Steam heating the mash

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Has anyone else tried out steam heating of your mash? I have recently added this feature to my outfit and so far I love it!
With a pressure cooker purchased from e-bay and the other parts purchased from Lowes, I have this system up and running for under $75 (propane burner which I use not included in this price).
This can easily be run from propane or electric. It goes in my picnic cooler style mash tun and allows me to maintain temperature. In experimentation (water only, no grains) I have raised my temperature as if I were doing step mashes and it raises the temperature as fast as I care to. There is no addition of hot water if a temperature is missed on the strike because the volume of steam/water required to make temperature adjustments is minimal unlike with boiling/hot water.
I chose the picnic cooler style mash tun over a heated vessel prior to building my system with the intent of adding this feature. I went this route due to concerns over caramelization (sp.) of the grains on a direct heated system and the expense of a HERMS RIMS setup. This has worked very well for me and I just wanted to share this with you and get your feedback.

Pressure cooker with steam outlet valve

Steam dispersion manifold in the mash tun
 
Have you tried it with grain yet? I would be interested to see if you get temperature stratification in the mash (hot spots at the bottom next to the steam outlet).
 
I have done single step infusion with grains but I have not done multiple step. I stir any time I am adding steam to minimize any thermal gradients. I have a long stem thermometer so I can get pretty good readings from top to bottom and I have had good luck with that. Since I stirr, I avoid any steam additions in the last ten minutes or so in order to let the grain bed settle in preperation for recirc/drain/sparge.
 
Way cool! Maybe I'll look into this when I rebuild my system. Seems like you should be able to use the same maniflod for steam and lautering, just a couple extra valves. One thing I'm thinking about is it would let you drain the wort (to preserve the enzymes), decoct the whole bill at once and add the wort back in.
 
david_42 said:
Way cool! Maybe I'll look into this when I rebuild my system. Seems like you should be able to use the same maniflod for steam and lautering, just a couple extra valves. One thing I'm thinking about is it would let you drain the wort (to preserve the enzymes), decoct the whole bill at once and add the wort back in.
That is a very interesting concept david 42 about draining and then steaming to decoct. I am thinking of adding steam to my system and I have a large grant to lauter to. Might take you a while to dial in the regiment but after you got a system down that would be one hell of a way to go. For I especially, I was thinking of pulling off and pressure cooker decocting before you made your statement. So I thank you, and hate you! Now I must go the whole day thinking of my system and how a batch might go. I will be accused of daydreaming and won't be able to do anything until I draw it out and talk it to death, LOL. I am really loving this forum after just a day and hope it continues this strong. Thanks everyone for your genius, works great for a gadget nerd like myself.
 
OK, I went the steam route with simple braided manifold in MT for injection as well as wort removal. Simple long stem dial themometer through the lid and down the side wall of the cooler. On the lid I attached an icecream machine motor with a 1/2" mpt copper tube threaded fitting jb welded into the turning gear on the motor. I then made a stirrer out of 1/2 pipe capped off so it really just stirs through and slowly moves the grain around. Very simple project and it looks professional. I made my MT and HLT out of those maxcold round coolers that are silver. They look really good on thier own, but the white top and the icecream motor (Sundial something or other) just look awesome. Then add the shiny SS ball valve and quick disconnect and you have a fine looking MT and HLT. The HLT of course is really nothing but a copper tubing >bulkhead >ss ball valve, so it was harder to heat as fast as the MT but it just needs to get to 100-130F (depending) so that didn't take too long. I would have a time for this but I got excited using the system and forgot to look at the clock until I was ready to start the first rest, and drinking and other crap going on around me until I was ready, lol. But....., WOW! When I did start the clock on my first rest, what a difference it makes. I was off by 2F on strike and just pumped a little steam into the stirring MT. Less than 3 minutes later I was at 122F and resting. I give the guys that inspired this much praise, thank you all very much. I will go forth and spread the prophecy of steam.

So let it be written, So let it be done!:rockin:

It should probably be said that I made this for my best friend's wedding gift and still haven't had the priviledge of doing one for myself, yet, lol. You better brew your heart out on that system Justin, you here me, lol. I was happy with the results, how it looked and how it worked :)
 
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