manifold v.s. false bottom

I want to build a mash/lauter tun with a 5 gal. rubbermade drink cooler but can't decide between a manifold or false bottom. I'm comfortable with fabricating something and not worried about price. What are the merits of each one? Give me your opinions and horror stories too, I crave information.

I have a rubbermaid drink cooler and used the stainless steel braid..... I have only used it once for my first AG and got 72% eff..... And I know there were several issues that could have gotten me a better %age.....

DRAGGER

If you plan on batch sparging, the easiest DIY is a SS braid.

If you plan on fly sparging, then you probably want a FB, which will also work with batch sparging.

I think a manifold is too much of a PITA for a round cooler with a small bottom.

You'll probably get better performance from a false bottom in a round cooler.
I made a false bottom from an old plastic plate, it works very well.

You'll get higher efficiency with a false bottom, according to John Palmer. A false bottom allows a greater surface area from which to pulls the sugars from the mash.

menschmaschine said:

You'll get higher efficiency with a false bottom, according to John Palmer. A false bottom allows a greater surface area from which to pulls the sugars from the mash.

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... if you're fly sparging. It won't make any difference with batch sparging.

It's easier to get a stuck sparge with a false bottom than with a manifold.

-a.

I use a bazooka tube in my 7-gallon round MLT. I batch sparge, never had a stuck sparge, and I get 90% efficiency.

I've never had a stuck sparge using a false bottom, i've had several using a manifold.

As long as you know how your system runs and how to not compact your grain bed, I see no downside to a false bottom. I love mine and my fly sparging style.

BTW - This debate will continue forever and never be solved.

Death to all batch spargers! Gather the fly sparge Horde! :rockin:

(just kidding)

A false bottom is best all said and done.

I've done all 3 over the years. They all work. They all have advantages and disadvantages. You need to decide if you are going to batch sparge or fly. If you are going to batch sparge the braid is the easiest, cheapest and quickest to build. If you are going to fly sparge then your choice of tun will determine how easy it will be to build a FB vs a manifold. In general a FB will give you a better fly sparge but the expense is usually more dead space and therefore you may or may not get better overall efficiency.

GT

Got Trub? said:

In general a FB will give you a better fly sparge but the expense is usually more dead space and therefore you may or may not get better overall efficiency.GT

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Isn't deadpsace determined by how close the pick-up tube is to the bottom of the mash tun? I guess I'm looking at it from my keggle perspective, where the pick-up tube turns a 90 degree angle to go under the false bottom and is very close to the bottom of the keg. So, even though the false bottom is well above that, it doesn't seem of any consequence since I can pick up as much liquid as I need to.

menschmaschine said:

Isn't deadpsace determined by how close the pick-up tube is to the bottom of the mash tun? I guess I'm looking at it from my keggle perspective, where the pick-up tube turns a 90 degree angle to go under the false bottom and is very close to the bottom of the keg. So, even though the false bottom is well above that, it doesn't seem of any consequence since I can pick up as much liquid as I need to.

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deadspace is a function of how high off the bottom your valve is. water tends not to go against gravity unless some sort of mechanical force is applied.

Thanks for the great replies. Daab's false bottom plate looks like a good start, but steel braid is so cheap I could try both by getting the same size fittings to interchange them.
My sparge method will be batch to start but I might try leaving the grain bed submerged between batches of sparge water.

Sorry for bringing up the batch v.s. fly sparge debate again, but it wouldn't come up if no one wanted to talk about it, right?

SenorWanderer said:

deadspace is a function of how high off the bottom your valve is. water tends not to go against gravity unless some sort of mechanical force is applied.

Click to expand...

The siphon effect

I just thought of something, which one would be better for using flaked corn or other adjuncts? Or would the right rest schedule take care of that?

I've certainly never had a problem with adjuncts when using a false bottom. I have using a manifold though and I can't imagine a braid coping to well at all.

As you can see, you will find someone who advocates each type of system (FB, manifold, braid). The only indisputable fact is that a braid is the least expensive option with the least amount of work to construct. Lots of us swear by them and they cost < $5. Try it first, and if you don't like it then fork out the cash and try the more elaborate options.

I use a braid in conjunction with a stainless steel grease splatter shield that I stumbled across one day on a trip to Linens-N-Things w/ SWMBO. I was building my all grain system at the time and couldn't bring myself to pay what they want for a custom fit false bottom, so this caught my eye.

By chance, it wedged exactly into my pot between my intake and the wall of the pot. It even has a convenient notch already built in where the pipe snuggly fits. I went ahead and left the braid on so that it theoretically can pull liquid from end to end under the pocket caused by the grease shield. (That, and I had already done that part and was being lazy about redoing it.)

Anyway, this thing was only like $12 and has held up fine over numerous brews now. It has a stainless steel frame beneath the mesh to give it support.

This was one of the few "bargains" I came across when doing my system!


Link to the above image if it doesn't show.


Link to the above image if it doesn't show.

I built my MLT today.:rockin:
I went for the stainless braid and got all the parts for less than $30.00 using 1/2 inch parts including ball valve, I even got extra o-rings and 2 stainless braids just in case. I ended up making a 9" diameter loop with a barbed "tee". I wanted to try a false bottom as well but could not find the plastic dinner plate.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I will post the results when I get some grain to mash.

i've got a cpvc manifold claped together with a t joint, and several elbows. holes were drilled on the undersides. they're not glued, so can be taken apart and cleaned. i hit about 80 efficiencey consitantly with a batch sparge.

it's only got stuck on me once, when i used too much flaked barley.

knocks on wood...