False Bottom Problems

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.

warriorpoet

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
73
Reaction score
0
Location
Marin, CA
I have a three-tier 10gal More Beer system that also runs on the SMART (recirculation at mash). My problem: The grain is getting stuck at on the top of the false bottom while attempting to mash approx. 8lbs grain with 2.25 gal water. Is this too little to use for such a large pot (10gal)? I was attempting to do a small 2.5gal batch total to work on my system efficiency. Or, was this not enough water for the mix and it just got clogged? Or, should I have used a 5gal pot?
 
I guess that I will have to answer my own question! I actually think that I need a smaller pot for doing the 2.5gal batch. Or, just forget that and do what my 10gal does, brew with more volume. I will be brewing an all-grain version of my partial mash Pining for Pliney (poor man's version - less hops) tomorrow. That will be a 5 gal batch and will most likely prove my theory. Thanks for reading.
 
Hello - you are saying you are getting a "stuck mash"? Your ratio of strike water to mash volume is good BUT you probably didn't account for the volume of water underneath the false bottom.

Also, it is possible you simply didn't let the mash set for a few minutes before starting recirculation. Letting the mash set allows the grain to expand into a looser bed and settle in.

1) I let the mash set up for a good 5-15 minutes before starting to recirculate. Even then I manually (very very slowly - like a quart a minute) vorlauf a few times to make sure everything is ok.

2) When you start the recirculation you need to close off the valve at the END of the recirculation system to limit the recirculation to just a trickle... then every couple of minutes open it up so it is running at whatever speed you want to run it at.
 
JVD X: Thanks for your comments. I had a perfect brew session today and even got to figure out the new rigs efficiency (or mine).
 

Latest posts

Back
Top