Mash caps source

[Franktalk]

How about this stuff? You can cut it to size.
https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/i...MIu8ewjfn53wIViorICh36OgC-EAQYBCABEgJpAPD_BwE

 

[RPh_Guy]

The shipping is killer. Think I might have to look around locally.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I've wondered if you could find a good thin food grade sheet material, then line your mash tun with the material. Then back fill it with a can of great stuff foam. Then wrap it closed and shrink wrap it with a heat gun.

I suppose you could buy sheets to of insulin foam core and cut it to size and then wrap it with saran or foil.

 

[milldoggy]

FDA silicone https://www.equalseal.com/product-p/fdasilicone.htm

60 for a 24x24 x1/8
20 for a 24x24 x 1/32

 

[day_trippr]

And $124 for 24x24x1/4
Pretty sure the OP's pics show 1/4" thick rubber.
Still pricey - but cheaper than McMaster-Carr...

Cheers!

 

[day_trippr]

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[...]

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

Cheers!

 

[milldoggy]

And $124 for 24x24x1/4
Pretty sure the OP's pics show 1/4" thick rubber.
Still pricey - but cheaper than McMaster-Carr...

Cheers!

If it seals and keeps out the 02, does size matter(insert bevis meme)

 

[day_trippr]

I suppose that depends on the supporting structure making up for the increased "floppiness" as the thickness decreases. The ultimate goal is to seal to the kettle wall and the thick material used should do that well as shown. Otoh, taken to the extreme where the material was paper thin, one could expect it wouldn't lay as flat on the surface as well as thicker material for the same unsupported length. And it wouldn't have as much resistance to deformation so how well it would hold to the kettle wall might be compromised.

But the armatures shown in the OP's pics could be widened out to compensate - you could take them to with a 1/4" or so of the diameter unless the kettle was deformed - so that'd be an option...

Cheers!

 

[milldoggy]

Wonder if a stainless pizza pan would work with the thin silicone.

Norpro 5673 15.5in S/s Pizza Pan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SSXG1E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[mongoose33]

Wonder if a stainless pizza pan would work with the thin silicone.

Norpro 5673 15.5in S/s Pizza Pan https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SSXG1E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Not sure how well that would work. It it were flat, with a lip, perhaps; as it is, there's a pretty large area that is "dished" and that would allow air in there.

Something like this may be better:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FRYC7G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[milldoggy]

Yea, would pound it flat

 

[aeviaanah]

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

Cheers!

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.

 

[day_trippr]

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!

 

[aeviaanah]

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!

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

 

[day_trippr]

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!

 

[RPh_Guy]

Any chance something like this is food grade?

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/804822/Office-Depot-Brand-Foam-Board-20/

I just feel like I should be able to get some polystyrene type thing really cheap like this.

 

[mongoose33]

Any chance something like this is food grade?

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/804822/Office-Depot-Brand-Foam-Board-20/

I just feel like I should be able to get some polystyrene type thing really cheap like this.

I've long wondered if something becomes food-safe if you spray or brush polyurethane coating on it.

I'd love to use foamboard for this kind of application, except I'm not sure if it's food safe. But what if I coated it with poly?

 

[sheikyerbouti]

Just picked up a stainless serving platter, 18" diameter. Should work pretty good.

 

[mongoose33]

Just picked up a stainless serving platter, 18" diameter. Should work pretty good.

Source?

 

[sheikyerbouti]

Amazon.

 

[day_trippr]

Is it actually 18"? Or, like, maybe 17-5/8"?

Cheers!

 

[RPh_Guy]

Think this would float?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UG7QVI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
OR
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00166E5E4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[mongoose33]

Think this would float?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UG7QVI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
OR
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00166E5E4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

They both would.

 

[aeviaanah]

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!

Can you share source for SS ball?

 

[LoadedMonk]

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

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.

 

[day_trippr]

Can you share source for SS ball?

So sorry, I didn't notice this reply until tonight. The float ball came with the Blichmann autosparge assembly...

Cheers!

 

[aeviaanah]

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.

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

 

[aeviaanah]

So sorry, I didn't notice this reply until tonight. The float ball came with the Blichmann autosparge assembly...

Cheers!

Thanks!

 

[day_trippr]

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

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!

 

[day_trippr]

Thanks!

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!