Mash and Underlet Volume

[dmcmillen]

I have a 15.5 gal mash keggle (3 keggle, 2 pump system) with .69 gal underlet volume (beneath the false bottom). I heat my mash water to strike temp and dough in the grain which of course will be in the water above the false bottom. I only recirc the mash water if I have to raise temp. I'm trying to get my head around how to handle the underlet volume in my calcs such as mash thickness, or whether I should just ignore it. I do a mash out while circulating the water, and then a fly sparge. Would appreciate any thoughts here.

 

[wilserbrewer]

You need to include it somewhere, may as well be in the mash volume, just be aware your mash thickness is a little higher than actual, no big deal.

I would also suggest sending that water through the grain at least for a short period at the end of the mash to maximize extraction, otherwise you may have weaker runnings under the false bottom that were not intimate with the mash.

 

[Pappers_]

Many of us don't worry about that because we sparge until we hit our pre-boil volume.

 

[stevehaun]

You are overthinking it. Pappers has your answer!