Mash caps source

Williams 728
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day_trippr said:
What does the grain bed look like post-lauter? Is there a big hole drilled in the middle from that return line?

Cheers!
Click to expand...

I recirculate pretty slow so no hole in grain bed. Silicone is 1/8” thick not 1/4”. I also use a kettle lid to help retain heat.
 
Ah, well, that's encouraging in both regards. 1/8" is hella cheaper than 1/4".
But I think I'd try to come up with a diffuser for the return as I like to recirculate at 2-3 gpm and I fear I'd bore a hole in the grain bed...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
Ah, well, that's encouraging in both regards. 1/8" is hella cheaper than 1/4".
But I think I'd try to come up with a diffuser for the return as I like to recirculate at 2-3 gpm and I fear I'd bore a hole in the grain bed...

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Maybe add a 90deg elbow?
Now that I think of it I have modified this slightly from what is shown in these pictures.
Where is your return port located? Mine welded at approx 12gal. I target a mash volume of 13gal so I stay above this obstruction, it’s a pita to fit a cap with ports in the way. I have drilled a hole in the silicone where I route an “s” shaped tubing from return, up through the mash cap then onto to barbed fitting on the cap.
Im upward of 2qt/lb to achieve this (and a few other things) so the extra water on top of the grain bed acts as a buffer from incoming wort. I have also removed the small 3/8” tubing on the bottom of the mash cap.

Looking forward to see what you come up with
 
I have an autosparge mounted as high on the kettle wall as possible without interfering with the lid, with a few feet of 3/8" silicone tube laying atop the mash supported by an ss float ball.

The autosparge makes this whole cap thing a bit of a challenge - the idea of the cap engaging with the sidewall makes for a great cap but might be problematic wrt the sparge valve float. In the end I may have to accept a less than 100% cap coverage in favor of a free floating cap...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
I have an autosparge mounted as high on the kettle wall as possible without interfering with the lid, with a few feet of 3/8" silicone tube laying atop the mash supported by an ss float ball.

The autosparge makes this whole cap thing a bit of a challenge - the idea of the cap engaging with the sidewall makes for a great cap but might be problematic wrt the sparge valve float. In the end I may have to accept a less than 100% cap coverage in favor of a free floating cap...

Cheers!
Click to expand...

Can you share source for SS ball?
 
aeviaanah said:
Check out my mash cap build. I get 100% coverage and a vacuum tight seal. I also use a keggle with a smaller opening then surface area of mash

View attachment 607706

View attachment 607708
Click to expand...
Where did you get those stainless steel supports for your mash cap? Did you machine them yourself? Also wondering how this has worked out for you, if you've come up with a different solution since last year.
 
LoadedMonk said:
Where did you get those stainless steel supports for your mash cap? Did you machine them yourself? Also wondering how this has worked out for you, if you've come up with a different solution since last year.
Click to expand...

Yea I used a plasma table to cut these...This mash cap worked great, has a very tight seal. I actually stopped running the mash cap due to simplicity but am still incorporating many other LODO techniques
 
So, the only 18" round SS serving platter I see on Amazon tonight looks like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Group-SLCT018-Serving-18-Inch/dp/B00CDT2QSU

71vH3ZEwsuL._SL1500_.jpg


The diameter would be tight for my 20g G1 kettles (17-5/8" ID), but I do not love the 1-3/8" depth.

Next! ;)

Cheers!
 
If he does, he should have some Far Eastern metal fab shop die press some thin ss sheet into nearly square edged pans an inch deep.

I'd buy two in a heartbeat if the OD was 17"...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
So, the only 18" round SS serving platter I see on Amazon tonight looks like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Group-SLCT018-Serving-18-Inch/dp/B00CDT2QSU

71vH3ZEwsuL._SL1500_.jpg


The diameter would be tight for my 20g G1 kettles (17-5/8" ID), but I do not love the 1-3/8" depth.

Next! ;)

Cheers!
Click to expand...

I'm not understanding the negativity about flares up edges. I've been using a purpose-built LoDO kit for a Speidel Braumeister that was specifically designed with a turned up circumferal edge. In application it floats on top of the recirculating mash water (grain bed is fed with recirc from bottom to top). There is a small gap (1/4" maybe) , but, without embarrassing myself with public math, I'd venture to guess that 95-98% of the surface area doesn't come in contact with outside air. Plus, the kettle itself is capped with an ss lid.

So, recirc from below the grain bed, covered by a floating mash cap that prevents splashing and blocks contact with outside air, in a kettle covered with an ss lid. As soon as dough-in is complete the mash is 'double capped' for the duration.

I think that upturned lip would make that tray a really effective floating mash cap.

Brooo Brother
 
I'm using these...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UG7QVI/

I would rather be using caps without the tapered/flared rim. They would cover more surface area and be easier to pick up.

Guaranteed floating would be nice too since it has gotten caught on my whirlpool return while draining and then crashed down to the bottom of my kettle, kicking up all the trub.

Murphy's Law is strictly enforced.
 
The answer to the question is simple: the ideal solution does not trap or allow air under any part of its surface area and instead contacts the wort surface entirely save for a large enough gap to the vessel wall to not wedge in the vessel.

So, I'm still looking for that...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
The answer to the question is simple: the ideal solution does not trap or allow air under any part of its surface area and instead contacts the wort surface entirely save for a large enough gap to the vessel wall to not wedge in the vessel.

So, I'm still looking for that...

Cheers!
Click to expand...

The ideal solution is not a mash cap, rather a pressure capable vessel that is purged. [emoji6]
 
RPh_Guy said:
I'm using these...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UG7QVI/

I would rather be using caps without the tapered/flared rim. They would cover more surface area and be easier to pick up.

Guaranteed floating would be nice too since it has gotten caught on my whirlpool return while draining and then crashed down to the bottom of my kettle, kicking up all the trub.

Murphy's Law is strictly enforced.
Click to expand...
That's why I use balls....

Guaranteed 92% coverage regardless of the plumbing that's in the way. MLT & HLT.
IMG_20191213_153741.jpeg
 
RPh_Guy said:
I'm using these...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UG7QVI/

I would rather be using caps without the tapered/flared rim. They would cover more surface area and be easier to pick up.

Guaranteed floating would be nice too since it has gotten caught on my whirlpool return while draining and then crashed down to the bottom of my kettle, kicking up all the trub.

Murphy's Law is strictly enforced.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the floating lid has the advantage of, well, floating. The mash water never breaks surface tension, heat stays insulated within the grained in basically 95% covered. I figure on a 20" diameter cap with a 1/4" gap around the rim, the difference in surface area is about 314 sq " xbox 294 sq "
day_trippr said:
The answer to the question is simple: the ideal solution does not trap or allow air under any part of its surface area and instead contacts the wort surface entirely save for a large enough gap to the vessel wall to not wedge in the vessel.

So, I'm still looking for that...

Cheers!
Click to expand...

That's pretty much what mine does. By floating on a mostly calm surface, the mash water never breaks surface tension with the cap. If the cap were 20" dia., and the gap were 0.25 ", roughly 96% of the mash is in constant contact with the cap.

Brooo Brother
 
Die_Beerery said:
The ideal solution is not a mash cap, rather a pressure capable vessel that is purged. [emoji6]
Click to expand...

You're hilarious! And I still run an "armstrong" gas rig that cost - what - 1/70th of your Space Brewery? :D



Brooothru said:
I'm not understanding the negativity about flares up edges.[...]
Click to expand...

It is clearly obvious there is a large amount of area that would be potentially exposed to the ambient air depending on just how high that platter floats atop a mash bed - or hlt. That is why I stressed the "nearly square edge" thing.

Have you posted a picture of your purpose-built cap? It might explain what I'm talking about :)

CHeers!
 
day_trippr said:
You're hilarious! And I still run an "armstrong" gas rig that cost - what - 1/70th of your Space Brewery? :D





It is clearly obvious there is a large amount of area that would be potentially exposed to the ambient air depending on just how high that platter floats atop a mash bed - or hlt. That is why I stressed the "nearly square edge" thing.

Have you posted a picture of your purpose-built cap? It might explain what I'm talking about :)

CHeers!
Click to expand...

[emoji41]

The purpose built one for the LOB brewing Speidel kit does have a slight turn up. But it works good, after all I designed it. [emoji12]
 
Right. A square edge would allow a slightly wider base and thus a bit more coverage, but this is pretty close to my ideal...

lob-4.jpg


I'd even "settle" for that if I could find one that'd fit my 20g Blichmann G1s...

Cheers!
 
L
Die_Beerery said:
[emoji41]

The purpose built one for the LOB brewing Speidel kit does have a slight turn up. But it works good, after all I designed it. [emoji12]
Click to expand...

Then I am greatly in your debt! Danke

I have been brewing with the Speidel system for about 6 years now and would never go back to 3V or BIAB. The only limiting factors have been grist capacity and the amount of thick 'trub wort' that gets left behind in the kettle after the boil and whirlpool. I'm leaving at least 5-6 liters behind when I transfer to the fermenter, at least half of which is potentially clear wort.

Now with the LOB kit I'm able to increase the amount of grain plus increase the amount of strike water from 23 to 29 liters. That extra water doesn't account for the trub losses but does allow me to go 'no sparge'. Underletting the mash is very easy. I love it. Now all I have to do is figure out a way to get a full 6-6 1/2 gallons of trub free wort into the fermenter.

Brooo Brother
 
day_trippr said:
My pleasure - sorry I was slow ;)
fwiw, I came across identical SS float balls somewhere on the intertubes, so they're out there if you're interested...

Cheers!
Click to expand...
I was looking into those, you can get them as small as 5mm. But they were expensive. Was quoted $1,600 for 1000 10mm stainless floating balls on alibaba. Although, I only needed 300 to to cover my mash.
 

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