Just throwing this out there to see what people are doing out there and if they've found more success with one method or another. I have simply recirculated with the tube laying on the bed and whirlpooling. My efficiencies have been consistent but just like everything else you're always looking for a better way.View attachment IMG_2562.jpg
Brew in a basket recirculation techniques
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What happened to your manifold?
Looking to get a new Spike kettle for my setup. What size do you have and do you have the specs for your basket?
JONNYROTTEN
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I try to understand why people recirculate but cant find a reason. I've never recirculated (BIAB) and have never missed my numbers...not once.
If recirculating is a numbers game there is no need.
If I'm missing out on any other reason like flavor or anything else from not recirculating I'm interested to hear what I'm missing out on to advance my beers
If recirculating is a numbers game there is no need.
If I'm missing out on any other reason like flavor or anything else from not recirculating I'm interested to hear what I'm missing out on to advance my beers
ReverseMonk
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Step mashing and repeatability.
Smellyglove
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Step mashing, repeatability, uniform temperatures in the whole mash, and clear wort without the need to vorlauf.
Smellyglove
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It looks like a solid setup. But is this how you use it? Like in the picture? I guess you maybe add the lid, but, this will drop your temps pretty quick. I wouldn't recirculate continiously without a heat source.
It's a 5500 watt element under the basket with a brew boss controller. No need for the lid. The controller typically settles in at 11-12% power for the mash cycle. Very tight temp control.
I put a weldless bulkhead in the lid and attached a capped copper pipe with holes drilled in it on the kettle side. It injects the circulating wort into the basket. I have changed the hole arrangement a couple of times and will probably do it again. In this sideways picture it is in the chill mode with a whirlpool nozzle attached.
JONNYROTTEN
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Sounds good
Ha! Glad you noticed. Well the manifold worked as planned for the first 6 batches or so. I figured it was about time to disassemble and clean the whole works. Easy right? Not so much. Evidently those t flow 3 way valves are incredibly finicky about how the are reassembled. All 3 leaked like crazy and I just didn't have the patience to figure it out. I realized fairly quickly that it really wasn't necessary and my cleaning time has been reduced as well.
Smellyglove
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You edited..
Anyhow. IMHO clear wort yields a slightly cleaner tasting beer. Many people will probably argue against this, but it's my experience at least. I mean less trub into the fermentor ("no" trub). And the less trub you have going into the boil, the easier it is to extract clear wort into the fermentor.
Clear wort to the fermenter has never been a goal for me either. Everything eventually drops out leaving crystal clear beer. Step mashing is really easy as others have said but the I'll be honest. I just really like the gadgets. Pumps and valves and all the brew porn. The simplest and cheapest way to brew would probably be biab in a cooler right? I didn't get into this hobby to spend the least per oz I could. I got into it and have expanded my equipment because I get excited about it and am not against spending money on something that brings me and my friends/ neighbors joy. I'm planning on doing some back to back brews using the same recipes and just changing the mash technique and seeing what it yields. I'm a beer geek. What can I say. I think I'm in pretty good company here.
JONNYROTTEN
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I did edit. I didn't want to take away from the thread. Thanks for responding though
Does the tube go down into the grain bed like the COFI setup or it it just raining down from above? Have you noticed any difference in efficiencies with the change in hole placement?
20 gallon spike kettle. I believe my basket is 17.5 inches in diameter and 17.75 inches tall. No feet. Just hanging tabs. I'd have to measure with a tape to be sure. I made it as large as possible relative to the kettle size to maximize water/grain interaction. In other words I wanted to be able to do 5 gallon batches without issues in a 20 gal kettle. If there's too much dead space under the basket the water/grain ratio gets too low and the grain is not submerged.
Yes that was the idea that I copied. I have been around 75% I was more concerned with flow control to keep from overflowing basket,
So I tried this. Drilled holes in a pizza pan and recirculated on top of that to get a rain effect versus a whirlpool. Thinking that this would keep the grain bed more evenly heated. Actual results. 1. Missed my pre boil volume by 1/2 gallon. I assume that the raining caused much more evaporation throughout the mash. 2. Brew boss had a hell of a time getting to a mash temp balance. 3. More heat required during mash. I assume this was due to the cooling tower effect. 4. Lower mash efficiency. This surprised me actually. My pre boil gravity was spot on but with 1/2 gallon less.
I'm planning on trying this again but having the distribution tray hanging just above or slightly in the wort. Just need to rig up some hangers. I still won't be able to stir during the mash which I like but I'd like to see what happens. I've been using a cream ale recipe which I've done many times and is pretty forgiving. It'll get drank (?) no matter what.View attachment IMG_1506553790.121906.jpg
I'm planning on trying this again but having the distribution tray hanging just above or slightly in the wort. Just need to rig up some hangers. I still won't be able to stir during the mash which I like but I'd like to see what happens. I've been using a cream ale recipe which I've done many times and is pretty forgiving. It'll get drank (?) no matter what.View attachment IMG_1506553790.121906.jpg
Smellyglove
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If you can picture this. I have a 1/2" NPT barbed nipple, with an end cap on the threaded end. I've used a dremel to cut two slits all round it (except at two points, so it's still one piece). I stick the barb into the hose, and just leave it hanging just below the surface of the wort. The pressure out of the narrow slits will push the wort out of the end cap 360 degrees in a horizontal manner.
ZmannR2
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Sprayer mounted in lid recirculating
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What sprayer is that?
bigdawg86
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Looks like a standard 360° shrub sprinkler head
enormous13
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Here's what I was recommended for return recirc:
https://www.homebrewing.org/Siphon-...e5f_0yWTE9s4o81kj8iZ8jsqRjCtgMkBoCAmAQAvD_BwE
https://www.homebrewing.org/Siphon-...e5f_0yWTE9s4o81kj8iZ8jsqRjCtgMkBoCAmAQAvD_BwE
The one thing that I like about injecting the returning wort below the surface is to keep it from contact with O2 as much as possible. I will eventually get a RIMS heater so I wont have to sit and watch the temps.
Here is a picture of the evolution of my wort injector design. The one on the far left is the newest and has been consistently over 80% conversion. It has 49 holes 22-1/16" holes and 27-5/64" holes. The series of holes are placed 3/4" apart and arranged so they spray every 30 degrees, this works best with 9 lbs of grain or more. The one beside it has 36 holes 18- 1/16", 12-5/64" and 6-1/8" holes. I use this one for smaller grain bills. I don't use the other 2 any more except I took the one on the far right shortened it to 3" drilled 1/16" holes to use as a CIP spray head. The last picture shows the first injector in use. 
enormous13
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That’s wonderfully ingenious.
SailorJerry
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So, as a newbie here, am I right in saying that you are using these to recirculate the mash while you're mashing in? Currently, we just have a pot, a bag, and a spoon, stir occasionally and then put the lid back on. I feel that something like this might increase our efficiency, is that correct? I love looking at all the gadgets everyone uses!
I recirc throughout the mash to avoid stratification, it also helps with evenly ramping up temps for step-mashing. I like to stir every few minutes and this prevents losing too much heat when the lid is off. I don't have any sort of sparge arm, just a hose coming from the outlet of an overhead counter-flow chiller that hangs down in the kettle; when I need to pull the grain bag I shut off the pump, let the chiller drain into the pot, and clip the hose up to prevent dripping. The overhead chiller eliminates the losses from a non-draining chiller by keeping all of the plumbing up above the level of the output to the fermenter. I lose only a cup or two of wort to trub when draining to the carboy.
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