Anyone use Bobby_M's mash re-circulation tube?

Anyone ever use one of these guys?

http://www.brewhardware.com/accessories/114-mashtube

I'm building out my system now and would be looking at using for sparging my keggle mash and/or for whirlpooling in my keggle BK. Just curious if anyone has used and what they thought of it...

Thanks!

That's a loc-line. It was a bit annoying to use for whirlpooling (keeping the head pointed in the right direction gave me trouble), but I still use it for mash recirculation. I actually point it straight up, though, as other directions ended up carving divots in my grainbed.

I use loc ine to recirc my mash and then I position it over to my bk during spare. I don't think you would get enough force unless you had a serious pump. I do love it for recirculation. I bought mine in eBay.

I bought one but haven't used it yet. I'm anticipating no problems. I don't run my RIMS at nearly the speed I do my whirlpool.

I was considering getting one of these. My goto guy at the LHBS had one attached to the inside of his kettle lid for recirculation of mash. He doesn't use it anymore. We were discussing how it was simpler and faster to just bring your tube up and into the kettle/keg rather than fumbling around with the loc line.

I also do not have a "Lid" for the mash. Instead I used the remains of the water heater jacket, after using the bulk for going around the keg, to make a semi quasi lid. Which is where he installed his Loc Line (on the lid).

I'll add that when he used his loc line he would stick the probe for his digital thermometer in the end so he would get accurate readings of the returns compared to the readings of the thermometer installed near the ball valve.

Now he just lets the probe float near the top of the mash where the return "hits" from his hose.

This is not a response to say don't get one. I'm just saying either way works well. Just depends on if you want to fiddle around with another piece of hardware. And its use depends on your setup and all that good stuff.

As far as whirlpooling, I have never used the technique. Yet, all my beers have turned out awesome. Maybe someone else has whirlpooling experience with this piece of hardware.

I want to be clear for other viewers that this contraption is specifically meant as a replacement for the people who already plan on putting a thru-wall bulkhead recirculation port up high in their MLT. It is by far a much better solution to simply laying a hose on top of the mash or having a rigid piece of tubing that rotates at the bulkhead as an axis.

Draping a piece of tubing over the top is fine too, but in the case of a recirculating system, it's a major source of heat loss.

I never planned for it to be used for BK whirlpooling.

How is draping the tube a source of major heat loss?

ok thanks everyone for the info.

Because it doesn't allow you to keep a lid tightly sealed on the mash tun. When I recirculate, I have 3 layers of reflectix, and then the original keg top sealing all the steam (heat) from escaping.

Even with direct fire?

I guess for most folks, heat loss isn't all that big of a deal when there's heat going into the system. It just seems wasteful to me to keep adding heat to the mash and let it leak out through openings. I'm also into insulating in the same circumstances but I bet if you figured out the cost savings it would be pennies per batch.

I use a RIMS and already have the hole going through the side of my MLT near the top. I currently use a hard pipe setup. Using this I should be able to have the return at the same level of the mash all the time with simple adjustments. I went through the wall for the reasons Bobby mentions but I also didn't want to worry about kinking of the tubing as it flops over the rim of the keg/MLT. What ever works for you. For my set up this seems perfect.

I was just giving an example of what I do and what someone else does compared to how they used to use the hardware. I am not saying it sucks. Just that some people prefer different things. By all means promote it. If it works for you, use it.

I don't have Bobby's item, but I do use loc-line for mash recirc. I put a bulkhead in the lid of my cooler mashtun, and have the locline attached on the inside. It is nice to be able to adjust the return height based on the volume in the tun.

I like the idea, and it works well.

I hope it didn't seem like I was being overly defensive. I didn't think you were attacking the idea at all. I just wanted to make sure people knew the intended usage and based on that usage, it's frankly the best solution to the issue of flexible mash heights. There are other ways to deal with it without having to buy stuff and that's OK by me.

Its ok bobby. I still like you. In a man friend way.

3PegBrew said:

Its ok bobby. I still like you. In a man friend way.

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Like as in 'bromance'?

cobolstinks said:

Like as in 'bromance'?

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Yes. My one sided bromance with bobby started when I first saw him doing tutorials on youtube

I struggled for what to use for mash recirculation for a long time, then one day, laying in my bunk in Iraq, it hit me.

I went to the local Fire Sprinkler place in town, asked for some sprinkler heads (like the ones that you see on ceilings of commercial buildings) I broke out the red piece, and connected it to my rig, instant nice shower for recirculation.
Total Cost: Gas money to and from the place, he had a 55 gallon drum full of old parts that he said I could go through.

It has been working like a champ for almost 2 years now.

Sherpa FE said:

I struggled for what to use for mash recirculation for a long time, then one day, laying in my bunk in Iraq, it hit me.

I went to the local Fire Sprinkler place in town, asked for some sprinkler heads (like the ones that you see on ceilings of commercial buildings) I broke out the red piece, and connected it to my rig, instant nice shower for recirculation.
Total Cost: Gas money to and from the place, he had a 55 gallon drum full of old parts that he said I could go through.

It has been working like a champ for almost 2 years now.

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neat idea. I thought about brewing alot when i was deployed too. Wanted to build a stand then, and I'm just getting around to it 2 years later, now that I'm 100% civilian I have more time for the important things in life, like brewing.

Used the set up today. I added a stainless coupling to help in disassembly and clean up (didn't want to risk screwing up the plastic threads). Worked awesome!!!

Note: It's my MLT with the false bottom not installed yet.