Steam Mashing setup. Advice needed.

Yorg · 08-19-2007, 06:52 AM

Hi folks,
I am close to finalising my steam mashing setup.
This forum has been very useful - particularly the posts by Flyguy, Brewman, and Yuri, and also Gary Spykman's page: http://www.gjwspykman.com/simm/simm.html

I am at an important juncture, I reckon. So the question you can help answer, by looking at the attached pictures is:
Where should I drill the holes in the 'prongs', what size, and how many?

FYI, the steam source is a pressure cooker - which I think operates somewhere around 15PSI.

The first pic shows the tun, with lid, which has mounts/holes for the assembly at left - the 'prong's to slot into. The prongs are pushed down to the bottom of the tun where they sit just above a Phil's false bottom. You can see the solenoid steam valve mounted on the assembly at left of pic.

The second pic shows a close up of the bottom of the prong, placed next to one of the mounts. You'll note it is capped.

Note also that a mash stirrer will be operating. The aluminium (aluminum) bracket on the lid you see in the first pic is for a rotisserie motor, which drives a home made stirrer. I can choose to mount the lowest blades on the stirrer as low as about 70cm (about 3 inches) above the false bottom. The third pic is of the stirrer.

-The main concern is to get even heat distribution - that's what I have the stirrer for - not concerned about extraction efficiency.
- Another consideration is what to make of the fact that - as i've read in posts here- the steam bubbles don't pop immediately near the bottom.
-Another consideration is the roundness of the tun.

So, please give me your thoughts on the question (above).

Cheers,
Yorg.

**Yuri_Rage** · 08-20-2007, 05:31 PM

Looks good so far! I think you should drill 1/16" holes in the "prongs," but only in the bottom 3 or 4 inches.

Have you tried the stirring mechanism in a mash yet? I like the design!

brewman ! · 08-20-2007, 07:18 PM

I have no idea where you should drill the holes. If you drill small holes you could plug them off with solder or a screw. Interesting setup you have there. I'll be waiting for your feedback on how it works. I may implement something similar in a rectangular cooler.

Yorg · 08-21-2007, 12:53 AM

Thanks guys,
I haven't yet done a test - including the stirrer
I'll drill sets of three holes at one, two and three inches in each prong, and face the middle hole of each set into the centre, and the outside holes toward the sides.
See how that works, and like you said B, I can always drop some solder on them and try again.
Cheers,
Yorg.