I've made two batches with this mash/tun and their false bottom and i've gotten stuck recirculations on both batches. I have a chugger pump to recirc with with ball valve to adjust flow. I've tried different flow rates without much luck.
My first batch would constantly clog and the flow would stop. I'd stir it up and start again. I've tried a very low flow rate(blichmann recommends .25 gpm for 15gal pot) and a higher rate with not much difference. When lautering the first batch I could see through the wort where I pushed the grains aside to the false bottom and even though it was clear of grains to this part of the false bottom it just would not flow any more wort. The tip tube and valve were clear of obstruction.
On my 2nd batch I used rice hulls but still had the issue for most of the mash. The last 15 minutes or so started flowing nicely at a fairly high flow rate through the pump. But the rest of the mash the flow was constantly stopping and i'd have to stir it up.
I did not have wheat in either batch. I used a water to grain ratio of 1.5qt/lb
My guess at this point is it's the crush of the grains. My LHBS crushes them pretty fine and i've always gotten great efficiency from them in my cooler mash tun but it doesn't seem to work so well in the blichmann. So my plan is i'm going to get grains from a different source and not milled so fine to see if that fixes it. If so i'll buy my own mill so I can have greater control over the process.
Anyone else use the blichmann mash tun and experience similar issues?
My first batch would constantly clog and the flow would stop. I'd stir it up and start again. I've tried a very low flow rate(blichmann recommends .25 gpm for 15gal pot) and a higher rate with not much difference. When lautering the first batch I could see through the wort where I pushed the grains aside to the false bottom and even though it was clear of grains to this part of the false bottom it just would not flow any more wort. The tip tube and valve were clear of obstruction.
On my 2nd batch I used rice hulls but still had the issue for most of the mash. The last 15 minutes or so started flowing nicely at a fairly high flow rate through the pump. But the rest of the mash the flow was constantly stopping and i'd have to stir it up.
I did not have wheat in either batch. I used a water to grain ratio of 1.5qt/lb
My guess at this point is it's the crush of the grains. My LHBS crushes them pretty fine and i've always gotten great efficiency from them in my cooler mash tun but it doesn't seem to work so well in the blichmann. So my plan is i'm going to get grains from a different source and not milled so fine to see if that fixes it. If so i'll buy my own mill so I can have greater control over the process.
Anyone else use the blichmann mash tun and experience similar issues?
