Proper drainage of MLT

[steber]

Been a few months since my last brew, been working on making the move to AG. I built a MLT out of a coleman cooler and used a copper manifold and was testing it without grains with just water. I'm getting decent drainage until it hits the slots that are cut in the bottom of my copper mainfold. Once it hits the top of the slots, its basicaly done. Will a grain bed aid in better drainage? I'm currently sitting with 3-4 cups of water on the bottom. Am I to be concerned with this?

 

[worksnorth]

Are the slots facing down against the bottom of the cooler? If they are facing up they will loose suction and you won't drain as much of the liquid out of the cooler. Be sure they are facing down.
Cheers

 

[evandena]

You're probably losing suction at that point. Tilt the cooler or count it as dead space.

 

[PJM]

I'm a tipper...

 

[wilserbrewer]

Do reallize that this 3-4 cups will be a mix of grains and wort, so likely about 1-2 cups of low gravity wort after sparging...tip the cooler to drain more fully you like, but not a worry either way IMHO.

In the real world this amounts to less than a small handful of grain, or about 8 cents...just sayin

 

[Yooper]

Did you have a piece of tubing on the outside of the ballvalve, to drain the MLT? That's the best way to create a siphon, and then when the wort level gets to the slots, the tubing will continue to create a siphon, "sucking" the wort out.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Did you have a piece of tubing on the outside of the ballvalve, to drain the MLT? That's the best way to create a siphon, and then when the wort level gets to the slots, the tubing will continue to create a siphon, "sucking" the wort out.

Excellent point about the tubing creating a better siphon Yoop, but I believe unfortunately once the wort level gets to the slots and sucks some air it's game over, well I guess you could say, "it just sucks".

 

[steber]

Yes there is a tube on the outlet. It dropped about 3 feet down to my kettle. I'm hoping once a grain bed is in there it will take up this space and possibly aid in better drainage by partially blocking the slots so the bottom of the pipe gets better suction.

 

[steber]

You're probably losing suction at that point. Tilt the cooler or count it as dead space.

I don't know if tipping would work. My manifold would just and up bare at one end for sure if I tilted.

 

[pelipen]

The grain bed also creates a bit of a wicking effect which further helps if you drain on the slow side of speed.
I'd say run with it.

 

[evandena]

I don't know if tipping would work. My manifold would just and up bare at one end for sure if I tilted.

Tilting will work. You're just using gravity, so it won't matter if you lose suction.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Your fine...every manifold will leave behind a lil bit...RDWHAHB. Go ahead and tip the cooler if you feel better getting the last cup of low gravity runnings. Feel free to recycle your drier lint as well.

 

[Scottatron]

I agree with tipping the cooler, which is what I do. There is always loss at the bottom of my MLT and I plan to factor that into my calculations into the future, even though it is minimal.