Bayou classic mash tun?

[Gtrfrk182]

I was looking at these brew kettles, http://www.bayouclassiccooking.com/baclbrke.html

I've never used a false bottom before and this one says it sits 3 inches above the bottom

I'm wondering if that is too high ?? Wouldn't there be a significant amount of water that wouldn't even touch grain during the mash, leaving poor conversion and watery beer?

Thanks

 

[wilserbrewer]

Typically what's under the false bottom gets recirculated or drained and is put back in the top of the tun, either with a pump, or just a pitcher.

A simple vorlough with a pitcher will do this.


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[Hello]

I was looking at the same one and I agree that the water beneath will simply be recirculated. Just be sure to account for the dead space in your calculations.

 

[Bassman2003]

How often does this need to be recirculated to have an effective mash? Or do you think of it as setting your water to grist ratio + the dead space? So the dead space is sort of like sparge water? Thanks

 

[wilserbrewer]

How often does this need to be recirculated to have an effective mash? Or do you think of it as setting your water to grist ratio + the dead space? So the dead space is sort of like sparge water? Thanks

Yes, you could consider it dead space, and figure everything above the FB into the water/grain ratio. This impact varies as it relates to tun size relative to batch size. A very large tun and small batch is not ideal. Say with a small 5 gallon batch in a 20 gallon tun, more than half your batch is under the FB



Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[Bassman2003]

Thanks. I am working on my mash tun right now and if things do not work out I will be looking around for a new setup.

 

[augiedoggy]

I just purchased the 16 gallon bayou pot and false bottom and have changed my equipment accordingly in beersmith to account for the 3gallons of dead space.

I am wondering and looking for opinions or experience on this, since I recirculate my mash the whole time through a rims tube will there huge 3 gallon dead space be an issue or should I look for something to put under the false bottom to help fill the volume? I usually do 5 gallon batches with 6.5g going in preboil or 10 gallon with 11.5G preboil...

I am also using a bazooka tube with a finer braided stainless filter inside that since I use small 24V dc (3 gallon perminute) pumps...
I Do have a 12" false bottom from my old cooler MT but I'd rather use the new one which covers and filters the whole surface area of the grain base...(I think?)

 

[V1king]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I am having this exact problem with the Bayou Classic 16 gallon pot. There are 3 gallons of liquid beneath the false bottom. I recirculate via a pump, so the mash really isn't that much of a problem. But the sparge is giving me trouble. I am not sure how to over come the problem. I am getting horrible efficiency. Around %50. That's a lot of wasted potential. Any one have ideas?

 

[augiedoggy]

I use a 16 gallon version of this kettle with the false bottom. It works great for me but I recirculate too. I simply use 3 gallon as a dead space setting in beersmith.
I brewed twice last week with 86% efficiency each time and do fly sparge
The last beer I just brewed I only got 76% efficiency but I believe it was due to the high amount of specialty grains

Edit* I just noticed I responded a while back to this thread as well.. didn't see that until now

 

[V1king]

Augie, I have the 16 gallon version as well. How are you calculating your sparge water? By entering 3 gallons as recoverable space in the mash tun in Beersmith, I am mashing with almost total volume needed for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[augiedoggy]

Augie, I have the 16 gallon version as well. How are you calculating your sparge water? By entering 3 gallons as recoverable space in the mash tun in Beersmith, I am mashing with almost total volume needed for a 5 gallon batch.

it does not effect my sparge volume since because I slowly fly sparge I just add sparge water to the top and filter through the bed while its being drained from the filter at the bottom under the false bottom... I stop when I reach my calculated preboil volume.

My thoughts are just because the 3 gallons is not physically immersed in the grain it doesnt mean it doesnt pick up the residual sugars from the mash as it made its way through the grainbed to the bottom. and fly sparging is really just rinsing the sugars left behind as the mash wort drained... conversion is complete for the most part . especially because I recirculate the whole time ensuring the grain is in ful contact with the correct moving temp moving water to help dissolve these sugars and make them water soluble.

 

[V1king]

I agree with your theory. How are you delivering your sparge water, and are you preheating to mash out temp? Thanks for walking me through this.

 

[augiedoggy]

I agree with your theory. How are you delivering your sparge water, and are you preheating to mash out temp? Thanks for walking me through this.

I do not raise the mash temp to mashout... I simply divert the mash to my boil kettle and turn on that element while sparging and filling it further.. I do sparge with 170 degree water.

 

[V1king]

What I meant was, how are you adding your sparge water? Are you pumping it in from an HLT? Pouring it in from a pitcher? Something else? Also are you doing 5 gallon batches?

 

[augiedoggy]

What I meant was, how are you adding your sparge water? Are you pumping it in from an HLT? Pouring it in from a pitcher? Something else? Also are you doing 5 gallon batches?

I turn a 3 way valve which diverts the rims wort to my BK and at the same time I turn another 3way valve which diverts the water from my HLT to my sparge arm... I use multiple small 24v 3 gallon per minute dc pumps which are plumbed in so then I just turn the 2 pumps on and begin draining the wort from the grain while displacing it from the top gently with 170 degree sparge water... I used to use a flaot switch which always kicked the single hlt pump on and off to maintain the proper level of sparge water but that ended up being more of a pain because the float stuck a couple times so..

I know its kinda confusing to visualize... There are some pictures in my build thread below that might help towards the end of the thread.

 

[V1king]

Is this for a 5 gallon batch? I'm doing 5 gallons and the initial mash volume (with the 3 gallons of recoverable space beneath the false bottom) is almost the total volume needed for the boil. Beersmith calculates around a half gallon of sparge water when fly sparging is selected in the mash settings.

 

[augiedoggy]

Is this for a 5 gallon batch? I'm doing 5 gallons and the initial mash volume (with the 3 gallons of recoverable space beneath the false bottom) is almost the total volume needed for the boil. Beersmith calculates around a half gallon of sparge water when fly sparging is selected in the mash settings.

Yes I do it the same way with the 5 Gallon brews and that might have something to do with why I've been averaging 86℅ efficiency on 10 gallon but only got 76 when brewing my 6 gallon batch of salted caramel porter last week.. I don't brew 6 gallons or less much anymore since its the same amount of work and time to make 10 for me.

I will have to pay more attention next time since I believe I also ended up with .5 gallons more than the recipe was created for which would effect these numbers...
One thing I can do next time is boil more vigorously which will result in more boiloff to correct values from sparging with too much water as well.really though the initial mash liquid should have much of the sugars in it and the mash shouldn't need much in the sparge to rinse the remaining augers which should be well dissolved from recirculating.