Linear Actuator Tippy Dump

[JohnnyBe]

I'm currently in the process of building a 1 bbl all electric brew system in my basement. One of the issues I'm racking my brain on is how to get the grain out of the mash tun easily after a brew day. I think a tippy dump would be the best option, but feel its going to be to heavy to manually tip. 1 bbl of wet grain is going to be extremely heavy and I really don't feel like scooping it all out. Therefore I'm thinking I might as well have some mechanical help and see about using an actuator or two.

I'm sure there is a magic formula as to where they need to be located in relation to the item they are lifting in order to get the correct pivot, travel distance, etc. Any thoughts from those of you who are more tech savvy than me would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bensiff]

I've never thought about automating or powering my tippy, so I can't exactly give you input on that end. However, I have a 20 gallon mash tun, I welded a square platform that it is attached to and is then hinged to the top front crossbeam of my stand. On the back is a small steel wire that allows the kettle to go just past level so I can easily scoop the grains into a container. It takes very little effort to tip when full and I would think it would take little effort if it were twice as heavy...just would need the stand to be firmly attached to a wall or the ground due to center of gravity shifting on that much weight.

 

[brewmasterorr]

I have a tippy on a 26 gallon pot. Not as big....it takes some effort to tip it though. I would think maybe you could make a tippy with something like this www.ebay.com/itm/171853943428 to assist in tipping it.

View attachment 1474134800733.jpg

 

[crane]

The amount of effort required to tip it will be determined by the design of the system. The closer the fulcrum point is to the center of gravity of the mash tun (both vertical and horizontal) the easier it will be to tip.

^^ brewmasterorr's design has the fulcrum point nowhere near the center of gravity, which why it is difficult for him to tip.

Here is an example of one with the fulcrum point closer to the center of gravity.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=6756906

You definitely want the fulcrum point in the center of the pot horizontally. The question is how high up. Too low it will be top heavy and it want to tip on its own. Too high up and it will still require effort. To complicate this the center of gravity will change vertically based on batch size and grain bill.

 

[JohnnyBe]

Thank you for the replies. Something similar to Brewmasterorr's version is what I envisioned building since I'd like to keep the brew stand pushed up against the wall when I tip it. This way I can anchor the stand to the wall.

Crane I completely agree that the center fulcrum it would make for easier tipping, but my brewing area only has 3'-6" between where my stand will sit and three compartment sink. Therefore I think I need to use a similar tip like Brewmasterorr. I'm guessing I can use two linear actuators to aid in the tipping process I'm just not sure how to calculate where these need to be mounted in relation to the kettle/tippy mechanism.

 

[lschiavo]

Here is one I built for a sanke. It uses 6 unistrut angles and a few bolts. Very cheap and strong. I replaced the horizontal bolts with a pin so the mash tun could come off the stand easy if needed. Not sure if the design would relate to your vessel but unistrut fittings may be a good place to start.