Mash caps source

[LoadedMonk]

Silicone is about as good as nothing at all.

Nothing at all? Stupid sexy Flanders...

I have some stainless foil I could line the bottom with. I may have to buy some FDA silicone caulk to "glue" them together because the roll is only 10" wide, while the keg walls are almost 16". I really have no better choice as I'm using a keggle with a 12" opening, so I need something bendable I can fit inside it.

 

[brewbama]

Silicone is about as good as nothing at all.

Can’t use alum for the reaction. Can’t use silicone due to permeability.

Combine them. Line the silicone with alum. Not ideal but make what you have work vs buying something new.

I use two cake pans in my igloo cooler MLT.

 

[LoadedMonk]

So I got some time this weekend to implement my plan of using FDA silicone caulk to glue stainless foil to the bottom of FDA silicone sheet. It flexes well enough to fit inside my keggle.

I used an SS Brewtech recirc manifold to get wort return through the middle and provide some stability for the cap so it doesn't bend downward. The manifold is a little larger than my keggle opening but I can angle it in easily enough. I was worried that the manifold would be too heavy and sink the whole cap but it stays afloat. The recirculation even pushes up on the cap to prevent it from breaking surface tension on the sides.

My only issue was with the stainless steel foil. It was difficult to bend up to make a bowl shape, and is very sharp. It cut my hands up tring to get it in and out of the keggle. Thinking about just cutting it flush so it doesn't have the lip, and putting some silicone tubing around the sides so it doesn't cut my hands.

 

[Robert65]

So I got some time this weekend to implement my plan of using FDA silicone caulk to glue stainless foil to the bottom of FDA silicone sheet. It flexes well enough to fit inside my keggle.

I used an SS Brewtech recirc manifold to get wort return through the middle and provide some stability for the cap so it doesn't bend downward. The manifold is a little larger than my keggle opening but I can angle it in easily enough. I was worried that the manifold would be too heavy and sink the whole cap but it stays afloat. The recirculation even pushes up on the cap to prevent it from breaking surface tension on the sides.

My only issue was with the stainless steel foil. It was difficult to bend up to make a bowl shape, and is very sharp. It cut my hands up tring to get it in and out of the keggle. Thinking about just cutting it flush so it doesn't have the lip, and putting some silicone tubing around the sides so it doesn't cut my hands.

Maybe you could crimp that foil together enough to keep the raised edge wall and put some edge trim on it to make it safe?

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/edgingft.htm

 

[LoadedMonk]

Tried your suggestion, it worked, but the cap as a whole was just too difficult to work with. While messing with it and trying to get it in place, I lost half my sulfites at the beginning of the mash. The volume was too high to properly fit it through the opening without dipping it into the liquid.

Figured it's all hard piped and don't have to lift anything so i just cut the tops off and went with the lid solution. Had thoughts about welding the keggles to make them pressure-capable but I'll probably just buy the stout kettles when I'm ready for that. The lid has a 90 return below it.

It fits mostly air tight. Left a small opening on one side for sampling and sauergut dosing.

 

[day_trippr]

That actually looks very good. I'd be happy with that as long as the pan isn't domed

Cheers!

 

[LoadedMonk]

Not domed, but water tested it and it sank. Unfortunately it's too heavy and not tall enough.

Any idea how I could make this float?

 

[Schlenkerla]

Not domed, but water tested it and it sank. Unfortunately it's too heavy and not tall enough.

Any idea how I could make this float?

Water is less dense than wort. Will it sink with mash liquor? My guess there's a (surface area and mass) to density threshold that you need to cross. Question is it over 1.030 for it to work.

Off the top of my head I'm not sure what the math is to figure that out.