Building a Grant

[ace0005]

So, my quest continues as I update my equipment. I plan on building a grant to for my 15 gallon SS recirculating false bottom mash tun. I haven't used this mash tun yet, and I've have no experience with recirculation....yet.

The more I read up about recirculation mashes, the more it seems to make sense to build a grant for my system. Does anyone have any pointers for me? I'm really hoping that someone can point me in the right direction as to how to build one. I've searched the net, and the forums, but cannot find specific information about how to actually build a grant.

 

[Brettomomyces]

All you really need is another smaller pot with an outlet, having an inlet is nice but not needed if you can just stick the end of your hose into the grant. The main purpose of the grant is to not put suction directly on your mash but instead on the free liquid in the grant. So wort drains into the grant and then is pumped out at the same rate back into the mash. I would recommend a ball valve on the grant outlet, but remember never to throttle liquid GOING IN to the pump, always throttle GOING OUT. Valve is just to control liquid from the grant.

A grant may also not be needed depending on your setup, I have a HERMS rig with a false bottom mash tun and do not use a grant. I mill my grain much courser to compensate though, the gap setting is about 0.040, which allows for bigger husks and a better flow.

 

[ace0005]

Thanks for the helpful response! Eventually, when I'm finished with my upgrades (whenever that may be!) I'm going to be running my mash through a RIMS. Do I need a grant with this type of system?

 

[rodduley]

Something I always wondered about a grant. If you drain to the grant and then return to the mash tun is there not significant heat loss during this process?

 

[baulz]

How much space is there under the false bottom in your mash tun? I have a similar setup to yours, there is over 2 gallons of dead space under the false bottom. That dead space works more or less as a grant, it is always filled with liquid so the pump is never placing any suction directly on the mash.

 

[ace0005]

Ahhhhhhh, that makes a lot of sense baulz. Inn that case, I'm going to try to do it without a grant and see what happens.

 

[normonster]

Been thinking about the same thing, though I do currently recirculate without a grant. This morebeer hopback hanging off my 15 gallon SS MT seems like a good option for a grant and then it can be used as a hopback as well.

Cheers!

 

[normonster]

Something I always wondered about a grant. If you drain to the grant and then return to the mash tun is there not significant heat loss during this process?

Depending on ambient temp I'm sure there could be. When I recirculate I usually have to add some heat anyway though.

The grant would be a good spot to monitor temp too. I built a tee fitting with a thermo and was surprised to learn that ramping from 149 to 151 I was actually heating the wort coming out the bottom to like 165 if I recall, with a low but reasonable flame.

Makes me wonder what is more repeatable, living with predictable heat loss or trying to nail that recirc wort temp.

 

[ace0005]

That hop back looks like it would be perfect.

 

[ace0005]

http://www.boscovs.com/shop/prod/stainless-steel-stockpot-8qt/11658.htm

For those of you interested....I found this small 2 gallon stock pot at Boscov's for $6.00! Seems simple enough to fit this with weldless fittings, and maybe even build a little stand for it. I looked into the hop back sold at morebeer.com and discovered that costs $100! My wife's gonna be pissed when I tell her I'm buying a $6.00 pot.....imagine what would happen if I bought the hop back

Happy New Year all

 

[Chrisl77]

I just started adding a grant to my system. I was being plagued with my false bottom getting crushed no mater how slow I ran my pump so I decided to try a grant. It worked very well and I didn't lose to much heat out of it. I bought the same stainless steel pot 2 gallon pot from Walmart.

I just got done adding a float switch for my pump to keep it from emptying the grant. Next is to cut a notch in the top so the float valve can sit lower then the rim so I can put the lid on it.

 

[normonster]

@chris- that is pretty cool dude. The switch idea is a must if you don't want an extreme babysitting session on your hands.....was thinking about the potential for cataclysmic wort spills without something like that.

 

[ace0005]

I definitely think I'm going too build a very similar setup. You using 2 pumps on that rig?

 

[Chrisl77]

Yes one pump to recirculate the hlt and transfer the water to the mash tun and one that recirculates the mash tun and moves the wort to the boil kettle. I got the float valve off ebay for $24. I see your in ocean county as well if your interested I am part of a brew club in ocean county that meets once a month. We are currently meeting at backward flag brewing pretty close to you if you want to stop by the next meeting.

 

[ace0005]

Cool, thanks for the heads up. I see that you meet the second Tuesday of every month..... which means I'll be working then next meeting. I'll likely be at the meeting in February though. Does it cost money to join?

 

[Chrisl77]

doesn't cost anything at the moment but the website renewal is up in February so we may ask for everyone to chip in a few bucks to cover it. We need to confirm that backward flag will be available the 2nd Tuesday of this month. If they cant be there we may change the date to another day. A friend of the club is in the process of opening a brewery in Lakewood. When he opens we may alternate between him and backward flag.