False Bottom or Bazooka?

OK. I assume this has been discussed here-but I have just finished batch #2 in a 10 gallon rubbermaid mash tun and the efficiency is suffering. I think it's that I have a 9inch false bottom that worked great in the old 5 gallon cooler, but is not the right size for the bigger tun and is not pulling the extract very well. So, I was looking at Northern Brewer's catalog and saw that they have a bigger false bottom and a " bazooka T"(basically a cylindrical screen)that are designed for the 10 gallon rubbermaid coolers. The cost difference is only a couple bucks-not an issue for this purchase. I currently fly sparge and had been getting 70% efficiency-now its down to 60%! (YIKES). I've tried batch sparging and had about the 65%.

So-which one?

Thanks

Tim

I would get the false bottom over the bazooka screen. Also look at your grain grind size... Could it be tighter? You can always add rice hulls if your worried about a stuck sparge.

+1 on the false bottom. You'd probably get the same results you're currently getting with a bazooka.

+ another 1 on the false bottom. Especially if you're fly sparging.

-a.

Buy both if you can swing it. I use both and the false bottom is great for holding back 99.99% of everything but the screen catches all the little buggers that slip through the false bottom.

I tried using a bazooka screen in my lauter tun, and noticed a great improvement in efficiency when I switched to a false bottom.

False bottom for brew, bazooka for light armor...

Thanks to all! I will go with the bigger false bottom for now.

Prost!

+1 on using both the bazooka screen and false bottom.

AllHoppedUp said:

Buy both if you can swing it. I use both and the false bottom is great for holding back 99.99% of everything but the screen catches all the little buggers that slip through the false bottom.

Click to expand...

How do you use them both at the same time?

I've been thinking of doing this too. Is there enough room to easily put an elbow under the false bottom to accept the bazooka or similar?


False bottom for brew, bazooka for light armor...

Worked on this little beauty many years ago:
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/vipfgr17.htm
Sadly it never went in to production. It did make it to Hollywood in the movies though.