Mash Tun False Bottom Gasket Material?

Pangea · Oct 14, 2009

So I'm building this mash tun out of a 55 gallon drum, and have a flat false bottom on the way (perforated plate). The FB will cover most of the bottom of the drum, with about 1/2" clearance b/w it and the wall. I will have a bottom drain. Now the question is how best to elevate the false bottom while still maintaining a good seal - here's my idea: Make a 1/8 to 1/4" thick ring of silicone rubber to sit under the false bottom. The perimiter of the false bottom would rest on this pseudo-gasket and seal. The middle would be open, or could be supported by short stand offs if necessary.

Anyone have any idea where I could get some material to make this gasket? mcmaster has a 24"x24" sheet of 1/4" thick silicone rubber, but its over $100. The drum ID is 22", so I need at least this much material to work with if cutting the gasket out.

I'm also open to other suggestions if you think my plan is stooopid.

Thanks. :mug:

Pangea

cyberbackpacker · Oct 14, 2009

I picked this idea up from Horst Dornbusch (wrote Prost!, Alt, etc.)!

take a length of 1/2" silicone tubing the length of the inner diameter of the drum. Fill with dried corn, beans, rice, pellets, etc. and then connect the two ends of hose together with a coupler (Horst used a section of hose with OD the same as the ID of the hose gasket) and then use hose clamps to tighten the hose ends down to prevent them from coming separated. The stuff in the hose is to keep it weighted down during the mash. Voila! You have your seal/gasket!

smoa · Oct 14, 2009

I was thinking the same thing, but instead of filling it stuff you could just sucure it to the undernieth of the false bottom with some SS or copper bottom.

Pangea · Oct 15, 2009

cyberbackpacker said:
I picked this idea up from Horst Dornbusch (wrote Prost!, Alt, etc.)!

take a length of 1/2" silicone tubing the length of the inner diameter of the drum. Fill with dried corn, beans, rice, pellets, etc. and then connect the two ends of hose together with a coupler (Horst used a section of hose with OD the same as the ID of the hose gasket) and then use hose clamps to tighten the hose ends down to prevent them from coming separated. The stuff in the hose is to keep it weighted down during the mash. Voila! You have your seal/gasket!

Yeah, I had thought of this. Didn't consider filling it with stuff though. The buoyancy had me concerned. Silicon thermoplastic tubing is cheaper than what I was looking at. I may have to try this first. I'd like to put something in the hose more inert than a vegetable, maybe marbles or stainless hardware like nuts/bolts, etc??? I'll have to look around for something.

Thanks for the input!

Bobby_M · Oct 15, 2009

Instead of hose, just get oring cordstock and glue the ends together.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#5229t59/=42k7dt

Cheaper? Buna N is fine too.

Pangea · Oct 15, 2009

Bobby_M said:
Instead of hose, just get oring cordstock and glue the ends together.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#5229t59/=42k7dt

Cheaper? Buna N is fine too.

Bobby - I saw the cord. How would you glue the ends together? I can't think of an adhesive that would be safe to use in wort at mash temps, but then again I really haven't researched it. Any ideas?

Bobby_M · Oct 15, 2009

Mcmaster page says Buna N can be joined with superglue but silicone would require Loctite Superflex. It's not listed as NSF/FDA safe. Since that joint doesn't really need to be strong or leakproof, I'd just shove a piece of stainless wire into the end and push it together.

Pangea · Oct 15, 2009

Bobby_M said:
Mcmaster page says Buna N can be joined with superglue but silicone would require Loctite Superflex. It's not listed as NSF/FDA safe. Since that joint doesn't really need to be strong or leakproof, I'd just shove a piece of stainless wire into the end and push it together.

Oooh, stainless wire. Maybe I'll go for the 1/2" diameter cord then. Good idea! I was thinking jam the 2 ends into a hose clamp and tighten the sucker down. Connecting from the inside would be better though.

Bobby_M · Oct 15, 2009

Maybe cut the head off a 10/32 stainless machine screw and use that as a connecting dowel. Might have to drill a 1/8" hole in each end but the threads would provide some friction to keep it together.

Pangea · Oct 15, 2009

I was thinking about the wire idea more and think that the wire could be used to also tie the gasket to the false bottom's perimeter. It would be exactly where I need it even if the false bottom shifts. The wire could go through the gasket cord and not around it, keeping the seal intact.

Mash Tun False Bottom Gasket Material?

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