Recirculating mash and channeling?

[drksky]

I've got a Kal clone HERMS setup and I see that most people just lay the return hose on top of the grain bed. I've also see that many just open their pumps full bore while the mash is recirculating. I've tried that and find that the return really digs a groove right where the host lays and around the perimeter of the MLT. Is this going to cause me effieciency issues?

I'm guessing that if the return hose digs all the way down to the false bottom all the hot wort is going to be bypassing most of the grain, and this does not seem like an ideal situation. However, if I slow down the recirculation, the temperature response goes awry.

I'm measuring the mash at the exit of the MLT and the HLT at its exit as well and recirculating both vessels.

Any advice/thoughts?

Thanks

 

[241]

HERMS here too. Kal clone.

I just lay the hose on top of the grain bed myself - at full bore. I mash at 1.4 qt/lb and always have about an inch or so of wort on top of the grain bed. I try to position the hose so that it whirlpools the liquid around the whole tun, as if it's just somewhere random it does tend to channel. I get pretty good efficiency, somewhere between 75-80%. I calculate my recipes based on 70% and sometimes have to run off more sparge water to the kettle to get my preboil og down to where it needs to be per the recipe.