New BIAB False Bottoms
- Thread starter Bobby_M
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Received my false bottoms the other day. They did need a few minutes with a small file and sandpaper to smooth over some burrs on the ends of the wire along the edges, but that's to be expected. If I had a stainless wire wheel I would've used that.
The 17.5" fits perfectly in my 20 gallon Concord kettle, with just a few mm clearance around the edges, similar to @fragged. The 15.5" fits my 15 gal Concord, with about 1/2" clearance around the edges. Will be trying the smaller one when I brew next weekend. Look forward to being able to bump mash temp with the gas burner and not worrying about scorching.
I made a little hook grabber thingy out of some stainless safety wire, so I can lift out the false bottom after mashout. @Bobby_M, maybe you should make a little retrieval tool to sell with the false bottoms.
The 17.5" fits perfectly in my 20 gallon Concord kettle, with just a few mm clearance around the edges, similar to @fragged. The 15.5" fits my 15 gal Concord, with about 1/2" clearance around the edges. Will be trying the smaller one when I brew next weekend. Look forward to being able to bump mash temp with the gas burner and not worrying about scorching.
I made a little hook grabber thingy out of some stainless safety wire, so I can lift out the false bottom after mashout. @Bobby_M, maybe you should make a little retrieval tool to sell with the false bottoms.
What is your honest personal opinion of putting your chiller on your element, and why?
what is the reason why Brewhardware only offers the 4 sizes for the false bottom.
if my memorery serves me right, i Need a 4 inch leg. So I am needing to cut the legs (5 1/4) to size, so that I may bag is just sitting above my Element.
OP
OP
I'm sure the element can withstand the weight of the chiller so that is not the primary motive. I have just tried leaving it in and removing it and it makes no difference in whirlpool performance. That means I can be lazy and leave it in and the end result is I can drop the chiller in without being careful.
We offer 5 diameters of false bottom and 4 leg lengths. The leg lengths coincide with common needs we have ascertained over a few years. We can buy them in 5mm increments but didnt want to be required to monitor and replenish inventory like a hardware store. I worked out a way of having adjustability but it is twice as costly.
You can always order longer bolts and hacksaw them to the desired length.
As for diameters of false bottoms, there are enough sizes available that you will not likely have a situation with more than 1/2" gap around the edges. Doubtful that the bag will drop through an opening that narrow.
As for diameters of false bottoms, there are enough sizes available that you will not likely have a situation with more than 1/2" gap around the edges. Doubtful that the bag will drop through an opening that narrow.
Received mine the other day... great fit & finish... looking forward to seeing how well it works with my setup. Just a tip for those choosing to shorten the bolts... screw on a nut (M8) before using the hacksaw, then remove the nut and it will reset the thread that was deformed during the cut.
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as far as the diameters are concern, mine fits very nicely. If you were not referring to my questions, i do apologize. I do plan to cut my legs down to fit my better( closer to my element) I just haven't gotten around to it, other projects keep interfering.
I guess I'm am just to slow to ask the question. At the time I got my False bottom, you only had 4 leg sizes.. I am glad to see that you have added more sizes in legs as well as diameters. From the few orders I have place with you(brew hardware), there has never been in complication, and you (brew hardware) has always been helpful.
My false bottom is from brewhardware. I like it so much I even prefer it to my true bottom.
I tried one of the false bottoms yesterday. Brewed a Witbier in my Concord 15g kettle on a propane burner. The 15.5" dia FB fit well inside the kettle, with just 1/2" gap around the edges. With 8 gal strike water there was plenty of room for grains, even with the 3-3/4" bolts. I don't insulate the kettle and it was in the 40s in my garage, so it was nice to take a couple temp readings along the way and bump the heat w/o worrying about scorching the bag or creating hot spots in the mash.
After the rest I hoisted out the bag, no snags. Then I removed the FB and brought the wort to a boil.
Since my kettle's thermo probe is only about 2.25" above the bottom, the bolts set the FB higher than I need. So today I cut some length off the bolts and it now sits with the rim just above the probe.
I also trimmed the bolts for the 17.5" FB in my 20 gal kettle. Haven't used that one yet, but the fit is even closer, just a few mm around the rim.
In all, I'm very pleased with the FB.
After the rest I hoisted out the bag, no snags. Then I removed the FB and brought the wort to a boil.
Since my kettle's thermo probe is only about 2.25" above the bottom, the bolts set the FB higher than I need. So today I cut some length off the bolts and it now sits with the rim just above the probe.
I also trimmed the bolts for the 17.5" FB in my 20 gal kettle. Haven't used that one yet, but the fit is even closer, just a few mm around the rim.
In all, I'm very pleased with the FB.
Just chiming in to say how well the Brewhardware FB worked for me. 2 vessel, kettle rims, recirculating mash setup using The Brew Bag. Tightened my mill to .030 with no stuck mash issue whatsoever. Think I'll tighten to .025 for my next brew. Had to customize it so it would fit under my PU tube. With the FB placed above my PU tube, the MT required too much wort volume in order to properly cover the top of the grain bed which left an uncomfortably slim margin of wort above my heating element in the BK during the recirculation. I simply removed one section of mesh and with a little fidgeting, the PU tube sets in perfectly. Think I'm done with modifications for the near term.... sure... who am I kidding!
I'm wondering if one of your false bottoms could simplify my process. I do MIAB in a 10-gallon round Home Depot cooler. My current procedure is as follows:
Line cooler with bag. Add strike water slightly above strike temp. Dough in when strike temp is reached. Mash for 60 minutes (or whatever). Lift bag and wrap end around cooler handle to hold bag against the edge of the cooler above the liquid. Drain wort. Lower bag, open it up, add sparge water, stir, lift bag again and drain wort. Repeat.
Would one of your 13 inch SS false bottoms (currently out of stock) fit one of these coolers so that I could just leave the bag in place when draining the wort and then batch sparging? The specs refer to pots it would fit for BIAB but make no reference to MIAB, so I want to make sure there isn't something I'm missing. (The cooler inner diameter is about 13.1 inches according to my tape measure.)
OP
OP
It would fit and it would help you drain better. However, you can also make a manifold out of copper, pvc, or even punched silicone tubing.
BrewinInPA
Well-Known Member
I use an all-metal pasta colander at the bottom of the kettle and fish it out with BBQ tongs after pulling the bag and before the boil.
I feel like this is kind of ghetto tho .. are you still selling those?
I feel like this is kind of ghetto tho .. are you still selling those?
I bought the 14.75" false bottom recently to use in my keggle which only has an 11.75" top opening. So in order to get it to fit I needed to make a small modification. Using a hacksaw, snips, and a dremel I was able to create exactly what I needed. I was not sure how it would hold up at first but it's performed flawlessly, including a 35lb imperial stout grain bill.
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