Drain pipe mod for Mash and Boil unit.

[Altered7151]

So I originally picked up a Mash and Boil unit not too long after they came out with the intent of using it for small test batches and Mini BIAB. Then I started brewing on the unit and found out it made my brew day much easier compared to my 15gallon HERMS setup. I started with a small "brown pump" trying to recirculate and found that the grain bed in the mash pipe just didn't drain fast enough to really get it done. I was able to pick up some improvements with malt conditioning and rice hulls, but it still seemed like I was constantly screwing with the flow rate to get it to work. I decided I needed a center drain pipe like the Grainfather/Robobrew units had. After doing the mod it made the unit much more hands off. Just mash in, set up pipe height, put the high-tech grain basket on, set the valve on the pump (switched to chugger pump I already had) to about 50% and just let it run. Getting about 82% efficiency now with fairly consistent mash temps and I can brew with three rugrats running around. Seems like a good solution for people that already have some a pump and a chiller, or are willing to tinker to save some money. I picked up the unit on sale for $250 shipped and with pretty low investment I had a unit I think works as well or better than the Robobrew. Next step is PID controller to refine the mash temps even further.

 

[chiefmoosepoop]

I came across your youtube video when as I was searching how to integrate a pump into my Brewer's Edge Mash & Boil. Since I do not have a robobrew or grainfather I had no clue about this concept. This mod of the mash pipe is genius. Do you have any ideas of how I could go about using this concept without cutting through the stock mash pipe? I feel like I would screw it up/ ruin it and they do not sell them seperately to replace. If I did go about doing this, what type of pipe did you use? Is it considered food grade? I am assuming it is just galvanized steel piping but I am not familiar with the stability of the zinc coating is when sitting in a pool of acidic wort at 150F.
Thanks

 

[universalfrost]

you are going to want something like this

http://www.brew-boss.com/Stainless-...r-Infusion-Tube-p/cofi-ss-infusiontube-15.htm

or this

http://www.brew-boss.com/Stainless-...r-Infusion-Tube-p/cofi-ss-infusiontube-20.htm

and make sure to drill out a 5/8 hole on the bottom of the tube and use an additional 1/2 npt nut to hold the pipe in place.

 

[universalfrost]

or just drill out the bottom of the mash tube like i mentioned above and also use the bulkhead adapter that the guy in the video used..

and you can measure to use the appropriate stainless pipe from here (i would suggest getting a couple different lengths)

https://www.brewershardware.com/Threaded-Fittings/Threaded-Nipples-Barbs-and-Couplers/#pageId=2

 

[universalfrost]

make sure to use a titanium coated bit and lots of cutting fluid.. if you use a regular non coated drill bit or step bit you will embedd steel / iron into the stainless and it will rust ... (same as drilling on any other stainless )

 

[Altered7151]

Hey, sorry for the late reply. Been off the grid for a while. After made this unit for myself I got enough interest that I started making kits to sell. Everything is stainless, but yes you will have to drill through your mash pipe. Quite a few people have done this now with no issues, it's a pretty simple process. I used a coated step drill, and put a block of wood under the basket, that way I drilled through the screen into the wood and made a nice clean hole .

 

[universalfrost]

Hey, sorry for the late reply. Been off the grid for a while. After made this unit for myself I got enough interest that I started making kits to sell. Everything is stainless, but yes you will have to drill through your mash pipe. Quite a few people have done this now with no issues, it's a pretty simple process. I used a coated step drill, and put a block of wood under the basket, that way I drilled through the screen into the wood and made a nice clean hole .

do you have a price for a kit ?

I'm interested.

 

[Cain]

Price for the kit?

 

[swimIan]

I’d like to know details on the kit too. Price? Dimensions of the pipes, etc?

 

[Altered7151]

Top pipe is 9", bottom is 8". When fully extended the top of the pipe sticks above the top of the malt pipe about an inch. Price on the kit is $55 shipped in the US. Shoot me a PM if you're interested, would be happy to answer any questions

 

[brewman !]

I put together a mash stand pipe on Thing1. My parts list is:

- 1/2" threaded pipe
- 2 x 1/2" NPT nuts
- 2 x 1/2" NPT washers
- a piece of pipe (Sanke keg dip tube)
- a clip, which I haven't found yet. Thus far the best I've found is a hitch pin clip. I'm worried about catching it with the mash paddle. I might make something out of SS TIG welding wire.

 

[Altered7151]

This seems the be the best thing I've found by far. No issues with hitting it with the paddle, fits the 1/2 pipe perfect: https://www.grainger.com/product/2M...id=EMT-_-10101010-_-OpenOrders_WillCall-_-SKU

 

[brewman !]

This seems the be the best thing I've found by far. No issues with hitting it with the paddle, fits the 1/2 pipe perfect: https://www.grainger.com/product/2M...id=EMT-_-10101010-_-OpenOrders_WillCall-_-SKU

Thanks ! I just found one at my local hardware shop, but it is 19/32" Should work ? Yours is 7/64", Seems too small ?

 

[Altered7151]

That's just the diameter of the wire itself. The opening is for a 7/8 OD pipe

 

[brewman !]

That's just the diameter of the wire itself. The opening is for a 7/8 OD pipe

You are right. That is thick wire.

 

[Altered7151]

Works well though. Holds it in place but is still easy to move up and down. I think if you went with tig filler rod it wouldn't hold well enough

 

[brewman !]

The 65L Robobrew uses a SS circlip style clip.

See here at 9:00.


I could silver solder some SS TIG wires to my extension tube ala the grainfather and small Robobrews ?

 

[brewman !]

Works well though. Holds it in place but is still easy to move up and down. I think if you went with tig filler rod it wouldn't hold well enough

SS TIG filler rod is super hard to bend.

 

[TwistedGray]

There is someone selling a kit, if not yourself, on the Facebook group...I think it's for that. I don't recirculate so not 100%...worth investigating for those that do, though.

 

[Altered7151]

That's me I've been selling the kit for a few months

 

[TwistedGray]

That's me I've been selling the kit for a few months

And people seem happy

 

[Altered7151]

And people seem happy

They do, it's a pretty easy mod and helps a ton. For me it just makes it much more hands off and an easier brew day.

 

[brewman !]

Please PM me if I could buy some of the clips from you.

Thanks

 

[brewman !]

Here is how I have my standpipe set up.

I crimped a piece of copper onto the stand tube so that the extension tube slides on nicely. The copper is a section of 3/4" copper pipe connector. I crimped it with a 3/4" PEX crimping tool. The die was just a bit too large so I wrapped some paper around the copper, which made it compress more for a perfect fit.

I use a piece of Sanke keg dip tube for my extension.

I use O Rings to hold up the extension tube. They work well and hold the extension tube securely, but if you push the extension tube down too far the O Rings don't follow it back up. So you have to be careful. If you push it down too far you have to reach into the hot mash (with appropriate gloves !) and pull the O Rings back up.

This is how the stand pipe attaches to the false bottom in the mash bucket in Thing1. The false bottom fits very snug in the bucket, so I have no worries about it lifting or tipping, nor the stand pipe upsetting it. I thought I was going to have to bold down the false bottom or standpipe, but it works fine the way it is.

I use the standpipe with a bowl strainer. I put an O Ring on the extension tube so that the bowl strainer doesn't sink too far into the mash, if the mash is soft.

This setup works fantastic. I put a cup over the extension tube during dough in. Once things have settled a bit I adjust the height of the extension tube about 1" above the grain bed. Then I put on the bowl strainer and sink it into the mash. Then I adjust the height of the extension tube again.

Once this is done, you can set the flow and basically walk away. I run 2 hour mashes because I get too busy doing other things to stop the mash.

I've overshot the OG on all three beers that I brewed with this system. Prior to this I struggled to reach OG, let alone overshoot it. The wort is very clean too.

I would never mash without a standpipe again. It is the best improvement you can make to a mash tun.

 

[brewman !]

This is the extension tube with the O Ring than holds the bowl strainer sticking out of the mash after sparging.

 

[toms_Jeep]

That's me I've been selling the kit for a few months

Does your kit include the basket/strainer you show in the video?