Noticeable channeling with false bottom

[etrain666]

I recently added a false bottom to replace a squished SS braid in my round 10g cooler. While collecting my first runnings today, I noticed that the liquid was running down the sides of the cooler, making a column of grain in the center of the cooler. My efficiency was pretty low at 60%.

Any ideas to combat this problem?

 

[Yooper]

I recently added a false bottom to replace a squished SS braid in my round 10g cooler. While collecting my first runnings today, I noticed that the liquid was running down the sides of the cooler, making a column of grain in the center of the cooler. My efficiency was pretty low at 60%.

Any ideas to combat this problem?

I assume you're doing a continuous sparge from the description. The only piece of advice I have is to look at the way you're adding the sparge water and see if you can use a tube or something to lay ontop of the grainbed and make sure the liquid covering the grainbed is at least a few inches deep. That helps disperse the water and to help avoid channelling.

Also, make sure the grainbed isn't compacting. You can add some rice hulls to your mash if it seems like concrete.

Drain slowly, and let it take about 45 minutes to sparge a 5 gallon batch.

Edit- but I re-read and it sounds like you're batch sparging? If you are, channelling is a non-issue. There would be something else causing the low efficiency.

Those tips should help some!

 

[etrain666]

Sorry, I should have clarified. Yes, I do batch sparge.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Edit- but I re-read and it sounds like you're batch sparging? If you are, channelling is a non-issue. [...]

Really?

Cheers!

 

[Yooper]

Really?

Cheers!

Yep, really.

 

[BudzAndSudz]

I can second that. I batch sparge and always get significant chanelling as well, but hit nearly 80% efficiency on my last brew. If the efficiency is low in my system, it's almost always due to a poor crush from my LHBS low-quality grain mill.

 

[Yooper]

I can second that. I batch sparge and always get significant chanelling as well, but hit nearly 80% efficiency on my last brew. If the efficiency is low in my system, it's almost always due to a poor crush from my LHBS low-quality grain mill.

The reason channeling is a non issue is because you're not using the property of diffusion to get the sparge done, like you are with continuous (fly) sparging. You stir like you mean it, vorlauf and drain. The stirring is what "knocks" the sugars into solution, so channeling doesn't come into play at all.

If the efficiency is low, as Budzandsudz says, it's NOT because of the grainbed. It's a pour crush, or some other reason.

 

[etrain666]

That makes sense for sure. One other thing I may try is to give the mash a good stir at the 30 minute mark and also try a two step batch sparge instead of one.