Your mash-tun: false bottom or manifold?

Yakima 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
J

Johnnyrhine

Active Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
44
Reaction score
0
Location
Bristol
What you you have at the bottom of your tun? Why? If you've used both which worked better?

I have a manifold. My attempts at making a false bottom failed miserably so making a manifold was the only option.
 
manifold in a 70-qt Coleman Extreme. worked great. can't say what I got for efficiency as I used it for a parti-gyle the one time I've used it.

brew day in another week & ½, will figure out efficiency at that time

pic is from before I got drain hardware and drilled 3/32" holes every ¼" along the longitudinal pipes
IMG_8297.jpg
 
Manifold.

Why? Cost and easy. I spent $18 for my cooler on sale. $15 for my CPVC pipe, glue, ball valve and silicone tubing. I get 78 - 89% efficiency with this setup using a batch sparge.

485264_10150692356166636_160122821_n.jpg
 
I have a false bottom in a keggle mash tun with a dip tube, no problems. I was already making dip tubes so it was easy enough to make another and my LHBS hooked me up with the false bottom cheap.

image-1404186049.jpg
 
Copper manifold in a cooler. Works great, easy to take apart to clean and looks cool. My last couple batches however I've been trying out biab. Mostly cause its cold here and I don't like cleaning the cooler out in the frigid temps.
 
Copper manifold cause it was cheap and easy to make. The only time I ever have issues with it is when it's user error: Forget ricehulls, turn on my pump with my ball valve fully open and get a stuck mash from grain bed compaction, etc... All these usually happen after more than a few home brews and it's never stuck just slows down the flow rate.
 
Used a FB for a long time with many stuck sparges. Built a 1/2" copper manifold, problem solved and huge increase in efficiency.
 
I've got a 15 1/2 inch folding false bottom in my keg tun. I love it. I've never had a stck sparge with it even when brewing with 50% wheat and no rice hulls.
 
I had a copper manifold in my cooler and it worked great. When I switched to a stainless steel mash tun, I switched to a false bottom and that also works great. Never had a stuck sparge with either. Not even with the FB when I used 3 cans of pumpkin purée in the mash.

I have gotten the same efficiencies on both systems.
 
SS screen in mine.

Because it was cheap and easy. And I was sick of burning up dremel wheels cutting slots in my manifold.
 
I forgot to mention that because I have a full false bottom ism able to direct fire heat my mash tun with a gas burner for step mashing or mash out. I've never had scorching problems. I recirculate with a pump and have an inline thermometer so I can keep an eye on the actual temp of the wort I'm recirculating so it never goes above my desired step temp and keeps the enzymes happy happy happy.
 
FB here

%255BUNSET%255D.jpg


used a manifold for the last 2 years, but stepped up to this and couldn't be happier.
 

Similar threads

humor4fun
Multi-tank Manifold setup?
Replies
2
Views
374
IslandLizard
IslandLizard
homebrewdude76
Cooler Mash Tun - Mega Size, what size manifold
Replies
12
Views
606
jma99
jma99
A
For Sale Keggle homebrew system 15.5 gal w/burners for sale
Replies
0
Views
184
Allbrewnobark
A
Gadjobrinus
5 gallon Igloo false bottom - 9", or 10"?
Replies
0
Views
193
Gadjobrinus
Gadjobrinus
Z
Massachusetts SS Brewtech 10 gallon InfuSsion Mash Tun, Custom 22 gallon stainless insulated bottom triclamp drain mash tun
Replies
0
Views
223
zman_
Z

Latest posts

Back
Top