Mash Tun Manifold - Weighing It Down?

[stylus1274]

Hello -

I'm in the process of doing a DYI CPVC manifold for my mash tun. Problem I am currently having is the manifold floats up in the back. I need some way to weigh it down.

Wondering if any one has any suggestions?


Thanks in advance

 

[EternalStudent]

The grain will probably do a good job at holding it down

 

[wtaylor3]

+1 my cpvc manifold doesn't sit all the way down but had no trouble with 12 lbs of grain in there

 

[Sammy86]

+2 grain holds it down nicely!

 

[stylus1274]

That's good to hear then. I did a light batch with less than 8 and it floated a bit. Not typical I have a grain bill less than 10.

Thanks guys

 

[EternalStudent]

How do you know it floated? Can you see it under 8 lbs of grain?

 

[tjpfeister]

In my old setup with coolers, I had your typical stainless braid manifold. That damn thing always moved around until I "homebrew-fixed" it with a butter knife and some cable ties. This held it in a circular shape and kept it on the bottom of the tun, where it still remains, despite being owned by someone else now.
The reason it would "float" is because when raking the mash it would work its way upward and remain there since it really isn't that much more dense then the mash (unless you are one of them-there thin-mashers). Besides physically catching it in the act of floating up, the proof of floatation was in the wort-pudding: low efficiency. When your grain bed is only 12" deep and the manifold floats up several inches, your usual efficiency (during fly sparging anyhow) goes down-down-down.
So yeah... Butterknife (or some other non-reactive mass)

 

[stylus1274]

How do you know it floated? Can you see it under 8 lbs of grain?

Yep, actually saw it floating up. And like tjpfeister said, the batch efficiency was retarded low.

I may just weigh it down to be on the safe side. I rather not waste efficiency and it would help me sleep better

Maybe with some stainless steel washers or something. Not sure yet.

 

[FuriousE]

All you have to do is fill it with water. Open your valve - the air will drain out, it will fill up with water, and you'll be good.

 

[stylus1274]

All you have to do is fill it with water. Open your valve - the air will drain out, it will fill up with water, and you'll be good.

Huh? I fill it with what water? The water for mashing? Then drain some to get the air out?

 

[FuriousE]

Huh? I fill it with what water? The water for mashing? Then drain some to get the air out?

Once you put your strike water in the mashtun, open up your ball valve. You can catch the strike water that comes out in a pitcher and add it back in to the cooler. Once it starts draining, the manifold will fill with water, and sink to the bottom.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Huh? I fill it with what water? The water for mashing? Then drain some to get the air out?

Add your water into the MLT through the manifold while you add grain into the top of your MLT. No more air.

 

[thekraken]

Another way to think of it: I call it 'burping' it. The only reason your manifold would float would be if there was air in there, so after you add your strike and before you mash in open up your valves to purge the manifold of air. And like FuriousE says, catch the run off with a pitcher or something and throw it back in the MLT when your done purging.

 

[stylus1274]

Awesome. Thanks guys.

I have a moderate grain bill I will try this on. I want to have it 'down' before I do my Pliny batch. Prefer not to mess that up