Gasket for igloo cooler false bottom mash tun

[vinylrooster]

To make a long story short, I got a stuck sparge when doing a heavy grain bill (really it was one out of a dozen batches that was 25#, but it bothered me nonetheless). I attributed this to grain sneaking under my false bottom around the edges because it didn't sit flush against the inside edge of the cooler when there is too much weight. So I decided to make a diy cheap gasket for the fake bottom (more beer domed 12").

I bought some 3/8" inch high temperature clear tubing (6 feet to be safe) from northern brewer and cut it down the middle, being careful to cut the "inside" of the coil [picture 1]. Then I wrapped the tubing around the outer edge of the false bottom [picture 2/3]. I also added a "handle" made of copper threaded through the false bottom holes then tied underneath. Then I tested the fit and it seems pretty perfect [picture 4]. Picture 5 shows how tight the gasket is between the wall of the cooler and the false bottom.


Let me hear your thoughts. I'll update after I test her out.



-Rooster

 

[Bradyfumbled]

I've been having the same issues with my domed false bottom, again mostly with heavier grain bills. This seems like a great idea.... Intrigued to hear how it works for you. I've been tempted to go back to my stainless braided manifold, but if this works I'll be copying you.

 

[iijakii]

Yeah, I had to do the same (but with silicone tubing) with my FB too.

 

[vinylrooster]

Yeah, I had to do the same (but with silicone tubing) with my FB too.

Has it been successful for you? Any grain sneaking under?

I've been having the same issues with my domed false bottom, again mostly with heavier grain bills. This seems like a great idea.... Intrigued to hear how it works for you. I've been tempted to go back to my stainless braided manifold, but if this works I'll be copying you.

I'll let you know. I can already tell it's going to better than the raw false bottom. I can't see any negatives, and only cost me $5

-Rooster

 

[iijakii]

Absolutely, yeah. Mine wasn't domed though. Flat one from NorCal.

 

[cluckk]

Not sure about the strength of your domed false bottom (especially since I use a bazooka screen), but since it is happening only with heavy grain bills, could it be the grain is pushing down the false bottom so it shuts off the flow? As I said I use a bazooka screen and have had grain bills up to 28 pounds. I've never had a slow sparge, much less a stuck one.

 

[vinylrooster]

Not sure about the strength of your domed false bottom (especially since I use a bazooka screen), but since it is happening only with heavy grain bills, could it be the grain is pushing down the false bottom so it shuts off the flow? As I said I use a bazooka screen and have had grain bills up to 28 pounds. I've never had a slow sparge, much less a stuck one.

It's possible, but unlikely. My dip tube is about 1.5 inches off the bottom, so it should not be bottoming out. It is possible that the grain is so heavy that it's crushing my draining tube (braided vinyl). The reason I thought it was grain getting underneath my false bottom was because when I emptied the mash tun I would find some grain on the bottom of my cooler

-Rooster

 

[vinylrooster]

As I was thinking about this last night, I realized that I cannot rule out the possibility of the weight of the grain crushing my manifold tube. So, I think I am going to do the following, but wanted to know if it makes sense. Cut a piece of copper (or stainless) piping that is just a little bit shorter than the length of my elbow to ball valve. Then make little couplings using the high temp tubing to attach the copper to the elbow and the ball valve. I think this is the best of both worlds, because it will be easily removable/cleanable and also takes care of any possible crushing of the tubing.....thoughts?

 

[vinylrooster]

well, this is what I ended up doing. Got a few inches of 3/8" copper piping and put my high temp vinyl tubing through the piping. It took some working to get it over both barbs (pickup elbow and ball valve) at the same time, but I think it'll work nicely and stop my tubing from collapsing.

 

[iaefebs]

If you see improvement, will you attribute it to the gasket around the edge of the screen or the copper tube preventing the tube from collapsing?

 

[SnowRaven]

Wondering if you just went with 1/2 Copper and made it a loose sleeve over the tube

But I think your issue is the tube being compacted
Might have been fatigue on the tube as well

I was going to start out with
3/8" ID Thermoplastic Tubing instead of the clear vinyl 3/8

But I do like the seal and will incorporate this as well

 

[Evan_L]

If you see improvement, will you attribute it to the gasket around the edge of the screen or the copper tube preventing the tube from collapsing?

I see what you did there...

 

[day_trippr]

If you see improvement, will you attribute it to the gasket around the edge of the screen or the copper tube preventing the tube from collapsing?

I expect the answer would be: "Yes"

And in any case, it doesn't matter...

Cheers!

 

[vinylrooster]

If you see improvement, will you attribute it to the gasket around the edge of the screen or the copper tube preventing the tube from collapsing?

I would probably say the gasket. Because, last time I got the stuck sparge,i just cleaned out the grain under the false bottom and it flowed leading me that tube wasn't being crushed.

Wondering if you just went with 1/2 Copper and made it a loose sleeve over the tube

But I think your issue is the tube being compacted
Might have been fatigue on the tube as well

I was going to start out with
3/8" ID Thermoplastic Tubing instead of the clear vinyl 3/8

But I do like the seal and will incorporate this as well

I thought about the thermoplastic, but the stuff i got cheaper and I was already buying something from NB.

I expect the answer would be: "Yes"

And in any case, it doesn't matter...

Cheers!

Exactly...

-Rooster

 

[SnowRaven]

Thermo plastic is from NB
It's in the sparge kit

 

[vinylrooster]

Thermo plastic is from NB
It's in the sparge kit

This is true, but I was already ordering the high temp vinyl to make the gasket, so I decided to use it for my uptake tubing as well.


Maybe i'll replace it later with thermoplastic

 

[SnowRaven]

This is true, but I was already ordering the high temp vinyl to make the gasket, so I decided to use it for my uptake tubing as well.


Maybe i'll replace it later with thermoplastic

Have both at my desk, thermo is a good 3 times stiffer than vinyl
from the hand squeeze test I just conducted

With my "Mafia hands" I can close the vinyl when I squeeze very hard, the thermo I cannot get it to close at the point it hurts to compress any harder

Not the best lab analysis but you get the idea

 

[vinylrooster]

Have both at my desk, thermo is a good 3 times stiffer than vinyl
from the hand squeeze test I just conducted

With my "Mafia hands" I can close the vinyl when I squeeze very hard, the thermo I cannot get it to close at the point it hurts to compress any harder

Not the best lab analysis but you get the idea

I guess I'm going to have to include some in my next order. I'm assuming it's rated to handle heat upwards of mash out temps?

EDIT....answered my own question, it's rated to 275F

-Rooster

 

[Stealthcruiser]

As far as the "dome", on the domed false bottoms, I don't think you'll be able to collapse it with your grain bill.

It's domed, and inherently strong, with the weight distributed evenly over it, plus it has nowhere to go when it hits the sides of the cooler.

I would venture to say they would support 75-100 pounds easily, (evenly distributed being the key here!)

 

[vinylrooster]

As far as the "dome", on the domed false bottoms, I don't think you'll be able to collapse it with your grain bill.

It's domed, and inherently strong, with the weight distributed evenly over it, plus it has nowhere to go when it hits the sides of the cooler.

I would venture to say they would support 75-100 pounds easily, (evenly distributed being the key here!)

I agree about the strength of domes (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodesic_dome). But, we were suggesting that the weight of the grain will collapse the tubing that connects the diptube elbow to my ball valve. Hence why I added the copper piping over the tubing.

 

[iaefebs]

This may be the wrong analogy, but it's the way I look at things. Imagine the weight of the grain as the roof of your house. The roof weight is the total weight of all truss, sheathing, shingles. Now a single rafter, doesn't support the weight of the entire roof anymore than a small tube in a mash tun supports the entire weight of the grain. I did a rough calculation and figure you have one and a half ounces pressing down on the entire length of tube.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

I agree about the strength of domes (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodesic_dome). But, we were suggesting that the weight of the grain will collapse the tubing that connects the diptube elbow to my ball valve. Hence why I added the copper piping over the tubing.

Flexible tubing, running through the false bottom?

I missed that.

Noted.

 

[SnowRaven]

I guess I'm going to have to include some in my next order. I'm assuming it's rated to handle heat upwards of mash out temps?

EDIT....answered my own question, it's rated to 275F

-Rooster

Stopped by the local NBrewer and picked up a foot of the thermoplastic for attaching the strainer to the ball valve. Was told that or hard piping are the best methods.

Was advised by a brewer there that any grain flow around the mesh strainer was due more to pouring the first running back too quickly. And that ~2 gallons should be recirculated back into the mashtun until the bed is set. Thier feeling is a gasket is not needed if you do not disturb the grain bed.

But it was confirmed running the clear hose does cause issues.

 

[vinylrooster]

The reason I even considered stitching to the high temp vinyl tubing is because I thought I was getting off flavors from my old braided silicone tubing. I guess I should have done more research and gotten the thermoplastic like everyone else. Oh well, lesson learned. I just figured I would try to what i have by using copper pipe support the tubing

-Rooster

 

[vinylrooster]

just had an order from NB for my Chainbreaker clone and I decided to throw in a few feet of the thermoplastic tubing (3ft for ~$5, not bad...)


Ill post an update for how it goes.

JP

 

[gnor]

Any update?

 

[vinylrooster]

Any update?

Went with the thermoplastic and have yet to notice any off flavors in my brews.

 

[gnor]

Do you have any stuck mash after placing the seal? I'm using a 5 gallon Rubbermaid cooler with 9" false bottom, and I had stuck mash. The culprit is the bottom of the cooler is not flat but dome, so it pushes against the drain hole of the false bottom.

 

[vinylrooster]

Do you have any stuck mash after placing the seal? I'm using a 5 gallon Rubbermaid cooler with 9" false bottom, and I had stuck mash. The culprit is the bottom of the cooler is not flat but dome, so it pushes against the drain hole of the false bottom.

No stuck mashes since using the seal. That being said, I normally add 1/2# of rice hulls for good measure. But, the few mashes I have done without the hulls were fine. Hope that helps