Sorry for the really long email but this is really freaky....
Finally ran my first AG batch on a rig that's been "under construction" for freakin' ever. Quickly... single teir system, HLT= 25 gallons, BK = 25 gallons and MT = 20 gallons. It's all hard-plumbed with solenoids and two March 809's so all transfers through the entire rig are "flip a switch" and two PIDs controling temps.
The way I have it set up is that I actually heat water to temp in the BK, and once at appropriate temp, I pump it into the MT and add my grains. My HLT is already full and up to mashing temp. I then constantly circulate my MT through a heat exchanger mounted inside my HLT to maintain temp without ever applying direct heat to the MT.
So yesterday... I'm doing a 15 gallon honey wheat for the maiden voyage. I put 12 gallons in my BK, bring that up to about 175ish. I put 15 gallons into my HLT and bring that up to 154.
I pump 9 gallons into my MT and due to a cold MT and heat lost in transfer, it's sitting there at 167ish. I then drain off and dump the extra three from the BK. I dump in 27 pounds of grain in (15 2-row Pils and 12 light wheat). I start circulating. whole system maintains temp perfectly... "great... this is going better than I had expected!". I then drain my MT into my BK.
- I did NOT get a stuck mash.
- I'm POSITIVE there was 9 gallons when it went into the MT.
- Nothing was leaking
- I don't have THAT much in plumbing where a ton of liquid was left in the pipes, maybe 1/2 gallon athte absolute most and that's a huge stretch
- my MT drains COMPLETELY as I have a false bottom over a manifold that sits right on the bottom (slits cut on the underside of the manifold)
... I got three gallons out of the MT.
Ok... no biggie... I had a ton of absorbtion. (six freakin gallons worth!! apparently)
I then pump 8 gallons from the HLT (which I had brought up to about 175ish) into the MT to do my first batch sparge. It rests at about 165ish... I stir it a couple of times. Twenty minutes go by. I drain into the BK.
... I got four gallons out of the MT
I then pump the remaining 7 gallons from the HLT (still at about 175ish) into the MT to do my second batch sparge. It rests at about 165ish... I stir it a couple of times. Twenty minutes go by. I drain into the BK.
... I got four gallons out of the MT
So... some quick math...
9 gallons for original mash... 8 for first batch sparge... 7 for second batch sparge. That's TWENTY FOUR gallons.
I ended up with ELEVEN, pre-boil.
I had a bunch of guys from my HBC there and we all stood there completely baffled. 13 gallons of water/wort just up and dissappeared.
I am 99% positive my gallon "markers" on my site gauges are accurate and if they are off a little bit, then we put 24 "units" of water in and get 11 "units" out. That doesn't change the problem.
My temps were off a little bit here or there for my first run and maybe my brewmometers are off a little bit but that would effect efficiency, not make 13 gallons of water dissappear.
When we were done, the MT and HLT were completely empty.
Post boil (because my efficiency was terrible) I only had about 8 gallons since I had to boil way down to hit my OG target. And when we filled the carboys, it LOOKED like exactly 8 gallons so the markers on the site gauges can't be off that much.
I'm not worried about efficiency at this point since I'm pretty sure my temps were all over the road due to badly calibrated thermometers as well as a ridiculous sparge arm I threw together in four seconds prior to the brew.
I just can't, for the life of me, figureout where 12 gallons of water went.
Finally ran my first AG batch on a rig that's been "under construction" for freakin' ever. Quickly... single teir system, HLT= 25 gallons, BK = 25 gallons and MT = 20 gallons. It's all hard-plumbed with solenoids and two March 809's so all transfers through the entire rig are "flip a switch" and two PIDs controling temps.
The way I have it set up is that I actually heat water to temp in the BK, and once at appropriate temp, I pump it into the MT and add my grains. My HLT is already full and up to mashing temp. I then constantly circulate my MT through a heat exchanger mounted inside my HLT to maintain temp without ever applying direct heat to the MT.
So yesterday... I'm doing a 15 gallon honey wheat for the maiden voyage. I put 12 gallons in my BK, bring that up to about 175ish. I put 15 gallons into my HLT and bring that up to 154.
I pump 9 gallons into my MT and due to a cold MT and heat lost in transfer, it's sitting there at 167ish. I then drain off and dump the extra three from the BK. I dump in 27 pounds of grain in (15 2-row Pils and 12 light wheat). I start circulating. whole system maintains temp perfectly... "great... this is going better than I had expected!". I then drain my MT into my BK.
- I did NOT get a stuck mash.
- I'm POSITIVE there was 9 gallons when it went into the MT.
- Nothing was leaking
- I don't have THAT much in plumbing where a ton of liquid was left in the pipes, maybe 1/2 gallon athte absolute most and that's a huge stretch
- my MT drains COMPLETELY as I have a false bottom over a manifold that sits right on the bottom (slits cut on the underside of the manifold)
... I got three gallons out of the MT.
Ok... no biggie... I had a ton of absorbtion. (six freakin gallons worth!! apparently)
I then pump 8 gallons from the HLT (which I had brought up to about 175ish) into the MT to do my first batch sparge. It rests at about 165ish... I stir it a couple of times. Twenty minutes go by. I drain into the BK.
... I got four gallons out of the MT
I then pump the remaining 7 gallons from the HLT (still at about 175ish) into the MT to do my second batch sparge. It rests at about 165ish... I stir it a couple of times. Twenty minutes go by. I drain into the BK.
... I got four gallons out of the MT
So... some quick math...
9 gallons for original mash... 8 for first batch sparge... 7 for second batch sparge. That's TWENTY FOUR gallons.
I ended up with ELEVEN, pre-boil.
I had a bunch of guys from my HBC there and we all stood there completely baffled. 13 gallons of water/wort just up and dissappeared.
I am 99% positive my gallon "markers" on my site gauges are accurate and if they are off a little bit, then we put 24 "units" of water in and get 11 "units" out. That doesn't change the problem.
My temps were off a little bit here or there for my first run and maybe my brewmometers are off a little bit but that would effect efficiency, not make 13 gallons of water dissappear.
When we were done, the MT and HLT were completely empty.
Post boil (because my efficiency was terrible) I only had about 8 gallons since I had to boil way down to hit my OG target. And when we filled the carboys, it LOOKED like exactly 8 gallons so the markers on the site gauges can't be off that much.
I'm not worried about efficiency at this point since I'm pretty sure my temps were all over the road due to badly calibrated thermometers as well as a ridiculous sparge arm I threw together in four seconds prior to the brew.
I just can't, for the life of me, figureout where 12 gallons of water went.