how do you spread your wort in your AIO

[fluketamer]

how are we all distributing the wort from the return pump.

a lot of them have a very short return tube and i have a concern for channeling in the mash tun.

i see a lot of people using sargeant sparge head :

and i remmebr seeing this a while ago:

i got a ss chrome t piece that i am going to try.

maybe it will increase my numbers.

but what do you guys do to distribute your wort from the return arm?

maybe i am overthinking this.

fancy pants 100$ solution's need not respond. i aint spending 100$ plus on a sparge return when my AIO only cost 200$

 

[doug293cz]

What problem are you trying to solve?

Brew on

 

[fluketamer]

" i have a concern for channeling in the mash tun."

 

[DuncB]

I use one of these on the recirculation pipe, no splashing, nice and easy to control. Is it better not sure, the top plate probably stopped channeling with the tube laid on the surface, but removing it to stir the grains was a pain.

https://www.brewshop.co.nz/ss-recirculation-kit.html

 

[doug293cz]

" i have a concern for channeling in the mash tun."

Do you have evidence of channeling causing some issue in your system, or are you worrying speculatively? Have you measured your conversion efficiency?

Brew on

 

[fluketamer]

I use one of these on the recirculation pipe, no splashing, nice and easy to control. Is it better not sure, the top plate probably stopped channeling with the tube laid on the surface, but removing it to stir the grains was a pain.

https://www.brewshop.co.nz/ss-recirculation-kit.html

fancy pants 100$ solution's need not respond.

too rich for my wallet.

but that looks fancy

 

[fluketamer]

Do you have evidence of channeling causing some issue in your system, or are you worrying speculatively? Have you measured your conversion efficiency?

Brew on

i seem to get better efficeincy when i leave off the top plate and :

1 i stir the mash 2-3 times in the first 20 mins or so.
2 redirect the returnn flow a few times to other portions of the grain bed.

i figure if i can spread it better on top of the plate maybe i wont have to stir or redirect tube.

 

[fluketamer]

I use one of these on the recirculation pipe, no splashing, nice and easy to control. Is it better not sure, the top plate probably stopped channeling with the tube laid on the surface, but removing it to stir the grains was a pain.

https://www.brewshop.co.nz/ss-recirculation-kit.html

yes removing and stirring sucks

 

[DuncB]

Luckily I picked up the distributor thing second hand and none of the other bits.

I think stirring a few times during the mash is important for my efficiency, I did this more without the top plate but had to use the top plate to stop uneven recirculation.

 

[doug293cz]

i seem to get better efficeincy when i leave off the top plate and :

1 i stir the mash 2-3 times in the first 20 mins or so.
2 redirect the returnn flow a few times to other portions of the grain bed.

i figure if i can spread it better on top of the plate maybe i wont have to stir or redirect tube.

Which efficiency are you referring to? I asked about conversion efficiency specifically, because if you have good conversion efficiency (greater than 95%), then you do not have a recirculation issue. If you have poor conversion efficiency, then you might have a recirculation issue, or your poor conversion efficiency could be due to too short a mash time for the coarseness of your crush, poor temp control, pH way out of range, etc.

Mash efficiency is a combination of conversion efficiency and lauter efficiency, if either conversion eff, or lauter eff is low, then you will have low mash efficiency (and low brewhouse efficiency as well.) Recirculation can affect conversion efficiency, but has no effect on lauter efficiency. Conversion efficiency should be near 100%, but lauter efficiency will always be less than 100%, and depends mostly on your sparging process.

Brew on