Mash Tun too wide

I've recently built a HERMS setup with 3 100l pots, system works great a problem I have realised is that because the pots are 500mm wide and 500mm tall if I use measured grain to water in my recipe the grain bed doesn't get covered, I have to add another 10l or so to cover the grain, therefore I'm mashing with too much water and just sparging with a bit less. I've done 3 batches now, the first 2 I never done any calculations but the third I measured the water properly and that's when I realised the problem, I still hit my target OG but didn't collect as much as I wanted. Just after some advice to see if this is going to be a problem for efficiency and to see if I need to think about changing my MLT for a taller narrower one, cheers


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How many gallon batch are you trying to do in the kettles? It seems to me your probably just trying to do too small a batch (If I understand what your doing) What is your grain to water ratio? I use 1.3 qt per pound as a good place to start.

Cheers
Jay

40 litre batch I use 8kg of grain and mash with 20 litres of water that's for the correct ratio but had to use 30 litres to cover the grain bed, then I sparge with 30-35 litres, I collected 47 litres for BK but only managed to collect 36 litres to the fermenter OG 1053, robs should have added some water from HLT to hit 1050 (my target), it's only my third batch I'm still finding my feet, well trying, cheers Jay


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Sorry, 10 gallon batch
17lb grain
Mash with 5 gallon water and sparge with 8 gallon, I got this off a calculator then converted to kg and litres, British it's what I'm used to, cheers


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That's a little thin but not the end of the world really. What are you using for a false bottom and what is the volume under it? Or are you using a braid? My thought there is dead space...

Cheers
Jay

I've thought about the false bottom, I could probably cut 1/2" off the legs so the bottom sits on my outlet or even taper it so the furthest end away from my outlet is the lower, so it tilts, don't know if this would be ok?


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That sounds like the size of the "Megapots" I use, although I think of them as 25 gallon kettles, 20 inches tall, 20 inches in diameter. I mash in a cooler, because that's how I got started, and the false bottom I bought for the kettles has legs that are at least 2 inches tall and leave way too much dead space. Sooner or later I'll get around to modifying them. I typically will mash in with about 7 gallons, and sparge with 8 or more. Losses to grain absorption and boiloff have left me with final post-boil volumes in the 10-11 gallon range. If fate smiles on me post fermentation I'll fill 2 Cornie kegs with 5 gallons each.

ThreeDogsNE said:

That sounds like the size of the "Megapots" I use, although I think of them as 25 gallon kettles, 20 inches tall, 20 inches in diameter. I mash in a cooler, because that's how I got started, and the false bottom I bought for the kettles has legs that are at least 2 inches tall and leave way too much dead space. Sooner or later I'll get around to modifying them. I typically will mash in with about 7 gallons, and sparge with 8 or more. Losses to grain absorption and boiloff have left me with final post-boil volumes in the 10-11 gallon range. If fate smiles on me post fermentation I'll fill 2 Cornie kegs with 5 gallons each.

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That's what I'm aiming to do, fill 2 corny kegs, ran shy twice he first and third batch, then the second batch a collected too much with over sparging and ended up with 4% weak bodied stout. Going to cut the legs down and see if I can get the grain bed covered, I'll let yous know how it goes, cheers!


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Just had a look, it's 1 3/4" to the top of my outlet, so I'd be louche to gain 1/4" unless I title the false bottom. Is the space under the FB classed as dead space even tho it's a recirculating system so the wort is getting pulled from the bottom and put back on the top? Cheers


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