Do you really need a mash paddle if you have round cooler false bottom setup?

If you're batch sparging, or fly sparging do you really need to mess with the grain bed? If so, exactly when do you do this? When do you not play around with the grain bed?


Thanks in advance.

You should stir as you are doughing in to make sure any dough balls are completely broken apart and all the grain is fully saturated or your mash efficiency will suffer. When batch sparging, mix thoroughly when introducing your sparge water. When you fly-sparge, you don't fuss with the bed once it is set.

You definitely need something to stir the mash. I've been using a $4 plastic paddle from my LHBS, but I'll probably assemble something better from wood shortly.

I usually use the paddle to mix the grain into the water during dough in, and then I'll give it a good mix again when I add my sparge water (batch sparge).

Batch sparge i'd say that it is helpful. Sparge, mix, vorlauf, drain, sparge, mix, vorlauf, drain.

Fly sparginging, I dunno why you'd mess with the grain.

Actually the paddle is not so much useful during the sparge but more for the mash. Help to keep everything distributed but, manual strring is inconsistent. That is why so many use the wiper motor mash mixers.

I just use a large SS Spoon, It then gets rinsed and used for stirring during the boil.

Well you need to stir as you mash in, then you'll need to stir after each water addition.

I don't have a mash paddle, I just use my brew-spoon (Plastic, holds up just fine). Even use it for 10 gallon batches when the cooler is completely full of grain/water

Thanks all!

Just go to lowes and get a 3 foot piece of 1x3 maple or birch and sand the corners smooth.

Bobby_M said:

Just go to lowes and get a 3 foot piece of 1x3 maple or birch and sand the corners smooth.

Click to expand...

Now thats a plan, I got a lowes around the corner. I'll just trace the paddle outline, jigsaw, an sand!

Is there a food safe finish you would use, or just leave it unfinished?

You could use butcher block oil but I'd leave it unfinished. Who knows what it would do to head retention and the like.

Also, I seem to remember someone posting about pressing a smallish paddle from an outdoors/sporting goods store into service as a mash paddle. Just another idea.

Jason