copper pipe manifold in Sanke MLT?

[titus]

Wondering if it is possible to use a copper pipe manifold in a converted Sanke MLT. Curved bottom seems a bit challenging to not leave wort behind. Trying not to buy much more prefab equipment if I can help it. Stainless false bottoms are a bit pricey, homemade bazooka may be the answer for now. Any ideas about about the manifold? Also, thanks to all who post. I have been able to gather enough info just lurking here to have nearly completed a converted Sanke 3 tier brewery. Great forum!

 

[Pumbaa]

That's gonna be a big challange, but I think it's possible. I would look into getting a pipe bender and making a circular manifold with 1 or maybe 2 cross members in it so you can get the manifold as close to the bottom as possible and then bend your tube to meet up with the drain.

Adding a real crude like picture for ya because at this time of the morning I'm not always sure I'm making sense . . .

 

[cweston]

Even with those cross members bent down into the dome, aren't you going to lose the siphon as soon as the fluid level goes below the slots/holes in the rest of the manifold?

I don't think there's any good way of drawing that last bit of fluid out of the domed part of the bottom that isn't going to sacrifice the proper fluid dynamics you're looking for in evenly draining the tun, other than a false bottom, is there?

 

[titus]

that's kinda what I had in mind too. bending soft copper is pretty easy. Is the use of a manifold rather than braided stanless tubing going to make a difference in sparging? (less stuck sparges, efficiency, etc).

 

[titus]

cweston- I think you're right. to get the wort out of the bottom, the manifold would have to be pretty small in daimeter. I saw a keg specific false bottom on some site for $35 bucks or so, but lost the site. it's not NB, morebeer, or Sabco. Any ideas?

 

[Brewiz]

cweston- I think you're right. to get the wort out of the bottom, the manifold would have to be pretty small in daimeter. I saw a keg specific false bottom on some site for $35 bucks or so, but lost the site. it's not NB, morebeer, or Sabco. Any ideas?

This is what I have http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=19806 and it works like a champ. They also have just the screen http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=17240.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Okay, I'm finally going to get off my butt, charge the batteries in my camera (or use my cellphone) and get a picture of my cooler manifold. I think it may help...I used two 45 degree elbows to ease down into the sump channel of my cooler and get the wort from there, as well. I'm thinking you could do the same in a Sanke, although the challenge would be having some pipe to cut slots in.

So...a lot of the manifold would be above the concave bottom, and that's fine...most of your wort is to. To get the juicy wort down in the concavity you could branch off the main part of the manifold and use two 45's to follow the slope down to the bottom. The 45's are connected by a very short piece of pipe which just holds the elbows together (flush). Let me try some ASCII art (which never works for me, but I insist on doing anyways):

_____.............._____
........\.........../
..........\_____/

The slashes and the straight lines they touch represent the 45's.

Edit...ignore the periods which are for spacing purposes.

 

[cweston]

Okay, I'm finally going to get off my butt, charge the batteries in my camera (or use my cellphone) and get a picture of my cooler manifold. I think it may help...I used two 45 degree elbows to ease down into the sump channel of my cooler and get the wort from there, as well.

OK, help me out. I still don't see how you're going to maintain the siphon once the fluid level is below any slotted/perforated portion of the manifold. I'm apparently wrong, since you're saying that your mainfold draws wort from the sump channel of your cooler, but I just don't get it. Seems like you're going to be drawing air into the manifold and breaking the siphon.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

OK, help me out. I still don't see how you're going to maintain the siphon once the fluid level is below any slotted/perforated portion of the manifold. I'm apparently wrong, since you're saying that your mainfold draws wort from the sump channel of your cooler, but I just don't get it. Seems like you're going to be drawing air into the manifold and breaking the siphon.

Actually you're correct...I hadn't considered that angle (basic physics). My sump channel leads directly into the drain, so it is the lowest point and I'm not really siphoning with my setup, so much as just draining. So never mind.

 

[Rusty]

cweston- I think you're right. to get the wort out of the bottom, the manifold would have to be pretty small in daimeter. I saw a keg specific false bottom on some site for $35 bucks or so, but lost the site. it's not NB, morebeer, or Sabco. Any ideas?

This is what I'm using........scroll down about midway on the page.
Sankey Keg False Bottom

 

[titus]

thanks for the info folks. the cheap manifold idea has its problems it appears. thanks also for the links. pretty good prices too. i should learn to site surf more thoroughly (probably toxin build-up from store bought brews). i'll have that remedied soon! thanks again for the help.