I'm building a direct-fired recirculating mash tun out of a 15.5 gallon sanke keg (part of my Brutus Ten clone project that is now underway) and I'm trying to decide what type of false bottom to use.
I know some people use copper and SS-braid manifolds in their mash tuns. Others use the stainless 10 to 15 inch diameter perforated stainless "disk" type false bottom with the pickup tube that goes down to the bottom of the keg through a hole in the center.
I'm inclined to go with the full perforated SS disk false bottom because it will keep the grain from direct contact with the bottom of my direct-fired mash tun. An SS-braid won't do that. I know that there are experienced brewers (e.g., BrewPastor, Monster Mash, to mention a couple who posted pics that I found while searching the forum), who use a SS braid, but I don't know how they heat their mash.
Which solution is likely to work best for a direct-fired mash?
EDIT: Price is not a factor. My DIY time, however, is very valuable as I'm spending a lot of time already to build my brew stand. I don't want to spend my time on a DIY solution (e.g., ss-braid / copper manifold) unless it is likely to be significantly better (less chance of scorching, higher yields, less likely to get stuck) for my direct-fired mash.
I know some people use copper and SS-braid manifolds in their mash tuns. Others use the stainless 10 to 15 inch diameter perforated stainless "disk" type false bottom with the pickup tube that goes down to the bottom of the keg through a hole in the center.
I'm inclined to go with the full perforated SS disk false bottom because it will keep the grain from direct contact with the bottom of my direct-fired mash tun. An SS-braid won't do that. I know that there are experienced brewers (e.g., BrewPastor, Monster Mash, to mention a couple who posted pics that I found while searching the forum), who use a SS braid, but I don't know how they heat their mash.
Which solution is likely to work best for a direct-fired mash?
EDIT: Price is not a factor. My DIY time, however, is very valuable as I'm spending a lot of time already to build my brew stand. I don't want to spend my time on a DIY solution (e.g., ss-braid / copper manifold) unless it is likely to be significantly better (less chance of scorching, higher yields, less likely to get stuck) for my direct-fired mash.