ZmannR2
Well-Known Member
Lmao! I just realized there’s a discussion literally right below this one in the forum. My bad
Solid vs Mesh sided Biabasket
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Based solely upon what I have read, a solid sided basket does force the sparge or recirc through the grain bed, but they may also be more inclined to stick for that very same reason.
Trade offs
Trade offs
Valid concern.
i would only use this for larger batches as i have a small batch system.
it looks like the cone / cylinder interface is at about 4 gals?
with a solid sided basket, i dont think thould be an issue as all the liquid is forced through the bottom. you could also get fancy with the basket and have the bottom match the cone profile for a couple of inches.
if i go this route, ill update.
I'm giving this some thought, but will follow the discussion a while to learn more before I pull the trigger. I currently use a Wilser bag, with great results, but a rigid ss basket is intriguing. Does the 300 micron mesh keep a lot of the particulates out of the wort? How does it compare in that respect to using a high-quality bag, like Wilser's?
ZmannR2
Well-Known Member
Dude I just gotta say I love how you always give good advice even to people who are interested in things that are technically competitors to your business.
Much respect man!
Thanks, but you may not feel the same after this post [emoji23] lol
I have sold bags to people that were having repeated stuck sparge issues using expensive systems with solid sided baskets. Overall, I surmise a bag is less prone to sticking, and some increase crush size to cope with using a SS mesh basket.
The bags are a hobby / business of sorts, so I'm not all that concerned with "competitors".
I am using CF10 with a bag and BrewHardware's HotRod as a BIAC system.
A custom-built basket is not necessary. I used Grainfahter, which uses solid side basket. Using a bag instead enables higher flow rate of recirculation, which seems to accelerate conversion. I don't have data or enough experience to get conclusion, though.
If you want solid side, you can just use a mash tun. The result would be a system like BrewEasy but Conical as BK. You will get some advantages. First, the wort drains from Mash Tun will drain without splashing. You will need to pull the basket slowly to avoid that. Second, you don't need to pull the heavy basket with wet grain and some wort in it.
I am going to do that but haven't figured out a way to fix the tubing on top of my mash tun, which is a double sided stainless cooler with false bottom.
ZmannR2
Well-Known Member
K well that makes me feel better about getting a full mesh basket then
Could a hybrid basket design provide a middle ground? I've been considering building something similar to this rough drawing.
Solid at the top of the basket to avoid sparge water or recirculating wart from running out of or over the sides of the basket. Mesh towards the bottom of the basket to provide more room to drain to avoid stuck sparges.
This drawing assumes use of a 10 gallon kettle.
Thoughts?
View attachment IMG_0042.jpg
Solid at the top of the basket to avoid sparge water or recirculating wart from running out of or over the sides of the basket. Mesh towards the bottom of the basket to provide more room to drain to avoid stuck sparges.
This drawing assumes use of a 10 gallon kettle.
Thoughts?
View attachment IMG_0042.jpg
ZmannR2
Well-Known Member
Dude that’s brilliant
Seems easy enough for one of the usual manufacturers to build.
If there's any value to it, the key is probably the depth at which you transition from solid to Mesh. I have absolutely no data to know what might work best, so I'll probably just wing it based on my usual batch size and shooting to get at least a few gallons above that solid part of the basket.
Cheers
which port are you using for the element?
i thought about the bag, but thought it. might be difficult to keep it from hitting the element.
care to share any pics of your setup?
I use HotRod from brewhardware.
https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hotrod.htm
Use low density heating element and keep recirculating, and you will be fine.
I don't have 240v access, and 1650w is the highest power I can find. Without insulation, boiling never happen. The pic was taken on my first brew. After that, I ordered another HotRod with 1500w. The additional hotrod is used only when heating strike water and boiling.
I've used both and I'm not sure I can say which is better for keeping junk out of the wort. With the bag you can go crazy with the crush size but mesh baskets have a sweet spot where they work best. But I found life to be much easier when I stopped worrying about wort clarity.
applescrap
Be the ball!
Did you find wort clarity affected end brightness?
OP
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If I'm concerned over clarity then I will cold crash and use gelatin. At some point you have to wonder what's good enough for clarity.
Well.. Ive ordered a basket to these specs and will report back on results, numbers, etc. Will take a few weeks to manufacture.
Heres the basket I ordered. I hope to get a brew in over the next couple weeks. Will revert back on my thoughts.
View attachment IMG_2668.jpg
View attachment IMG_2669.jpg
View attachment IMG_2670.jpg
staticfritz
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that basket looks sweet. how much did it run you? any cheaper to do solid sides over mesh?
Not cheap. This basket was $280. Im sure a solid sided basket would run cheaper given it requires less parts/effort to build.
staticfritz
Well-Known Member
thats getting up there $!
is it really big? i think i was quoted ~200 for a mesh basket for me 15gal spike
is it really big? i think i was quoted ~200 for a mesh basket for me 15gal spike
This one is for a 10 gallon Spike. Total OD is 13.5 with a height of 16.
Yes, mesh only would be significantly cheaper. The price is higher on this due to what I assume is the extra labor cost. This one was unique custom. They basically had to create two cylinders and do extra welding to bring them together.
Also, the full mesh baskets they can probably knock out in bulk if you want them in a standard size reducing cost.
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I recently started using a solid side, 400 mic. floor basket from Arbor. I've found that you need to be patient with getting the grain bed settled correctly. It takes a bit of extra time however once it settles you are good to go. My system will hold 14 gal. total. Arbor did a great job with the basket, top hanging tabs, press plate and drain bracket.
Metzen - you are sure to enjoy your basket.
Metzen - you are sure to enjoy your basket.
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Some of my findings since my original post to this thread. Yes the 400 micron screen is very fine, so much so that it can trap air. The first two batches I stirred for 10-15 as others have posted. These were both Stouts with 11 lbs. grain bill. Efficiency was 74.2%. During this time you can watch your sight glass if you have one and pump output. Once settled I found a modest recirculation flow would not out run the filter. Yesterday I brewed 3 Crops and added rice hulls, whole new game. Grain bed settled quickly and I was able to recirculate at twice the flow rate. This was a 9 lbs. grain bill. Based on the Beer Smith recipe I obtained a 81.8% efficiency. I do have the press plate that Arbor offers.
As others have mentioned clarity during the recirculation (for 3 Crops) was very clear. The final wort was what I expect from a recipe of this type. I will not have good pictures to share going into the keg as this batch will get raspberry puree during the secondary. My apologies for the focus on my second picture. Hope this is helpful.
As others have mentioned clarity during the recirculation (for 3 Crops) was very clear. The final wort was what I expect from a recipe of this type. I will not have good pictures to share going into the keg as this batch will get raspberry puree during the secondary. My apologies for the focus on my second picture. Hope this is helpful.
3 Crops is an excellent one. I’ll be interested to hear how the raspberry purée during secondary turns out for you. My first batch with the hybrid basket was also 3 Crops (straight up). It’s now ready for drinking and one of the cleanest beers (not just clarity but taste) I’ve brewed. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
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Thanks for sharing a picture of what looks like a great glass of beer. Did you do anything to improve clarity after fermentation or just transfer?
I cold crash in the fermenter before transferring to the keg, but the wort was very clear going into the fermenter on brew day.
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Appreciate the details. I do the same, hopefully will see the same result as you did.
Irish-Brewer
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Wanted to fire this one back up to ask a question. I have an open sided mesh basket (inside a 20 gallon brewer's hardware kettle) but would like to experiment with a solid sided basket. Instead of buying another mash basket, I thought about the idea of taking a sheet of food grade plastic, roll it up inside the basket and allow it to expand out to line the mesh basket walls. Anyone know a vendor that sells sheets of food grade plastic that is thin enough to roll up? Wouldn't that option give fellow open sided brewers the best of both options? With the grain inside the basket, I would think that would be enough to keep the plastic tight against the basket wall. Or better yet, a thicker sheet of plastic that would naturally uncoil tight against the walls.
I used a thin plastic cutting 'board' for this. Worked great.
LittleRiver
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mcgimpkins
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How about silicon sheets? Good up to 220 degrees:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XHCHTS8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
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LittleRiver
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Your best bet may be sheet metal, aluminum or stainless (preferable).
Silicone is very flexible, quite possibly so flexible it would be hard to work with in this application. HDPE gets quite flexible when it is heated.
The temps you'll be working with won't have much effect on sheet metal. If you roll a thin sheet and put it in your basket it should spring outward and hold itself in place.
Silicone is very flexible, quite possibly so flexible it would be hard to work with in this application. HDPE gets quite flexible when it is heated.
The temps you'll be working with won't have much effect on sheet metal. If you roll a thin sheet and put it in your basket it should spring outward and hold itself in place.
Irish-Brewer
Member
My mesh basket is 20 inches tall and 14.5 inches in diameter. So the circumference would be about 45.5 inches. I would prefer thin stainless steel, but still am looking for a place that sells a thin smaller roll that would work.
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