Sight Gauge on Mash Tun?

[rdavidw]

After reading post about sight gauges on Mash Tuns, and all of the draw backs and little benefit, I am looking for advice on putting a sight gauge on my Mash Tun, or finding a some better way to know the water level of my MT. Sorry in advance for the long rambling post.

Here is my three vessel single tier, single burner indoor electric set up:
BK - 10 Gal Bayou Classic with built-in HERMS Coil / chiller and whirlpool inlet
HLT – 10 Gal Cooler with sight glass and whirl-pool inlet
MT -10 Gal Cooler with false bottom and Blichmann Auto Sparge inlet
3500 watt Induction burner
Two Chugger pumps

I have an icemaker line from my RO tank to fill my BK and heat at the same time. I then pump my strike water to the MT and mash in and set up the HERMS thought the coil in the BK with that pump and whirlpool in the BK with the other pump. After mash out I pump the sparge water to the HLT cooler.

I then run pump 1 from the HLT to the auto sparge in the MT and pump 2 from the MT to the whirlpool inlet of the BK and use only that shutoff to regulate the speed of the sparge. I use the sight glass on the HLT to know when it’s empty and after it is I turn off pump 1. I then have to wait and guess when the MT will be totally empty and pump 2 will be running dry. The pump does make a different sound when dry.

I don’t do it like Kal from the Electric Brewery where he leaves water behind in the MT and HLT. I like to strip my water with the RO system and rebuild it for the beer I am making and I don’t want to waste it.

After my HLT is empty I know the water level in the MT is at the auto sparge arm level and I know my BK level but I would like a way to monitor my MT water level as it drains. During the slow fly sparge, once the BK level is over the whirl pool inlet I can’t see how fast the wort is coming in if at all. I am also starting my boiling when I start the sparge so it’s harder to est. how much is left in the MT.

I have been using this set up for a while and have it down to where I can be doing other things during the brew but would like to get a better indication of my MT level during the sparge. I am not too concerned about thermal loss of the sight glass as I have the Herms to control temp. My concern is that the suction from the false bottom will pull the water level in the sight glass down giving a bad reading and possibly pulling air in under the grain and wort, preventing the MT from emptying all of the way during the sparge. I have not had problems with compacting my grain beds as I run the HERMS rather slow.

Options:

1. Do nothing and spend more time thinking about more important things.
2. Mount the sight glass just above the false bottom and hope the slow draw will not be a problem.
3. Mount it an inch or two up so there is less pull.
4. Add a small ball valve on the top of the sight glass that I would just open when I wanted a reading.
5. Rather then permanently mounting the sight glass, put it on a T with a male and female quick connect. I could snap it on at the start of the sparge and just turn off the ball valve going into the BK to get an accurate reading. This would also make it easy to clean.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions on this.

 

[dmcman73]

I've heard that sight glasses can become clogged in the MT and become useless during a Mash.

Why not just add a sight glass to your HLT so you know exactly how much water you've pumped into the MT?

 

[davidgaines]

I've heard that sight glasses can become clogged int he MT and become useless during a Mash.

Why not just add a sight glass to your HLT so you know exactly how much water you've pumped into the MT?

That's what I would think. What's the point of a sight glass on a MT anyway?

 

[rdavidw]

That's what I would think. What's the point of a sight glass on a MT anyway?

For my fly sparge, I pump the HLT totally empty and pump the MLT totally empty. I have a sight glass on the HLT to have a good indicator as to when to shut off that pump. I want a indicator to know when the MLT is going to be totally empty so I can turn off the second pump and break down the MLT.

The sight glass in the HLT works great for knowing when to disconnect the pump to the MLT. I want one in the MLT to know when to disconnect the pump to the BK but want to work around issues with the grain and false bottom effecting the sight glass.

I am cooking up an Imperial Porter now I named "I'm done with pink nipples". Thanks again.

 

[Bellybuster]

good volume calcs will let you know when your at any certain volume. A sight glass on a MLT is almost never a good idea.
if running your pump dry is an issue use a grant, that will give you a visual on when your MT runs dry. Aiming for no liquid left in a mash tun is a pretty lofty goal (unless bottom draining). Maybe mash an extra half gallon and go by levels into your boil kettle instead???

 

[brick_haus]

Use a grant?

 

[Bellybuster]

a lauter grant will give you visual indication there is no more flow from the MLT. Not to many home brewers use them as it's just another piece of equipment to maintain and clean. Just an option.