Mash cap and re-circulation

[bkboiler]

Hmm...many pots that have straight walls are deep draw forged, whereas it looks like your pan is spin formed...
Different amount of cold work there (in fact I bet your pot was hot forged)...
you've got the right idea, on a flat hard surface, put the punch where you want the hole and give it a good wack...
put some oil in that divot (I used canola, but 10W30 works as well )
...locate the 1/8" drill and put about 10-15lb of pressure...
Work at around 3-4 rpm and rest ever 5 seconds and apply more oil if needed...
You should see small chips the size of a grain of sand...
if there are no chips, your drill bit is dull and you're just polishing your workpiece
I just drilled my stainless 18ga work table last weekend with regular black oxide bits (Ryobi even...gasp!)
Granted it's not cold worked like your product, but just go low and slow...
Cobalt is good as well...
any bit with TiN coating should last a long while even against hardened 304...
I didn't want to have to progressively flare the hole because "somebody" misplaced my stepped drill bit ...so I just used my punch to flare it out and my cylindrical file to break the edges.

 

[Alt]

Been using spent deep fryer peanut oil.

To the point where I’m a few thousandths away from clearing the draw slug on my 13/16” punch. Was originally planning to suspend a perforated SS disk below the return barb outlet using SS standoffs originally purchased for one of many Raspi projects. But for now I think I will be happy with using a 1/2“ NPT tee.

 

[Alt]

Success!

Almost forgot I bought a barb fitting, so the photo above does not represent the final configuration. But even with the heavier camlock fitting and cap, it still floated at least 1/4” above the waterline.

 

[day_trippr]

Congrats!

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

How do you guys flush the air out of the lines before recirculation?

On the cold side its simple to flush with CO2 and quick disconnects

I'm imagining maybe get a second small vessel to feed the initial recirculation into and then lower the tub in while its still running. However doing this without burning yourself might be challenging

 

[Iseneye]

Some brewers flush lines with co2 or nitrogen and are brewing in nearly closed systems. I dont have that system so I disconnect the outlet end and gravity feed the liquid through the line which pushes most of the air out then connect to the quick disconnect.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

You can go at least two different routes with mash caps:

1.) cap with built in recirculation port
2.) recirculation port in kettle with floating lid

The former will most likely require some sort of gasket to fix it in place at the top of the mas as the fittings and recirc manifold (I use locline and SS fittings) make it too heavy to float. The latter requires only that you have a fix inlet in the kettle so the cap will float.

It’s up to you what your system will handle, whether it be retrofitting equipment or purpose built stuff. We only recommend that you do cap, the implementations are so varied that we shy away from hard recommendations.

Good luck and welcome to the conversation.

Do you have a pic of your setup?

 

[mongoose33]

I've been doing LODO since...well, before this thread started. Trying to come up with a mash cap that fits my kettle and system.

It finally dawned on me--I use a spike lid on top of my mash tun (it's not a Spike kettle, got the kettle for free, but no lid, so the Spike lid).

But I could do what Bilsch shows earlier in the thread--trim the flange off the lid that keeps it from falling into the pot, and voila! Stainless mash cap.

So I ordered a lid from Spike, ended up being about $31 with shipping as I recall. A friend has a band saw that cuts metal; he trimmed off most of the flange for me, then we used a belt sander to dress the edge and then slowly take it down to size. It's currently 13 7/8" in diameter.

I haven't brewed much this past year--had a bad fall in April, separated right shoulder resulting in torn rotator cuff (massive injury, as described by doctors), then surgery in July. I'm finally coming out of this and can brew more, so it was time.

I am ready to do another pilsner; I've done them before LODO and it's like a punch in the mouth of pilsner flavor. Astounding.

Anyway, here's the result. I finally have a nonreactive mash cap that is about as good as I can do. I may, at some point, remove the handle to just the nubs to get more clearance on top, but for now, I like it.

 

[MHBT]

I use a ss cake pan with a thermometer i cover with a small plastic bowl cause i dont think its water proof and barb for my recirculating input

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

Did LoDo for first time this weekend

Decided to go "balls deep"

@schlenkeria thanks fof the tip

These things were amazing at limiting O2 pickup. DO readings below .7 for entire sessions

I even did a 90 min boil and 50 min hopstand.

Also did the trifecta blend