Holes Down Or Up In a Lauter Tun...

I need to make a new Lautering Aperatus as my PVC one has finally gone Kaput(I have only been doing partial Mashes with it in a 48 Qt. Cooler). So, I will be making a new one out of Copper. My question is about the holes that the wort seeps into. Should they be facing up or down? I was thinking maybe have half of them up, and half of them down. What do you think?

I place the fanifold with the slits facing down, to me this makes sense because the wort on the bottom won't flow up into the slits. I could assemble my manifold with the slits facing down if I wanted, but I don't need to because what I'm doing works for me. I think it would be better if you cut them all facing one way, then place the manifold with the slits down and mash, and next time you brew try placing the manifold with the slits up.

RLinNH said:

I need to make a new Lautering Aperatus as my PVC one has finally gone Kaput(I have only been doing partial Mashes with it in a 48 Qt. Cooler). So, I will be making a new one out of Copper. My question is about the holes that the wort seeps into. Should they be facing up or down? I was thinking maybe have half of them up, and half of them down. What do you think?

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Face them all down, this will allow you to get all of the liquid off the bottom.

down, that's how mine face. although some on both sides couldn't hurt, might even help.

The problem I ran into on Saturday night was that I only had 2.12 lbs of grain in my Mini Mash recipe. Hence, I think that the cooler was to big for my Mash as the Manifold kept Floating to the top of the Mash. Then I had no flow. I took the Mash out of the Tun twice and I cleaned the Manifold out twice replacing the Mash back into the lauter Tun both times. After my failed second attempt, I finally gave up and pulled out the old stand by. A Spaghetti Strainer. So, I need to come up with a new Manifold for my 48 qt. Rectangular Cooler before I do my first AG Brew Day. Also, I am brewing this Monday coming up, so I might try something out tomorrow with so 3/4 inch copper.

describe your current manifold? is is a bazzoka screen or something that could float?

Did I mention that as I was stirring the Mash on my first Sparge that the Spoon hit the manifold and the manifold fell apart? yuh, my worst Sparge ever that night. Ah well. Just another bend in the learning curve.

I see....
There was no pressure on top to force the liquid through. The mash tun is too big for a small mash like that.

so you knocked the manifold out ? i don't understand, i'm an idot to be sure....

You could just get a smaller cooler and a bazooka screen, this way you can do small and regular mashes, depending on the size. You want about 3 inches of grain depth to get a good extraction. I used food grade copper adhesive to glue half of the manifold so that it wouldn't fall apart.

if you make it rigid enough out of copper, it shouldn't float no matter what amount of liquor you have atop it.

I think what he means is the grain bed depth was not high enough to even cover the manifold. I have a 48qt cooler and 2lb would look not even cover my manifold.

yarg... gotcha. like i said, idiot

you could also use a thin piece of copper, like for a freezer line hook up. it's very thin, and can be very rigid, you'd only need an inch or two to cover it.

Thanks for all the input!

Ya see, here's my old Lautering Manifold...


So, what I did was I took that degign, and I had planned on buying all the pieces in Copper and then I was going to Solder them on the job during my lunch. I talked to the Plumber Foreman on the job and he had no idea what I was talking about. So, I brought in the PVC Lautering Manifold, and I saw the light bulb go on over his Head.:rockin: An Hour and a Half Later, I had my New lautering manifold delivered to me. He had one of his guys make it for me out of scrap. So, now the only dilema is do I drill a Boat Load of holes, or do I go the easier route and take the Grinder to her to make a Boat load of Slits? Either way, I should be good for my brew session on Monday.

Slots down. Otherwise you'll get a stuck sparge.

Same reason God didn't point your nostrils up. You'd drown when it rains. If the slots are up, when the grains compact onto the slots, they clog.

BierMuncher said:

Same reason God didn't point your nostrils up. You'd drown when it rains.

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LOL! We would all look pretty darn funny too....

I've got nothing to add since I use false bottoms, but I can't help myself...

G's Up, Holes Down. :rockin:

Slots down for sure.

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DeadYetiBrew said:

Face them all down, this will allow you to get all of the liquid off the bottom.

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I think I dissagree with everyone. (Nothing new there)
It doesn't matter.
Your slots go to mid point so it is the same for up or down.

My slots are on both sides but mainly on the top. I've never had a stuck sparge because the extend 180° so they are effectively on the side as well.