Pre-made or Homemade False Bottom?

I'm submitting my dillema to the powers of HBT: What do you guys think?

I need to upgrade my false bottoms, the SS / AL screen isn't cutting it anymore. I'm wondering if I should buy these pre-made false bottoms (below) or just build my own? (I need one for Sanke MLT and one for Sanke Kettle)
My dillema:
The pre-made are nicely shapped and cut already but they're only 11.5" inches wide (Sanke's are 15.5")
The price for the material is about the same either way, but with homemade I can go the full 15.5" of the keg.
Because the price is the same, I'm thinking about taking the easy way out and buying the pre-made. My time, effort and gas money for building my own will outweigh the price of the pre-made BUT I will get the full width of my keg...so is that worth it?

EDIT: I can't tell if the pic is working or not, so here is the address: http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/abt-false-bottom.jpg

I made my own and I dont see why you need it to be the full size fo the keg. for one you are going to have a hard time getting it in the keg if you cut your kegs like I do and leave the lip around the top. Second the bottom is concave so it helps to have the false bottom a bit samller then the kettle anyway to help it seal when you dump 30# of grain. Your in SAC if you ever get up to Redding just let me know I can cut a cupple any size you like just pay me for the materials probably around 30 bones for both cut to what ever sice you want.
Cheers
JJ

Thanks for the offer JJ, I have a great aunt and uncle that live up that way and we head to the inlaws in Medford every now and then. I don't mind making them myself, I've got access to a machine shop and I'm an avid DIY'er. The best price I can find on the material is here: http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=13533&step=4 (I'd probably get the 24" x 36" although I'll have lots of excess.) The local place here says I have to buy a minimum of 48"....

Just make it brother. you will be alot happier just knowing you DIY. that is a good price for all that stuff and you will be able to find a use for the remainder of whats left, Theres ALWAYS another project
Cheers
JJ

Yeah, I was leaning that direction too. The local place is cheaper if I buy a bigger amount, so I thought about getting about a 48" X 48" chunk and having enough to make another system or two.

Craig5_12 said:

The pre-made are nicely shapped and cut already but they're only 11.5" inches wide (Sanke's are 15.5")

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This one's made for a keg MLT. $80 though. http://www.kegs.com/falsebottom.html



This is what I use. Got it at morebeer.com. It's not the full diameter, but it's worked great since I started using a SS hose clamp to keep the false bottom tight on the bottom. The rubber o-ring they send to use is worthless.

Well I went ahead and ordered the sheet metal from www.onlinemetals.com and it arrived last week. I've not yet had time to put together the false bottoms, which sadly means that I've not had time to brew. I've settled on a design like the $80 picture above. I couldn't find hinges I wanted at Home Depot so I'm thinking I might just wire it together.....
I'm also going to move the hole to the very edge so that stirring is easier, I'll just run a tube under the false bottom to the center of the keg to make sure I get every last drop of fermentable wort!

It's not hard to stir with the pickup tube in the middle. I'd stick with that route. You can get the pickup tube right down close to the bottom. I think you'd have a hard time running a tube under the FB. It'll be really shallow on the edges. If you get it to work, let us know and post some pics.

Oh, and HD should have plenty of SS hinges to choose from. I'm surprised you didn't find any.

Everyone I know has gotten rid of their false bottom and replaced it with SS braid. False bottoms have a tendency to stick where I have never had a problem with the SS braid. The braid is MUCH cheaper and works MUCH better.

I just coiled it up on the bottom and I get 80% - 85% efficiency.

I have the solution to the hinge mess. Make it full diameter, unhinged. If you want to maintain your lip on the top of the keg, just slot it with a cutoff wheel on each side. That's what I'm planning on doing. I don't believe you'd be compromising the rigidity of the keg that much.

I think I'll try running a tube on the side, if that doesn't work, I'll put one in the middle like my previous design with the window screen. Just trying to think outside the box and make the brewing a little simpler.
The only hinges I could find had a little plastic thing in the middle. I didn't look for too long though, I was on another mission and late to pick up pizza!
I like your thinking Bobby, putting slits in the lip would be a great idea...but I can't make it work now. The metal I bought is big enough to make three false bottoms if I make them in halves. If I make them full circle I can only make two....and now I can't justify that.
In regards to the braid, I simply don't like that design. You can't get all the wort out and they're harder to clean. Plus, I think a false bottom will get better efficiency, but thats another thread....

Wow, what a sad excuse for a brewer...I made the above post back in June and just now finished my false bottoms...I guess it's a good thing I brewed a Belgian Wit last weekend! Still though, thats almost a 3 month break with no brewing...I knew I was in trouble when I got down to my last 5 gallon cornie of a delicious Brown.
Anyhow....
I went ahead and hinged my false bottom with some brass hinges I found and the pick-up tube goes through middle. Everything looks great, but after brewing on them for the first time I noticed that a small amount of grain and hops got through them! I'm not sure if it's a problem with how they sit on the bottom or if it's the false bottom itself and the perforations are a little too big? Any of you guys with this size perforated SS have this problem?
This was also the first time I used any wheat, so maybe thats what got through?

EDIT: Here is the link for the sheet I'm using: http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=13533&step=4

Where can I get that SS tubing?

I get a little grain by my false bottom, but I just vorlauf until it runs clear. The end of the sparge tends to suck up some grain, but I just stop the flow then. Also, is your FB secured tightly against your MLT bottom somehow? If not, the grain will get around the sides.

I have not got to AG, but have started thinking on upgrades to my stuff.Would a SS pan lid with a bunch of 1/16" holes drilled in it plus the plumbing work as a false bottom? Seems you could get one out of your cupboard if you could sneak it past SWMBO

Willy Boner said:

I have not got to AG, but have started thinking on upgrades to my stuff.Would a SS pan lid with a bunch of 1/16" holes drilled in it plus the plumbing work as a false bottom? Seems you could get one out of your cupboard if you could sneak it past SWMBO

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Probably, but it doesn't sound like it's worth the work to me. That's A LOT of holes. Hope you have plenty of time and a good drill press with several 1/16" bits.

Thanks for the idea Sparky! I think my problem is two fold... One, I don't have the false bottom "secured" to the bottom of the tun (or BK as I have one in there too). Two, I recirculate my mash so I think the sucking from the pump may pull more grain through (like with the end of a sparge).
To remedy the problem I think I'll shave some of the edges off the FB to have it sit more in the concave part of the keg and fasten a nut/bolt to the FB/pickup tube to hold it down.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I agree with sparky about the drill bits and press....thats a LOT of holes.

I know some guys are using a small hose clamp on the dip tube to provide some downward pressure on the false bottom. That might work for you.

Bobby_M said:

I know some guys are using a small hose clamp on the dip tube to provide some downward pressure on the false bottom. That might work for you.

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That's exactly how I have mine set up. You can barely see in this picture how the hose clamp is keeping the FB tight. It was a disaster before I did this.

Oh DUH, I remember thinking about that before hand, thanks Bobby! I don't have any pics of my setup, but my FB goes to the edges of the keg...although I'm going to trim the edges before I brew next to make sure it's 100% tight!

I can imagine welding a stainless washer on if you really want to be trick about it. Probably not worth the cost or effort though. I'm going with a stainless braid the first time around though so we'll see.

@ Bobby, Let's see this was only three years ago... What was your final take on SS braid v. FB? What are you using now.

bump

I'm still using a false bottom but it's because I'm direct firing the tun. You can't really use a braid and direct fire.