First A-G abortion...

[motobrewer]

Screw. Northern Brewer's. False bottom.

I've had a n-b false bottom for my 5gal mash tun for a year. never really that happy with it, never got a clean lauter.

with wheat/adjunct mashes it completely useless. i've always had to dump out my mashes, clean out the grain under the false bottom, and dump the mash back in.

today, i was mashing an all-barley ESB. 1.5 qt/lb. open the valve, nothing. blow back into the valve, still nothing. dump the mash out, like a freaking pound of grain under the false bottom. clean that out, re-add the mash. open the valve, nothing. blow back, nothing.

couldn't get it working. dumped the mash out. motherf*cker. this was for my daughter's birthday party. I paid northern brewer's grain premium, too. $1.90 for maris otter. and used their crush. pretty pissed right now.

I have a new tun on the way and a braid already in my hand. Still stings to lose a brewday. and my wyeast west yorkshire starter, what do I do with that? Won't be able to brew for a few weeks.

 

[scinerd3000]

bummer man- never a huge fan of false bottoms for small brewing systems but they seem to be the way to go on lager ones. I use the bazoka screen for mine and i have never (knock on wood) had a stuck mash as of yet. I feel for you though. Is an extract brew out of the question-seems pointless to toss out a perfectly good starter

 

[motobrewer]

won't have any time to brew until 2 weeks from now. Can't get to the store to start an extract beer today, hbs is 2 hour round-trip and we have things to do this afternoon.

 

[chapa]

I believe you can just refrigerate the starter, then a few days before next brew day, decant and step it up with a fresh starter before your next brew. Sorry to hear about that false bottom, that really sucks! I've been fortunate enough to never really have to deal with a true stuck sparge. Knock on wood!! Manifold/Stainless Braid FTW! I know there are some well made false bottoms out there though.

 

[jturie]

Are you using a 5gal rubbermaid cooler? If so, I had good luck with a braid, two 3/8 barbs and a 3/8 Tee attached to the nipple. The braid makes a nice circle, and I generally have to vorlauf maybe 2 qts before I'm running nice and clear. Good efficiency too.

I just moved up to a 52qt Coleman Xtreme....braid doesn't cut it there.

 

[Montanaandy]

I use the 10 gal Rubbermaid with the aforementioned 3/8" & SS braid setup. I used to have stuck spurges when I had the grain milled at my LHBS. I bit the bullet and purchased my own mill, use the factory default gap, and have not had a stuck sparge since. Nothing more infuriating than a stuck sparge. Montanaandy

 

[BigBadMikey]

I have the NB 10 gal size false bottom. I had problems with stuck mashes due to grain underneath the false bottom as well. I had not assembled it properly inside the Mash tun.
The tube that connects the elbow on top of the false bottom was about 1/2" too long, which prevented the false bottom from sitting flush on the bottom of the cooler. Once I trimmed the tube to the proper length it works very well. Since I started adding rice hulls to the mash, i have had no stuck mashes.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I believe you can just refrigerate the starter, then a few days before next brew day, decant and step it up with a fresh starter before your next brew.

Just like washing yeast. You can seal and save the whole starter or you could probably wash and split that starter into 4 or 5 batches. The illustrated yeast washing tutorial is awesome and simple.

Basically, let your starter settle in the fridge. Boil mason jars and lids to sterilize, one or two bigger jars for the first part of the process. When you pull the jars out of the water make sure they are full, then screw the lids on. Sterile water, sterile jars. Let these cool in the fridge. Decant your starter, leaving just the yeast and a little beer. Dump sterile water and yeast slurry together in the large (say .5 gal.) sterile container and swirl it up. Let it settle. Pour off the clear(ish) liquid and pour yeastie beasties into small mason jars, seal, and save. Pitch each one into its own starter when you are ready to brew. I save a ton of $$$ on yeast!!!

 

[Bensiff]

That sucks...good that you posted that to give others the heads up if they were thinking about buying one...maybe push NB to redesign it. I tried the braid and I wasn't a fan, I have a copper manifold in both my 20 and 48 qt rigs, never stuck on me even with hefes.

 

[motobrewer]

mine fits flush, i've messed with the hose that connects to the valve a few times.

i just don't understand how that much grain can get underneath. its like a tight pack under there.

 

[Snowhere]

Weird, I have a plastic false bottom I got eons ago and it works great. I brewed yesterday with it and when I started drawing off my wort, it was clear and clean from the get go with absolutely no fines in the wort. I was thinking of upgrading to a stainless false bottom but if it isn’t broke, I will not fix it!

How is the stainless bottoms lifting to allow grain underneath?

 

[speter]

Motobrewer, are you adding grain to water, or water to grain? I have a similar MLT, and I get best results with adding grain to water. Another option, that I use for recipes with wheat, is to use a large grain bag inside the MLT. (I like it better than rice hulls.)

 

[DeafSmith]

Motobrewer, are you adding grain to water, or water to grain? I have a similar MLT, and I get best results with adding grain to water. Another option, that I use for recipes with wheat, is to use a large grain bag inside the MLT. (I like it better than rice hulls.)

Do you use the grain bag with a false bottom? Any problems twisting the bag when stirring? I'm thinking about using one of the AHS jumbo grain bags with my false bottom in a 10 gallon Rubbermaid cooler - trying to get an idea if there will be any problems with that.

 

[motobrewer]

i add grain to water. i tried it once the other way around - not good.

no, i don't use a grain bag.

 

[gallagherman]

+1 to OP's problem. I bought this exact product for my rubbermaid. The false bottom doesn't really sit flat on the table when placed there, its warped. I tried using it twice, but each time just either had a stuck mash or had a stream of grain running out of the MLT. I was very unhappy with this product. I called NB to complain but they said I was doing everything right.... I switched back to a SS braid and 12 batches later I haven't had a single problem since. Batch sparging FTW!

 

[SKMO]

If you get on the NB website and read the 3 reviews for the 12" false bottom you will see the problem mentioned, i.e., the screen does not make a real good seal on the bottom. I also think even with a good seal you can bump the thing while stirring and raise it enough to suck some stuff under the edge.

I have one of these NB false bottoms in a 10 gal and have not had any problems even running up to +30% wheat/oats. BUT I did make a mod to the cooler however, and I helped a buddy make a different mod to his.

In my case I had heard about leakage around the edges of various screens so when I got mine I was aware of the potential problem. My igloo was pretty uneven on the bottom. I have a cousin who is a dental tech and makes dentures. She poured this liquid resin in the bottom of the cooler, maybe 1/4" thick. After setting the cooler in a level spot and letting it dry, the bottom is now smooth as glass. I don't know what other kinds of liquid plastics are available, and which might be food safe, but this worked extremely well.

I set up a MLT for a friend, and took a different approach that worked just as well, maybe better. There was a " seam ridge" that ran across the bottom of his round cooler, can't remember brand but not an Igloo. I tried sanding it flat on the points of contact (ridge) but was afraid to remove as much as needed to come off for fear of sanding through the plastic. Instead I screwed it to the bottom of the cooler and was able to flex the screen enough and maybe pull the bottom up a smidgen, and it is a heck of a tight seal.

Let's say the ridge ran from the 12 o'clock to the 6 o'clock position. So at the 3 and 9 position, where the gaps were, I mounted two anchor points to the bottom of the cooler to screw into. I cut 2 squares maybe 1X1" out of an old white plastic cutting board, maybe 3/8" thick. I then epoxied them to the bottom of the cooler at the 3 & 6, as close to the edge of the cooler as I could get. Then simply run a short stainless steel screw with a rubber washer through the screen and into the plastic blocks. That puppy is going nowhere.

This seemed to work so well I cut a chunk for mine, and glued it in the middle of the bottom of my tank (with the resin in it). I ran a single screw into the block. Again, this screen is pinned down tight and insurance that I will never accidently lift it from the bottom when stirring. I then went for the brass ring and started putting a layer of fine mesh nylon on top of the false bottom, wrapping an inch under the edge of the screen and pinning it down. I can usually get a clean run going in a quart or less.

It's easy to take a screw or two out when cleaning the mash tun. And actually both mods were no big deal. What is a big deal, or at least a royal PITA, is a sparge glued shut.

 

[steinsato]

I've been using the 9 inch Northern Brewer False Bottom with a 5 gallon rubbermade cooler for almost a year now. I've only had one stuck sparge and it was because I ground my grains too fine that day. I've actually been quite happy with it. Simple to assemble and clean. I would never consider switching to a braid or hand made manifold.

 

[Shooter]

Motobrewer, are you adding grain to water, or water to grain? I have a similar MLT, and I get best results with adding grain to water. Another option, that I use for recipes with wheat, is to use a large grain bag inside the MLT. (I like it better than rice hulls.)

I have an old plastic false bottom that would float up and let grain underneath. I now use an extra large grain bag in the mash tun for every brew and it works like a charm!

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

What cooler/mt setup do you have? I have used on of those falsies with no problems, and seen it used an NB Milwaukee plenty of times. It isn't really a fancy piece of equipment; falsies all work about the same so-long as they are setup well.

If you are getting a lot of grain below the FB, your process is to blame. Hopefully the braid works out well for you...

 

[motobrewer]

man i donno. it's a 5 gallon rubbermaid, using their bulkhead setup, and their false bottom and their crush.

it sits level on the rubbermaid, i've messed with the hose length. it usually works fine, but i've never, ever, ever gotten a clean lauter. i drain my first two runnings into a bottling bucket because I heat my sparge water with my boil kettle. when i drain the bucket into the kettle, the bottom is coated in grain.

 

[vanwolfhausen]

I am soo glad I went with a braid from the beginning.

 

[DeafSmith]

Is anyone using a jumbo grain bag combined with a false bottom?

 

[Shooter]

Is anyone using a jumbo grain bag combined with a false bottom?

Yes, see my post above. My plastic false bottom was pretty much impossible to deal with, no matter what I tried. So, I now line the tun with an extra large mesh bag.

 

[DeafSmith]

Yes, see my post above. My plastic false bottom was pretty much impossible to deal with, no matter what I tried. So, I now line the tun with an extra large mesh bag.

Thanks. I wasn't clear from your previous post whether you were using the grain bag with a FB, or just a grain bag alone. Does the grain bag tend to get twisted when you stir?

 

[Shooter]

Thanks. I wasn't clear from your previous post whether you were using the grain bag with a FB, or just a grain bag alone. Does the grain bag tend to get twisted when you stir?

Not really, it might bunch up a little here or there, but not enough to worry about. I just try to be concious of it when I stir and, so far, no problems.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

When using a false bottom (and I am pretty sure all other lauter devices)you need to circulate the mash for a bit to clear the run off. Typically, without pumps, a brewer will drain off a quart or two into a pitcher (or whatever) and slowly return that to the top of the mash. Repeat that process maybe 5 times (or until the runoff is clear), then sparge per usual. That process is called, vorlauf.

If the FB fits well in the tun and there is space under it for wort to collect, it should work. Somehow, during your process, the FB is being lifted and grain is getting under it. Maybe during stirring???

 

[Shooter]

If the FB fits well in the tun and there is space under it for wort to collect, it should work. Somehow, during your process, the FB is being lifted and grain is getting under it. Maybe during stirring???

With the metal ones, I'm assuming it must be during stiring. My plastic one will actually float if left to its own devices.

 

[motobrewer]

When using a false bottom (and I am pretty sure all other lauter devices)you need to circulate the mash for a bit to clear the run off. Typically, without pumps, a brewer will drain off a quart or two into a pitcher (or whatever) and slowly return that to the top of the mash. Repeat that process maybe 5 times (or until the runoff is clear), then sparge per usual. That process is called, vorlauf.

If the FB fits well in the tun and there is space under it for wort to collect, it should work. Somehow, during your process, the FB is being lifted and grain is getting under it. Maybe during stirring???

it's possible during stirring. i just use a big metal spoon.

i vorlauf using a Mass, and do it maybe 4-5 times.