reasonable method to avoid channeling during vorlauf and sparge?

I just saw this thread regarding a cheap false bottom and an interesting idea spawned:

Mod this $20.00 stainless oxo splatter screen slightly to sit on top of the grain bed keggle MLTs just prior to vorlauf. Then, vorlauf and sparge with almost no attention to disturbing the grain bed. Therefore, channeling should be completely and consistently avoidable without any significant effort.

Does this sound like a reasonable way to lazily and consistently address channeling concerns while vorlauf and sparge in a keggle MLT?

I think that the strainer is too fine to help. I have a similar one (that I use for nonbrewing purposes) and the water goes right through it. If you have a colander with larger holes that would probably work better. Or you could just take your time

I picked up a splatter screen a couple of months ago with the purpose of possibly using it as a false bottom. Fits w/in the diameter of my 10gal mash tun perfectly. I haven't used it for that purpose yet though and thought about doing exactly what you are thinking, instead.

...However, I agree with devilishprune. I concluded that the screen would be too fine. So, instead... I covered the screen, using it as a template, with some heavy duty aluminum foil and randomly poked some holes in it. Since the screen perfectly matched the diameter of my tun. The resulting foil was then removed and lain gently onto the grain bed as my sparging and vorloaufing diffuser.


BTW... I picked up my screen for $5 at a World Market store, in case you still have your receipt...

I batch sparge, so I only need to sprinkle during vorlauf, but here's my solution.

Post #4 in this thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/diffuse-sparge-water-226524/

If you batch sparge, channeling just doesn't matter.

Denny said:

If you batch sparge, channeling just doesn't matter.

Click to expand...

+1.

If you must fly sparge, I think people (as well as the Blichman company) just place a tube in the top of the MLT. If you have sufficient grain depth and a slow enough flow, should be fine.

I interpreted this as having problems disturbing the grain bed during the vorlauf, and not channeling as in the water going through certain paths through the grain bed.

If that's not what the OP meant, then yeah channeling doesn't matter in batch sparging.

Denny said:

If you batch sparge, channeling just doesn't matter.

Click to expand...

Channeling doesn't matter, but I just want to be sure that I set the grain bed well enough during vorlauf that it acts as a good filter during runoff - maybe I'm being over cautious.

Northcalais40 said:

+1.

If you must fly sparge, I think people (as well as the Blichman company) just place a tube in the top of the MLT. If you have sufficient grain depth and a slow enough flow, should be fine.

Click to expand...

When I have used this exact fly method you mentioned, I noticed what seemed to be channeling between the keggle wall and the grain bed. Needless to say my query is directed to fly spargers. If I use a similar screen as the false bottom for the top of the grain bed, I can potentially accentuate the fly problem I witnessed. I guess I'll simply have to experiment with it...

Thanks for the feedback!