Spike V3 Mashtun

Hi, I am debating replacing my cheapo SS mashtun with an upgraded one. It has a crack in the bottom due to poor build quality, and I hate the 2 gallon dead space and leaky false bottom anyway. I am thinking about the Spike V3 mashtun, as it has the nice ledge around the bottom like the Blichmann stuff so the deadspace is very small and leakaround should be very minimal. They also seem to be of pretty good quality.

Has anyone used one of these as a mashtun? Can you report back on its use in a HERMS maybe or with other recirculation and in general if it works well?

Thanks

What size are you looking for? I own spike V2 products and I like them. If you are looking at a 10g mashtun I would consider the ssbrewtech @ $395 http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/mash-tuns/products/infussion-mash-tun The spike is $310 for the kettle and false bottom without a valve or thermometer which would be another $30-$50 depending on what you wanted. I have a few friends that are using the brewtech and really like it, although they aren't using it on a herms system so can't speak to that.

jekeane said:

What size are you looking for? I own spike V2 products and I like them. If you are looking at a 10g mashtun I would consider the ssbrewtech @ $395 http://www.ssbrewtech.com/collections/mash-tuns/products/infussion-mash-tun The spike is $310 for the kettle and false bottom without a valve or thermometer which would be another $30-$50 depending on what you wanted. I have a few friends that are using the brewtech and really like it, although they aren't using it on a herms system so can't speak to that.

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The brewtech rig is quite fancy! I need a 20 gallon MLT, already have the valves and such.

I have a 20gal. Spike Brewing V3 mashtun kettle w/ Tri-Clamp ports. It works very well! I liked it so well that I ended up purchasing a 30 gal kettle for my Boil Kettle.

Before I purchased it I used a Bru-Gear kettle for a year, and before that I used a Blichmann for about 5 years - all 20 gal. kettles. The reason for changing kettles was Bru-Gear: left 2.25 gal of deadspace under the false bottom and Blichmann got tired of the weldless fittings and wasn't induction capable. The deadspace under the Spike Brewing V3 20 gal. kettle w/ falsebottom is 2 qts.

AF1HomeBrew said:

I have a 20gal. Spike Brewing V3 mashtun kettle w/ Tri-Clamp ports. It works very well! I liked it so well that I ended up purchasing a 30 gal kettle for my Boil Kettle.

Before I purchased it I used a Bru-Gear kettle for a year, and before that I used a Blichmann for about 5 years - all 20 gal. kettles. The reason for changing kettles was Bru-Gear: left 2.25 gal of deadspace under the false bottom and Blichmann got tired of the weldless fittings and wasn't induction capable. The deadspace under the Spike Brewing V3 20 gal. kettle w/ falsebottom is 2 qts.

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I noticed the Bru-Gear seems like a glorified mega-pot basically. it has the dead space problem that only Spike and Blichmann seem to have solved. I can see the induction part of the Blichmann kettles being a pain if you wanted to go that way, but I don't see how the weldless fittings were a problem. I've used them for years in various configurations and never really had problems. The fittings you have would be deluxe and easy to use though, especially for my electric heating elements, but that is in the past now, as I already did it all. I just need the MLT.

I'm leaning toward the Spike kettle I think.

The g2 bru gear kettles changed the bottom design...

jmitchell3 said:

The g2 bru gear kettles changed the bottom design...

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oh, ok. that's good. i still don't really see how they are better than the Spike kettles for the price though.

I asked Spike about triclamps and he said it would not work with his false bottom?

stickyfinger said:

Blichmann kettles being a pain if you wanted to go that way, but I don't see how the weldless fittings were a problem.

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The weldess fittings always seemed to leak a little, even after I replaced gaskets and even used a torque wrench to make sure the "correct" torque was used.

jmitchell3 said:

The g2 bru gear kettles changed the bottom design...

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Have they changed their customer service?

homebrewdude76 said:

I asked Spike about triclamps and he said it would not work with his false bottom?

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Interesting. They were very accommodating when I asked them to make my kettle.

Did that dip tube and false bottom come from Spike? Maybe I was not clear what I was asking from Spike?

homebrewdude76 said:

Did that dip tube and false bottom come from Spike? Maybe I was not clear what I was asking from Spike?

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Yes they both came with the kettle (I paid extra for the custom welding,etc. http://spikebrewing.com/products/custom-kettle-hp). Basically they modified their new false bottom by covering the hole in the middle and drilling a hole near the side of the kettle to fit with the TC dip tube that they had on hand. (refer to post #4 to see the photos).

BTW - The false bottom from Spike is so much easier to clean and the flow is better then what Bru-Gear and Blichmann use.

Do you flow pretty fast with false bottom? Is it pumped?

stickyfinger said:

Do you flow pretty fast with false bottom? Is it pumped?

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It is pumped.

I was a little worried about the perforated support ring clogging with grain particles under the false bottom. You pull from the side, so that is not an issue for you. I'd pull from the center

Maybe Spike will comment on the thread, I was all set on Spike with triclover.

Are your element ports at the standard spike height? Are you missing the sight glass? Wish you would have gotten them?

homebrewdude76 said:

Maybe Spike will comment on the thread, I was all set on Spike with triclover.

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Here is my exchange with Spike. Seems like I won't have any problems and if I do, they would likely remedy the situation. sorry, it's in reverse order.

OK, great, thanks! I am leaning toward getting one.


On Tue, May 3, 2016 at 3:14 PM, Spike Brewing <[email protected]> wrote:
sticky,

We use a HERMS system and have never had any issues. The center is for added support and a 2nd filter. The dead space for the 20gal is closer to .4gal.

On Tue, May 3, 2016 at 8:58 AM, sticky wrote:
I need to get a higher flow rate so I can do HERMS steps. I don't have problems with my Norcal false bottom now at almost full speed, as I condition my malt, so I don't see a reason why your false bottom would clog up more unless that fine filter ring on the bottom fills up with husks, as it is a small surface area. Is it needed for extra support? I guess I could cut away part of that if it becomes a problem? I also use a grain bag now to keep small particulate from going around the false bottom now, so that could be a last resort if I have problems.

Is the dead space in the 20 gallon kettle closer to 0.5 gallon? Someone said that on a forum.

On Tue, May 3, 2016 at 12:52 AM, Spike Brewing <[email protected]> wrote:
sticky,

The dead space is right around .2gal. Yes, you can absolutely use a Chugger pump with the false bottom. We don't recommend running at full speed as it can compact the grain bed. We usually run them at a slow trickle.

On Mon, May 2, 2016 at 9:38 PM, sticky wrote:
Hi,

I am wondering what is the dead space under the V3 false bottom in the V3 kettle for 10, 15 and 20 gallon sizes?

Can I use the V3 false bottom with a full speed HERMS system (typical chugger pump)? I was a little worried the inner filter under the false bottom might clog up at the high flow rates.

OK, just purchased my new Spike V3 mashtun. I hope it works well!

homebrewdude76 said:

Are your element ports at the standard spike height? Are you missing the sight glass? Wish you would have gotten them?

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I don't miss the sight glass. It's one less thing to clean. Before adding the grain I have the water in the kettle and use the gal. markings that are etched inside the kettle. For heating I use an induction hot plate under the kettle and also a heating element in my RIMS module. I use a BCS-460 to regulate the temps in the mashtun, RIMS and HLT - and it also controls my Chugger pump.

stickyfinger said:

OK, just purchased my new Spike V3 mashtun. I hope it works well!

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Congrats!

Can you tell me the height for the middle TC fitting

caligaris said:

Can you tell me the height for the middle TC fitting

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The middle of the middle TC from the bottom is 7".

Just as an update to this thread, I have used my new 20 gallon Spike V3 mashtun for about 4 beers now. I am very happy with it. I can flow it pretty near maximum if not at maximum flow for my Chugger pump, and it is easy to clean. The deadspace is small. The pickup tube comes in and out easily. The volume markings are convenient. The instructions were good. It is a bit taller than my Concord pots and may hold a bit more than them, but I haven't really measured it for sure so don't quote me on that. They seem a little thicker than the Concord pots too.

I would highly recommend them if you can afford the extra money. They are a lot more expensive than the Concord pots though. I think if I did it all over from scratch, I would get the Concord pots for my BK and HLT and get the Spike pot for my MLT.

I am trying to get away from threaded fittings. When I sent the picture of the mash tun with TC fittings to Spike said they were modified by someone else, not them. AF1 where did you get those sweet parts?

I ended up going with Stout. They had options that I thought were worth the extra cost.

B-Dub said:

I am trying to get away from threaded fittings. When I sent the picture of the mash tun with TC fittings to Spike said they were modified by someone else, not them. AF1 where did you get those sweet parts?

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I know I replied to you via private message, but lots of TC fittings to be found at Brewer's Hardware, Glacier Tanks, Still Dragon and NorCalBrewingSolutions.

AF1HomeBrew said:

Yes they both came with the kettle (I paid extra for the custom welding,etc. http://spikebrewing.com/products/custom-kettle-hp). Basically they modified their new false bottom by covering the hole in the middle and drilling a hole near the side of the kettle to fit with the TC dip tube that they had on hand. (refer to post #4 to see the photos).

BTW - The false bottom from Spike is so much easier to clean and the flow is better then what Bru-Gear and Blichmann use.

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I was wondering how you cleaned the Spike false bottom. I just got one and haven't brewed on it yet but was wondering how you get the grain off the false bottom (other than basically dumping or scooping it out).

quijiba said:

I was wondering how you cleaned the Spike false bottom. I just got one and haven't brewed on it yet but was wondering how you get the grain off the false bottom (other than basically dumping or scooping it out).

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I disassemble all components of my equipment after brewing and soak/clean them. It's pretty easy to clean the false bottom (compared to the Blichmann Boiler maker & orange cooler type false bottom I have had in the past).

It's a super easy setup. It takes 3 seconds to get the dip tube out and then you just pull out the screen and wash it in your sink a little to get the bulk off. I then hang it to let it dry and reassemble so it's ready to go for the next brew. Once it's dry, most of the grain particles shrink and fall off if they were stuck in there after washing. No problem. I love the Spike mashtun.

I have a 20 gallon mashtun, V3, and I can do fly sparging of 6 gallons of 1.050 wort with 80%+ efficiency. Super awesome setup.

My only fear is that the black etched markings might wear off over time. They are still ok, but I think they might eventually wear away.

For those using the spike Kettle as a mash tun, how much heat loss are you experiencing in a 60 minute mash without added insulation?

Hannabrew said:

For those using the spike Kettle as a mash tun, how much heat loss are you experiencing in a 60 minute mash without added insulation?

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i use a HERMS and have about 3 degree hysteresis b/w the HLT and MLT

stickyfinger said:

I noticed the Bru-Gear seems like a glorified mega-pot basically. it has the dead space problem that only Spike and Blichmann seem to have solved. I can see the induction part of the Blichmann kettles being a pain if you wanted to go that way, but I don't see how the weldless fittings were a problem. I've used them for years in various configurations and never really had problems. The fittings you have would be deluxe and easy to use though, especially for my electric heating elements, but that is in the past now, as I already did it all. I just need the MLT.

I'm leaning toward the Spike kettle I think.

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Can someone tell me the diameter of that line hole/spacing of this mash tun. I'm planning to diy something like this

Blursmotion said:

Can someone tell me the diameter of that line hole/spacing of this mash tun. I'm planning to diy something like this

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what do you want?

AF1HomeBrew said:

I have a 20gal. Spike Brewing V3 mashtun kettle w/ Tri-Clamp ports. It works very well! I liked it so well that I ended up purchasing a 30 gal kettle for my Boil Kettle.

Before I purchased it I used a Bru-Gear kettle for a year, and before that I used a Blichmann for about 5 years - all 20 gal. kettles. The reason for changing kettles was Bru-Gear: left 2.25 gal of deadspace under the false bottom and Blichmann got tired of the weldless fittings and wasn't induction capable. The deadspace under the Spike Brewing V3 20 gal. kettle w/ falsebottom is 2 qts.

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Sorry OP, not a direct reply but yeah, I love my Spike 20 gallon system.

I wish to hell I'd gone T/C.

Our local homebrew store owner opened a small brewery locally with 2 friends on what is a Spike, what looks like 30 gallon, system. No, that doesn't make me jealous or anything.