False bottom not working

Bought a 12" false bottom with dip tube and compression fitting for my converted mash tun keg just like the one in the pic. I've installed it ,filled it up with water open the ball valve aaand nothing ...nothing comes out . no water. doesn't drain. at this point I'm a bit confused. Did i install the dip tube right?i feel like I may installed it to high...is the dip tube suppose to be touching the bottom of the keg? Does it only work when it's filled with grain ? How the hell do I fail installing this? I feel like I'm always running into some noobish problems and as much as I try to do my research to avoid asking for help I always end up here asking away so yea guys can I get some help lol

 

is the pickup tube hitting the bottom, should be up at least as high as the width of the tube

 

Nope doesn't sit at the bottom The pick up tube has a flare at the end I installed it where the false bottom kinda hangs on the flare of the pick up tube but the false bottom still sits on the bottom of the keg in other words the pick up tube is installed a bit high

 

you have a vapor-lock try blowing on the out ball valve

 

Do you have the lid on you mash tun?

 

And how much water did you fill it up with? It must be above the valve or gravity can't do its thing.

 

Vapor lock?
Nope no lid
I will try to fill it up beyond the ball valve I'm sure I did that and nothing but ima give it a try again

 

Mine gets stuck all the time. Even with the kettle full. I think water vapor gets up into the dip tube during heating.
I find that the only thing that works is to disconnect from the pump and open the HLT valve a smudge to get water flowing down the hose before reconnecting.

I cheaped out by not installing a purge valve after my pump and this is the price I pay.

 

Are you running a herms set up and that's the first time I've heard of a vape lock are you running the same false bottom as well?


Update:
I did fill up about 3 gallon over the ball valve and it did work after all I just wasn't happy with the Flo of water seemed a bit weak it kinda makes me wonder if it will get through the HLT herms coil and back to sparge arm no problem is any one running a similar herms System with my False bottom chugged pump herms coil and do you have any problem with it?

 

Not the same, but similar, and yes, I'm running a HERMS.
Not sure exactly why it gets stuck. Never happens when I let it siphon naturally into the BK but it will on the pump if it sits w/o running for a while. It happens more frequently with my HLT, which doesn't have a FB but does have a diptube.
Guess I need to install a purge valve....

 

Just curious Why the dip tube on the hlt?

 

Looking at the picture, that dip tube is 2 to 3 inches above the bottom. I'm lazy and don't want to look up the equation to calculate how much weight it will take. But you will need A LOT water or wort above the valve to get Gavity to push it up and out. My guess is that you are getting cavitation around the opening when using the pump. The pump is pulling more than gravity can feed.


This is why a lot of brewers go with bottom drain vessels. I do not believe there is a cure for your problem other than more water weight.

 

Also note that your vessel will only drain to the level of the valve unless you have a hose on the outlet lower than the bottom of the vessel.

 

This happened to me when I tested my dip tube if I filled just a little past the BV it would never completely drain, but if I filled it up to a typical batch and opend the BV it would always drain fully. If you are going to use a pump once it's primed the pump will actually pull the hell outta some water and your drain time with decrease

 

you need a siphon! Physics

 

Forgot to ask in my first post, but what size is the dip tube. I'm sure you're running 1/2 tubing with your pump. If the dip tube is 3/8 it maybe a size issue (that's what she said).

Edit....Disregard I reread the original post not using a pump. Back to my first post. That's a long way to have liquid travel strait up. Needs a lot of force to make it move.

 

Thanks for all the feed back I did get it to work I just had to be patient once the pump got going it did pull out The water no problem and it was more than enough to get it through the coil and back to the mlt just had to purge the air out of the pump and coil for some reason it does get stuck in the beginning but once it s going it works like a charm thanks again for the feed back