Advice for tweaking new mashtun

[jeffg]

Hey guys. Brewed the second batch in my new mashtun, which is a 10 gallon rubbermaid cooler with a stainles steel false bottom from Northern Brewer connected to the ball valve spigot with a short piece of tubing. Second time in a row i have had a stuck sparge from grain getting under the false bottom and clogging the intake hole. I'm not sure if the bottom is floating up or if it is from stirring in the grain, but it is extremely annoying and I have never had to deal with a stuck sparge on my old *simpler* set up. Any suggestions for anchoring the domed false bottom down or putting some type of screen into the intake port? My old system had a single screw in the bottom of a 7.5 gallon bucket which held down the plastic false bottom and worked like a charm, but I'm not sure I want to drill though the bottom of my new cooler if I don't have to.

For the record, I add my strike water and then slowly stir in grains.

TIA,

Jeff

 

[brewhead]

i used to have the same set up but now i use a converted keg for my MT. at any rate the following set up will be the same in the 10 gallon gott or keg.

go to a grainger store in your area or buy online or go to a cleaning supplies store. get a 3m white polishing pad. yep i said polishing pad. if i remember the 10 gallon gott uses a 15 inch but measure to be sure.

assemble thusly:

take your mash pad - leave the center ring in it. cut a small hole in the center so that your tube from the false bottom will fit up through. false bottom goes in the cooler - mash pad goes on top the false bottom with the tube threaded through the hole - connect tube to ball valve as normal...and your stuck sparge worries should be over. baring of course you drain the mash tun slowly as you sparge...sparging should take an hour or so - ie follow procedures normally.

the center hole is out on this pic to better show assembly

 

[Fiery Sword]

assemble thusly:

Do you really talk like that, or are you just an Alton Brown fan???

 

[jeffg]

Interesting idea Brewhead--what is the pad made of and do you rinse and reuse or replace each time?

 

[Cheesefood]

Interesting idea Brewhead--what is the pad made of and do you rinse and reuse or replace each time?

get a 3m white polishing pad

I'd say that's been reused at least once!

 

[brewhead]

the polishing pad is made of 3m polyfiber. there is no chance of anything leaching from the fibre. it has no msds sheet becasue ther is no hazordous material associated with it. yes, rinse thoroughly soak it in some star san if you will, and dry out and reuse.

a box from grainger has 5 i think - that should last you a life time of brewing.

Do you really talk like that, or are you just an Alton Brown fan???

i am an alton brown fan - must have been channeling him

I'd say that's been reused at least once!

this is a brown one. i swtched to the white becasue it was a fine - the different colors denote coursness.