Just making transition to AG. Got an 8 gallon kettle, with spigot and thermometer already drilled. Ordered false bottom with necessary circumference (14'') that had the tallest legs (2''). My (obviously incorrect) measurement/assumption suggested that the bottom would sit just above the spigot. WRONG - it sits just below it (actually it cuts across the bottom of the spigot). I saw no false bottoms with taller legs - so I can't be the first person to have this problem. The most obvious answer would seem to be to put something under the legs of the false bottom so that it will sit about a half inch higher, but it needs to be something that will sit in the hot wort without creating problems. Anyone have any experience or suggestions with this problem? Thanks!
False bottom sits below spigot
- Thread starter rwberne
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Right- the false bottom covers the bottom and sits below the spigot.
maida7
Well-Known Member
The false bottom can be above OR below the spigot.
BUT if it's below then you need a pipe that goes from the spigot thru the false bottom to the area below. The pipe will siphon out the clear wort from the space below the FB.
If the FB is above the spigot, no pipe is needed.
Comprende?
BUT if it's below then you need a pipe that goes from the spigot thru the false bottom to the area below. The pipe will siphon out the clear wort from the space below the FB.
If the FB is above the spigot, no pipe is needed.
Comprende?
I do - and in looking I see people using dip tubes and the like. I'm not the world's best DIY type - any suggestions as to how to this? I suppose I could just get something that screws into the inside of the spigot hole (female threads) and clamp some high temperature tubing onto it?
maida7
Well-Known Member
I think you need something like this http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=158
DrawTap88
Well-Known Member
I agree with Maida as that being the part you need, and think you should get this part since you said you have a pretty bad a$$ mash tun with the spigot and temp probe already pre-drilled.
What you are suggesting may work as well.
What you are suggesting may work as well.
Northcalais40
Well-Known Member
You can make standoffs with stainless nuts and bolts from the local hardware store. Check the pull out trays. Drill the right size hole and use one bolt and two nuts, the nuts tighten against each other. This is what I have, four legs on a homemade false bottom. The bolts come in most lengths up to 4.5" and have flat heads. The parts might cost $6 total.
Doesn't that give you a ton of deadspace under your false bottom, though?
My FB sits on the bottom, and the siphon from the tubing to the BK just "pulls" the wort out without any parts. I don't have a diptube or anything, and neither do my brewing buddies.
I don't really see a problem with it. It's like you're trying to fix something that isn't broken!
maida7
Well-Known Member
Yeah if the spigot is that high and you have no tube attached for a siphon the you will have an unacceptable amount of dead space.
However I have an 8 gallon pot with a low spigot and a FB above the spigot. The FB is about 1.5" off the bottom. The spigot is less then a half inch off the bottom. The pot has very little dead space and it can be zero dead space by simply tilting the pot a few degrees to get the last pint or so.
Northcalais40
Well-Known Member
I have a dip tube from the spigot. Its vinyl tubing attached to a big heavy brass tee with a short mesh loop on it (I had trouble with particles getting through). I got sick of stirring the mash and getting the braid tangled in the paddle. Plus I fly sparge so the FB is better for me.
But yes I have probably 1-2 gallons of space below the false bottom, but around a quart of dead space (ie. left in the MLT when the siphon quits)
But yes I have probably 1-2 gallons of space below the false bottom, but around a quart of dead space (ie. left in the MLT when the siphon quits)
When you say FB sits on the bottom, I assume you don't mean literally ON the bottom, because if it did, there would be no purpose to have an FB at all. If the FB is above the spigot, you have wort that is separated from the grain that sits above and which will allow clear runnings to the BK. If the FB sits below the spigot, unless you dip a pipe or tube to below the FB, or have some other filter, grain will be sucked into spigot - and again, this scenario defeats purpose of FB - unless I'm missing something.
Solution for me (original post) seems to be that I called supplier - I didn't mis-measure, THEY did. They presented FB as 2 inch legs - were only 1.5. They apologized, and are sending me one with 2 inch legs - Polarware (for no additional price) which SHOULD sit just above the spigot. Here's hoping!
It's round. It is slightly domed, but the edges sit on the bottom. That's not a problem, as it "pulls" the wort from the middle of the false bottom, by siphon, so that I get almost no grain particles in the wort at all, and the grain bed itself works as a filter. The false bottom sits below the spigot, of course. It's not about space above the spigot or a diptube at all. The siphon itself works because the tubing on the ballvalve outside of the MLT ends lower than the MLT sits (for my gravity drained MLT). I do pump with a HERMS of course, at times. But pump or no, you don't have to have the FB above the spigot at all. You don't need a big dome, either. It can sit on the bottom just fine. Some people just put a copper manifold on the bottom with a couple of slits in it- that works too.
You and I don't seem to be communicating well on how a false bottom works. Maybe I am not describing it well.
Here's what it looks like:
A small piece of tubing connects to the barb on it, and to the barb on the ballvalve. The highest point on my FB sits below my spigot.
I think the type of false bottom you need depends on what you need it for.
I have a false bottom similar to one that Yooper posted, and it goes in my MLT (a round cooler). It has relatively little dead space beneath it, and works very well for mashing and sparging.
I also have another one for my kettle. This one sits above the spigot, and there is a relatively large dead space below it. I wouldn't like to use it for mashing and sparging, but it works really well when draining to the fermenter. I use whole hops, which settle onto the false bottom and act as a filter. I use a CFC, so I just have to connect the CFC to the spigot, and open it. Without the FB, the spigot would be useless.
-a.
I have a false bottom similar to one that Yooper posted, and it goes in my MLT (a round cooler). It has relatively little dead space beneath it, and works very well for mashing and sparging.
I also have another one for my kettle. This one sits above the spigot, and there is a relatively large dead space below it. I wouldn't like to use it for mashing and sparging, but it works really well when draining to the fermenter. I use whole hops, which settle onto the false bottom and act as a filter. I use a CFC, so I just have to connect the CFC to the spigot, and open it. Without the FB, the spigot would be useless.
-a.
Ah, good point. I thought we were talking about a FB in a MLT but you bring up the perfect example. I don't have a FB in my BK, but I have a "bazooka tube". That's a totally different ballgame.
I read the OP to say we were talking about MLTs and a FB in an MLT. Most of the ones I've seen (maybe all?) sit below the spigot, and many brewers don't use FBs but they use braids or manifolds which absolutely sit on the bottom My point was that you certainly don't need to be above the spigot to separate grain and wort (lauter). That's a very inefficient use of the MLT.
Northcalais40
Well-Known Member
So Yooper, Sorry for the hijack, but my FB does sit above the valve as I've said. I wanted to make one like yours but had no ability to do so. My impression is that I essentially need to use more strike water to get the same mash consistency, because of the space under the FB. I usually end up doing a decoction at some point for either mash out or to bump up the temp, so I drain from the valve and recirculate mid mash. Do you think this is crazy or should I lower the FB. I think I can do that and add the elbow and dip tube.
Well, only you can decide what works best for you. I only do decoctions on a few lagers. I'm happy with my water/grain ratio, I nail my temperatures, and I can either gravity drain or pump without any issues. I have very little "dead space" and leave very little wort behind (none). I have a HERMS.
I guess the only thing you can do is try it if you want! Or maybe watch a few brewing videos with brewers with different systems to see if they have something that would work better for you. There are two brewers I know of right now that are brewcasting (SoperBrew and Nostalgia) and you can "see" their systems live and ask questions if you want. Just a thought!
Sorry to keep beating this dead horse, but you don't need a "pipe that goes from the spigot to the area below". That's false. (Get it- false? False bottom? n/m). Anyway, I'm not sure why that is a belief. It doesn't work at all that way. There is nothing under the false bottom, or through the false bottom. See the picture I posted.
Yooper - I think I see the source of the miscommunication. My point was that if the spigot is above the FB there has to be something that connects it to the wort below the FB so that grain doesn't just flow through the spigot with the wort. In your picture and description in your post, you have a piece of tubing that connects the spigot to the piece in the middle of the FB - so the siphon action sucks up the wort from below through the tube and then the spigot while blocking the grain. My comment was about an alternate method I've seen, using a pipe, rather than a tube. If the spigot of course is below the FB, then you don't need the tube, because the FB blocks the grain from getting to the spigot.
maida7
Well-Known Member
Umm yeah you do need a pipe for the picture that you posted. Otherwise how would the liquid get from under the FB to the spigot? What would be the purpose of the FB is the liquid under it was not somehow brought to the spigot?
Here is the style you posted with the pipe attached:
Also, maybe you don't realize that many people have FBs that are above the spigot like this one
There are at least 2 ways to do a FB
Of course there are! Way more than two ways! But you said that there had to be a pipe "through" the false bottom. Not "TO" the false bottom. That was the part I was taking issue with. The OP was talking about being concerned without a diptube actually to the bottom, and I was pointing out that it was unnecessary due to the siphoning action once the lautering started.
Some people have manifolds with slits cut in them, and those sit below the ballvalve. That's fine, too.
Thanks Maida - you nailed it. My OP reference to pipe "through" the FB just meant there has to be a closed connection between the wort below the FB and the spigot. Perhaps I should have said pipe "to a hole in" the FB or some such language. Anyway, this has been very informative about options available to me. Thanks all!
maida7
Well-Known Member
I had no problem with your terminology. IMHO the does go through the FB. Here is a cutaway of the blichmann version. Notice the pipe going through the FB The blichmann stuff is very well done.
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