the Polarware false-bottoms but with my custom size. NorCal/Jaybird could handle this but they seem pretty expensive... more than the cost of the kettle I'm buying! Does anyone know of an inexpensive way to just make this myself? I'm in the San Diego area but don't know if anyone locally carries the material... and it needs to be cut.

I'm in the san diego area too. You want to try Homestead Sheetmetal in spring valley

I know DIY is attractive but the pricing for a less than full sheet gets pretty steep. Price out 16 gauge 304 perf at 24 x 24". The cheapest I've found is $60 and pricy places like Mcmaster get close to $100. Don't forget you need some kind of stand on a flat bottom pot to hold it up off the bottom.

The only reason we I was able to DIY my false bottoms was that we had a 4x8 sheet laying around the shop and we needed to make 4 of them at the same time.

Otherwise Jaybird would have been the best option.

This will be cheaper than a custom FB and will work just as well (in most cases)

12" False Bottom

Given this FB is only 12" diameter and the kettle I'm looking at is 18" diameter, wouldn't that create some efficiency problems?

Industrial metal off convoy has sheets of perforated SS for a good price, then you can take that to a water jet cutting facility and have it cut exactly the size you need.
http://www.industrialmetalsupply.com/

herman2011 said:

Given this FB is only 12" diameter and the kettle I'm looking at is 18" diameter, wouldn't that create some efficiency problems?

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How would it? A smaller FB would have less dead space. It might make draining slower.

Bsquared said:

Industrial metal off convoy has sheets of perforated SS for a good price, then you can take that to a water jet cutting facility and have it cut exactly the size you need.
http://www.industrialmetalsupply.com/

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I love this place! I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm in their showroom.

alexnharvey said:

How would it? A smaller FB would have less dead space. It might make draining slower.

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Assuming he's looking for 18" because that's the diameter of the mash tun, then use of a 12" FB would disrupt the laminar flow down through the grain bed. How much? No idea.

Space under a false bottom really isn't considered dead space (which is defined as the amount of liquid remaining in the vessel after a full draining). I don't know of an existing term for the area under a FB so I've been calling it slack space or foundation volume. The only time it would effect efficiency is if it forces you to use a mash thinner than you'd normally want. It would take quite a bit of slack space to do that.

Bobby, correct... I was asking with respect to even laminar flow throughout the entire grain-bed.

Bsquared... yeah, I called IMS. I love that place. But on this they acted like they had no idea what I was talking about. I guess I'll just go there and look for a piece.

I was just there a few days ago buying SS tube, and they has a bunch of different sheets of perforated stainless steel. I'm sure they will have what you are looking for. I've bought sheets in the past from Online metal store, and from Small parts they are owned by Amazon now. I found both to be reasonably priced for Perforated Stainless sheets.

On line metals has .03" (1/32") thick, 3/32" x 5/32" punched for $19.86 for a 12" x 12", and $61.65 for 24" x 24". Shipping is about $15.
https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=13533&step=4&id=1002&top_cat=1
These guys are right down the street from me. Great guys, good service, they give you a order number that you can track the progress of the order with.

I'm not going to tell anyone what to do, but most large false bottoms are made from 1/16", not 1/32. If you go that route, you'll need a very good support structure, something like a grid on 3" centers.

SpikeBrewing said:

This will be cheaper than a custom FB and will work just as well (in most cases)

12" False Bottom

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In what cases it wouldn't?

chapusin said:

In what cases it wouldn't?

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You just trolled a 10 month old thread.
Sir, have you been drinking?

acidrain said:

You just trolled a 10 month old thread.
Sir, have you been drinking?

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YES, haha, and actively looking for a false bottom. Well not anymore, I bought the 12" domed FB.