Mash Paddles?

[Ondori]

My first batch I brewed with a plastic mash paddle. Once it got hot it was very flimsy. I bought a wooden one, and that thing stirs like a champ! I like my wooden paddle. Great investment.

 

[forstmeister]

Just as an aside note: If I wanted to make my own mash paddle, what type of wood and how would it be finished? I'm thinking red oak and satin polyurethane. Not sure how they woold stand up to mash temps.

Use sugar maple or cherry or elm...something that is a diffuse-porous wood as opposed to oak, which is ring porous. Over time oak can get "stringy" after the cells start to get crushed and break down. I used sugar maple and it is solid as a rock. No finish necessary.

 

[SagamoreAle]

Just as an aside note: If I wanted to make my own mash paddle, what type of wood and how would it be finished? I'm thinking red oak and satin polyurethane. Not sure how they woold stand up to mash temps.

I'd skip the finish.

 

[MoreHops]

Use sugar maple or cherry or elm...something that is a diffuse-porous wood as opposed to oak, which is ring porous. Over time oak can get "stringy" after the cells start to get crushed and break down.

Darn -- I just made one out of oak. How long do you consider "over time"?

 

[jyorger]

Trying to make a stainless one. Going very slow because I have to finish the brewery first

 

[forstmeister]

Darn -- I just made one out of oak. How long do you consider "over time"?

It all depends on the type of oak, how often you use it, how long it stays wet...lots of things. It could last years and years.

 

[patthebrewer]

I typically recommend maple, as a superior wood for mash paddle because of it grain structure, and strenght. However occasionally I get enough requests to make a run if red oak paddles. Red oak will hold up, but has a much more open grain structure so I soaks up more water. The grain ends can get rougher over time(Red Oak), but a quick scuff sand can cure that (I'm actually using an Oak paddle a couple years old now with no issues). I also like American Black Cherry as a Paddle wood,as it has properties similar to Maple, but is usually more expensive. I have made a few custom BIG paddles for Pro-Brewers, where cherry has been the requested wood.

 

[MoreHops]

It all depends on the type of oak, how often you use it, how long it stays wet...lots of things. It could last years and years.

Oh good -- I've got some time then! Thanks!

 

[forstmeister]

Oh good -- I've got some time then! Thanks!

Probably lots of time, especially if its white oak which is used for barrels.

 

[MMJfan]

Just as an aside note: If I wanted to make my own mash paddle, what type of wood and how would it be finished? I'm thinking red oak and satin polyurethane. Not sure how they woold stand up to mash temps.

I used Watco Butcher Block Oil on mine and that seemed to work ok...

 

[graduate]

You can use mineral oil. It works fine.