Do you tilt your mash tun?

[Tactical-Brewer]

So just getting beersmith and trying to dial in my set up, I decided to see how much wort (in this case water) was being left behind in my mash tun.

On a flat surface, I leave behind 3/4 gallon (ok, .74 gallons). That seems like a LOT to me. Is it? Is it not?

Was thinking about putting a wedge under the back side when I drain to squeeze out some more. Is this normal practice or am I missing something?

Thanks,
Tac

 

[krackin]

Be sure to use a low pick up in the false bottom and a relatively long discharge tube for siphon. You can also mash in a bag in the tun then do the ol' squeeze technique. If you need a tilt, do it.

 

[Devon]

What kind of tun are you using? My rectangular cooler only leaves behind a cup at most.

+1 on the longer discharge tube as well.

 

[NatureOfTheYeast]

I have a Rubbermaid 10g cylindrical cooler mash tun with a SS braid. If I leave it flat, about a quart gets left behind. If I tilt, I only leave about half a cup. I tilt 100% of the time.

For false bottoms though, I've never worked with them so I can't say for sure. Aren't the pick-up tubes in the center? Tilting wouldn't have much of an effect then, would it?

 

[Double_D]

I just have an outlet on my mash tun. But there's 2 gallons under it. Under the outlet I should say, which is what I plug into beersmith as my dead space instead of dead space under the false botom which is 4 gallons.

I'm just prefacing with a little background..I don't tip my mash tun and my final runnings are still in line with beersmith predictions. So your three quarts aren't that much to me, but maybe that's the difference between fly sparging and batch sparging?

Of course, I'm not using a cooler so maybe my .02 isn't relevent..

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1463863704.749810.jpg

Sorry, I guess I should have clarified that part.

 

[Sammy86]

So just trying beersmith and dialing in my set up, I decided to see how much wort (in this case water) was being left behind in my mash tun.

On a flat surface, I leave behind 3/4 gallon (ok, .74 gallons). That seems like a LOT to me. Is it? Is it not?

Was thinking about putting a wedge under the back side when I drain to squeeze out some more. Is this normal practice or am I missing something?

Thanks,
Tac

I tilt mine all the time...never have any issues and make sure to get all that delicious wort!

 

[brewbama]

I tilt as well

 

[JimRausch]

Hi. My name is Jim. I'm a mashtun tipper......

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Awesome! Learn something new every day! Glad I did that! Can't believe I was leaving almost a gallon of wort behind every time!!!

 

[masonsjax]

I always tilt my rectangle cooler mash tuns to get every last drop. Doesn't make sense for me not to tilt.

 

[mongoose33]

I'm a tilter.

I use a half-thickness brick to tilt my Igloo Ice Cube cooler mash tun. First the half-thickness to tilt it a bit, then if I really want it tilted, I put the brick on edge and stick it under the cooler.

I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't tilt. If you had a way to get every last drop of wort out of your mash tun, wouldn't you do it? I wish I had a conical bottom to my mash tun with a false bottom above it. I'd get every drop!

 

[phyllobeddo]

Heck, I pick mine up and turn it upside down and dump the last few drops into the boil sometimes!

 

[doug293cz]

For a 5 gal batch using a single batch sparge, having an undrainable volume of 0.74 gal vs. 0.125 gal, is costing you about 5% in mash (lauter) efficiency (78.3% vs. 83.4%.) Tilt that sucker! And, do whatever else you can to minimize undrainable volume.

Brew on

 

[doug293cz]

Duplicate.

 

[Alpotun]

I tilt. I won't tell the cops if you want to to tilt as long as you don't tell them that I do.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Haha! Thanks for all the responses guys!

So, I definitely will be tilting from now on, but you tilters out there, what do you guys put in beersmith for your left behind?

 

[kh54s10]

Don't leave all that yummy goodness behind.... TILT IT!!!!

Mine is a 10 Gallon Rubbermaid water cooler with a braid also.

 

[kh54s10]

Just looked at my equipment profile. I have my mash tun dead space set at .1 gallon.

 

[fatherdan]

Tilt? 10 gall. With false bottom here.(
Should I tilt?

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Tilt? 10 gall. With false bottom here.(
Should I tilt?

I literally just got a line on a stainless false bottom today for 10 bucks. Just have to go pick it up (along with a glass carboy and straps for another 10).

I will do a pick up tube right to the middle and about an 1/8 off the bottom of the mash tun. That should keep you from having to tilt if you use a pick up tube. At least I would think.

 

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Tilt? 10 gall. With false bottom here.(
Should I tilt?

Just fly sparge. Then it's a non issue

 

[doug293cz]

I literally just got a line on a stainless false bottom today for 10 bucks. Just have to go pick it up (along with a glass carboy and straps for another 10).

I will do a pick up tube right to the middle and about an 1/8 off the bottom of the mash tun. That should keep you from having to tilt if you use a pick up tube. At least I would think.

A center pick up tube will eliminate the need to tilt. It's a very good arrangement. Make sure your outlet hose is lower than the bottom of the MLT so that the siphon action will completely drain the wort.

Brew on

 

[Natdavis777]

I always tilted my rectangular cooler. Not tilting resulted in a more than needed dead space. First runnings or any wort in general left in the MLT decreases the efficiency... Tilt is your friend. I used my running shoes for the record.

 

[jonny24]

I always tilt. I have a 25 lb dumbbell that I put on top to keep the lid seated down on my cooler, and then move it underneath to tilt when I'm draining,

 

[Jwin]

I tilt, but 40-50#+ of wet grain don't tilt easy.
Shoes? Ppft!
2x8 and a brick.(150qt Coleman extreme)
Edit: had to go look

 

[cannman]

I tilt mash tun if not BIAB but I do NOT tilt the kettle...

 

[DurtyChemist]

I tilt mine but mostly so I don't have water in there when I'm emptying it out. I used whatever the actual dead space is in brewing calculators just to make sure I get my preboil volume correctly then add in whatever little bit extra I get from tilting.

 

[DurtyChemist]

I tilt mine but mostly so I don't have water in there when I'm emptying it out. I used whatever the actual dead space is in brewing calculators just to make sure I get my preboil volume correctly then add in whatever little bit extra I get from tilting.

 

[doug293cz]

I tilt mine but mostly so I don't have water in there when I'm emptying it out. I used whatever the actual dead space is in brewing calculators just to make sure I get my preboil volume correctly then add in whatever little bit extra I get from tilting.

The most important tilt you can do is after initial mash run off. To maximize efficiency, you want to minimize the undrained volume for the highest SG wort. The less sugar in the MLT prior to adding the sparge water, the higher the efficiency.

Brew on