Phil's Phalse Bottom - is it worth the $$$

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Kaiser

Kaiser

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Hi there.

I just built a mash/lauter tun from a 5 gal cooler. In the process of designing it I came across Phil's Phalse Bottom. But then I saw the price: $20 for a 10" piece of plastic with holes in it???. I could understand this price if it was stainless steel.

I ended up making a manifold from copper tubing it doesn't look as nice but worked like a charm yesterday when I used if for the first time.

Kai
 
I went the copper tubing route as well. A bit of manual labor to assemble/cut but works great and at $3 or so...
 
I got a phalse bottom about 10 years ago. I dunno how much it cost, but it still hasn't worn out. It also sits very close to the bottom, which allows much more wort to be extracted. I am sure this extra wort has more than paid for the cost of the device.

-a.
 
i use a bazooka-t screen and my efficiency has gone up. my false bottom didn't sit flush /w the bottom of my kettle, so i had a stuck mash almost every brew day. sucked!
 
My first tun was a 5 gal cooler w/plastic false bottom worked ok,but efficiency was low no matter what i did. Im using a large square cooler w/copper tubing and works very good.I can use alot more grains ,and also doing 10 gal batches,but i cant get my efficiency above 70%. Im wondering if i should mash more then 1 hour.
 
DeRoux's Broux said:
i use a bazooka-t screen and my efficiency has gone up. my false bottom didn't sit flush /w the bottom of my kettle, so i had a stuck mash almost every brew day. sucked!
Click to expand...

One design error (since corrected) is the opening of the outflow elbow can get pushed flat against the bottom of the tun by the weight of the mash. This will prevent the flow of wort and make it appear to be a stuck mash.

I cross drilled a hole in the elbow, problem solved.
 
Mikey said:
One design error (since corrected) is the opening of the outflow elbow can get pushed flat against the bottom of the tun by the weight of the mash. This will prevent the flow of wort and make it appear to be a stuck mash.

I cross drilled a hole in the elbow, problem solved.
Click to expand...

interesteing. when i used my cooler mash tun, i had the homemade screen from braided SS mesh and copper tubing and never had a problem either. glad they fixed that problem, because i love how it works now!:drunk:
 
DeRoux's Broux said:
i use a bazooka-t screen and my efficiency has gone up. my false bottom didn't sit flush /w the bottom of my kettle, so i had a stuck mash almost every brew day. sucked!
Click to expand...
Hey Brian, I was just reading a review of the bazooka-t the other day and the guy said he had his first stuck mash ever the first time he used it. Have you had any problems with yours? He mentioned something about it not having enough surface area to handle all that grain. And what keeps the mesh screen from collapsing under the weight of the grain?

Also, what do you use in the brew kettle to keep all the hops and trub from transferring to the primary with the wort?

Andy

(side note: I swear I posted this same message last night but it wasn't on the thread when I checked this morning. Weird. :confused: )
 
Brian, how did you adapt the bazooka tube to our system? My false bottom does not seal off real good either. I would like to add a filter to it, because the grain that slips by tends to plug up mu new inline male female quick connects. And that perterbs me cause they cost me $17 each, and slows down my pumping............
 
DrewsBrews said:
Hey Brian, I was just reading a review of the bazooka-t the other day and the guy said he had his first stuck mash ever the first time he used it. Have you had any problems with yours? He mentioned something about it not having enough surface area to handle all that grain. And what keeps the mesh screen from collapsing under the weight of the grain?

Also, what do you use in the brew kettle to keep all the hops and trub from transferring to the primary with the wort?
Andy,

those screens are damn sturdy and tuff. i haven't had one problem w/ a stuck mash and i've brewed two hefty wheats with it. somebody had posted that same thing the other day, but stated that bazooka had since fixed the problem with the screens. that's the only negative feedback i've ever heard.

i don't use anything in my brew kettle to stop hops. it all settles out below my valve, so it stays behind (if i hit my target volume right! :D )

Corey,
My false bottom that Robert made was doing the same thing. everytime i brewed, i'd get a stuck mash, that's why i went to the bazooka. you have to get the copper tubing connector for your system when you order the bazooka, whether it's a cooler tun or sanke keg (like ours). it just screws into the 1/2 nipple on our systems.
or corey, just get a false bottom made by Sabco (www.kegs.com) or from www.northernbrewer.com. those should fit flush on a sanke keg real good.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
One common cause of a stuck sparge is an airlock in the outlet. If you prime the outlet by adding sufficient foundation water, and then draining some out of the outlet to get everything filled with water before adding any grains, then the airlock is prevented.

-a.
 
I saw this at the brew store today.... don't know... that plastic material can be found at any fabric store in the quilting department. It's template material... then all you need is a drill and an hour to kill with a very boring task of drilling a lot of holes.
 
I went with the stainless steel version and have had no problems.
It dosen't float or get crushed by the weight of the Mash.

It is a bit higher in price though.
 
snaproll said:
I went with the stainless steel version and have had no problems.
It dosen't float or get crushed by the weight of the Mash.

It is a bit higher in price though.
Click to expand...

you get what you pay for though.
 
I am about to make the jump to All Grain brewing.

I see pictures online of the MLT with just the stainless hose braid manifold or with copper tubing manifold and nothing more.


I just built my MLT from a 10 gallon rubbermade cooler using a SS braid manifold and added a spigot on my 8 gallon brew pot.

I've read in various forums that some people use a false bottom such as the Phils false bottom and other don't. If you don't what keeps the wet grains from collaping the SS braid?

I think I am missing something here ...
 
DeejayDebi said:
I just built my MLT from a 10 gallon rubbermade cooler using a SS braid manifold and added a spigot on my 8 gallon brew pot.

I've read in various forums that some people use a false bottom such as the Phils false bottom and other don't. If you don't what keeps the wet grains from collaping the SS braid?

I think I am missing something here ...
Click to expand...

when i had that set-up, the weight of the grains never crushed the SS braid so that it stuck. had very good results every time.:cool:
 
i use the Bazooka T screen, not the homemade jobber from a SS water feed line like on the cruisenews.net site (when i used a Rubbermaid cooler for mash tun).
 
DeRoux's Broux said:
i use the Bazooka T screen, not the homemade jobber from a SS water feed line like on the cruisenews.net site (when i used a Rubbermaid cooler for mash tun).
Click to expand...

Bazooka with a cooler?

What do you get for efficiency? Got pics?
 
Holy crap, man...nice rig!

I love your stand, it looks similar to the design I just posted actually, with the handles and such. I had never even seen your gallery until now.

Your mash tun--where'd you get that sparge ring? That's sweet!

Are you like 6'10"??? :p
 
Dude said:
Holy crap, man...nice rig!

I love your stand, it looks similar to the design I just posted actually, with the handles and such. I had never even seen your gallery until now.

Your mash tun--where'd you get that sparge ring? That's sweet!

Are you like 6'10"??? :p
Click to expand...

thanks. i'm happy with it. the sparge ring was made by the guy who built my system. he's a welder in my hbc. $400 for the whole rig.

6'4", 215 :D
 
DeRoux's Broux said:
thanks. i'm happy with it. the sparge ring was made by the guy who built my system. he's a welder in my hbc. $400 for the whole rig.

6'4", 215 :D
Click to expand...

Wow...looks like he does really nice work. Wonder if he'd ship a MLT to me? :cool:
Might come to you for his e-mail down the road.....
 
DeRoux's Broux said:
when i had that set-up, the weight of the grains never crushed the SS braid so that it stuck. had very good results every time.:cool:
Click to expand...


Thank you for your replys. I guess I'm just expecting the grains once wetted will get so heavy they will over power the lightweigh SS braid and collapes. Priming the system does sound like a good idea.

Thanks Again
 
Yup once the grain is suspended in water it gets pretty light, as does most things. It's easy to get so focused you miss the obvious. Been there done that. I only wish I had of started with a 10 gal set up instead of the 5,
I'll probably switch the next time I decide to upgrade something.
Money, money, where does it all go?
 
A little late to the game here, but I use the plastic false bottom (I guess it's a Phil's) with a mash pad in a 10 gallon cooler. Works like a champ. Never had a stuck sparge, and I've done some pretty big beers in it.
 
I've been using a Phalse Bottom for several years, with good results. Zymurgy's Great Grain Issue compared several sparging methods, and the false bottom method had the greatest efficiency. The issue can be ordered at:

http://www.store.beertown.org/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=16&cat=Zymurgy

Efficiency comes primarily from water of the correct temperature flowing slowly around each crushed malt kernel. Small filtering devices don't do well at that.

Only a glutton for punishment would make his own false bottom. There are probably a thousand holes in one, evenly spaced. It would take hours. The Phalse Bottom is also nicely curved, which takes a mold and heat.

My first Phalse Bottom collapsed. Listermann replaced it free, no questions asked, with no charge for S&H.

If I were to do it over, I *might* buy a stainless steel false bottom.

Tom
 
I've been using Phil's Phalse bottom in my cooler mash/Lauter tun for ten years and I've never had any problems with it. I get good efficiency with it so I'm sticking to what works.
 
Only a glutton for punishment would make his own false bottom. There are probably a thousand holes in one, evenly spaced. It would take hours. The Phalse Bottom is also nicely curved, which takes a mold and heat.
[/quote]

I don't doubt that the efficiency is better, but with my copper manifold set-up I got efficiencies of 71% - 73% so far and are happy with it. I just don't see why something that is not even SS has to cost $30.

Are the holes at least tapered towards the bottom of of the false bottom?

Kai
 
I don't doubt that the efficiency is better, but with my copper manifold set-up I got efficiencies of 71% - 73% so far and are happy with it. I just don't see why something that is not even SS has to cost $30.

]
On my firs batch with a phills bottom I had 78% efficiency, with a short SS braided line I would get 70-73%.
 
I use a length of braided s/s hose covering from Earl's( found at good part stores) and no problems at all, I think you could stand on it and it would still flow. a bit on the pricey side ,but like he said you get what you pay for.
 
I got the SS braid (it's a large diameter braid, 8-9 in. long) with the Bargain Fittings conversion kit I bought, and it's simple, easy to clean, an does a great job.
 

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