Attaching false bottom to bottom drain MLT

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.

Strongbad52

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2010
Messages
128
Reaction score
8
Location
Georgia
After deciding to replace my Gott cooler MLT with a inverted Sanke I was trying to figure out how to keep the falsebottom fixed without welding or buying a 15" FB from Jaybird. I stumbled onto an easy weldless option to keep the false bottom from sliding around.

I figured there was some way to use the lip on inside of the Sanke neck that the spear normally rests on and while wandering around Home Depot I found this in the electrical dept.

f4cbaa6b-orig-1.jpg
[/IMG]

and after tearing open and testing out what seemed like half the fittings at Home Depot, I found that a 1/4" male flare threads fit the aluminum connector. After that it was fairly simple to find a 1/4" to 1/2" bushing and a 1/2" cap to finish it off and voila!!

64703cb3-orig.jpg
[/IMG]

b4d65145-orig.jpg
[/IMG]

312a78e6-orig.jpg
[/IMG]

08bd6451-orig.jpg
[/IMG]
 
I am going o do this exact setup thanks for the information. Where did you get that false bottom or did you make it?
 
Nice solution.

Another easy fix would be a stainless eye bolt, nut / washer and then a piece of stainless rod or bolt that fits that lip would work as well.
 
Mine is just screwed down. The copper piece is just a cap over the former diptube connection. This set up does NOT move a bit. And it's super easy to remove the false bottom when I clean up.
DSCN0323.jpg

The screw comes up from the bottom, though a little drilled hole in the FB.
 
Hey Tom, sorry for the late reply. No I didn't make the false bottom. I got it from midwest supplies when i had the Gott cooler mashtun setup.
 
Thanks. Another related but slightly off topic question. How do folks go about cleaning their bottom drain MLT's. It would seem the bottom drain might add some complexity especially if the MLT is rigged up on a stand.
 
I scoop out as much of the spent grain as i can, then put a bucket under the tun and take off the triclamp fitting. Then just rinse out the tun with the hose.
 
Curious how you have it setup in your stand that you can easily just pull the tri-clamp and open the bottom drain up. That was the route I wanted to go but keep getting caught up in how to have the stand and plumbing supported but also able to simply remove it.

I am planning on a wooden stand myself.
 
This is how mine is set up. It's not perfect since there is a support bar running from the middle of the pump mounts. I have to scoot the mashtun a little closer to the kettle to get the bucket under it. I need to get one of the tall, skinny rectangular trash cans but just haven't gotten around to it.

d8509322-4894-4de2-93fe-2f713d6deaa3.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Thanks. Another related but slightly off topic question. How do folks go about cleaning their bottom drain MLT's. It would seem the bottom drain might add some complexity especially if the MLT is rigged up on a stand.

I have a "tippy dump" on mine, so I dump out the grain and then rinse/scoop out any particles left. Then I just rinse it out- I do not remove the triclover or anything like that. I run some water through it after it's cleaned out, and that's it. It is removeable from my stand, so I could take it off if it got really gunked up, but it's be fine so far.
 
Back
Top