using clawhammer biab spray valve on anvil foundry for mash

[Presbrewterian Pastor]

I have a clawhammer biab spray valve (https://www.clawhammersupply.com/collections/brewing-accessories/products/biab-spray-valve). Anvil sells tri clamp bulk head fittings for the foundry (both 1.5 and 2 inch) (https://www.anvilbrewing.com/2-0-tri-clamp-bulkhead-fitting-for-foundry-lid). How can I rig this up for use with wort recirc?

 

[Bobby_M]

Only if you are trying really hard to oxidized your mash.

 

[kevin58]

Only if you are trying really hard to oxidized your mash.

That is the same spray device that Clawhammer uses for mash recirculation. Why would they use/make it if it oxidizes the mash?

 

[day_trippr]

Because there are folks that do not believe that oxidation during the mash happens at all - or if it does, that it's "bad" for the brew.

I just use a length of silicone tubing floating atop the mash for my recirculation...

Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

That is the same spray device that Clawhammer uses for mash recirculation. Why would they use/make it if it oxidizes the mash?

That is the same spray device that Clawhammer uses for mash recirculation. Why would they use/make it if it oxidizes the mash?

Even good, we'll intentioned people make mistakes.

 

[Broothru]

Because there are folks that do not believe that oxidation during the mash happens at all - or if it does, that it's "bad" for the brew.

I just use a length of silicone tubing floating atop the mash for my recirculation...

View attachment 854666

Cheers!

I use a Braumeister that circulates from the bottom up, topped with a LOB mash cap to mitigate O2 pickup. I haven’t seen or heard of a better method or setup. All automated, even for step mashes.

The grain bed never gets compacted, and my mash efficiency is consistently in the mid-80% range. The only thing that’s awkward about this setup is trying to do a detoction mash, but detoction mashes are always ‘awkward.’

 

[redking11]

I use a Braumeister that circulates from the bottom up, topped with a LOB mash cap to mitigate O2 pickup. I haven’t seen or heard of a better method or setup. All automated, even for step mashes.

The grain bed never gets compacted, and my mash efficiency is consistently in the mid-80% range. The only thing that’s awkward about this setup is trying to do a detoction mash, but detoction mashes are always ‘awkward.’

What is an LOB mash cap? I assume a brand?

 

[Broothru]

Low Oxygen Brewing.

Basically, a mash cap that floats over the malt pipe. Since wort flows up through the grain bed contained in the malt pipe, it prevents the wort from splashing and redirects it downward along the outside of the malt pipe to be continually recirculated without picking up O2 in the process.

It’s a highly efficient process with routinely high conversion numbers, but without a mash cap there’s a potential for picking up a lot of DO during the mash.

 

[Bramling Cross]

Here are a few photos to hopefully clarify Broothru's great answer, Redking.

In LOw Disolved Oxygen (LODO) or Low Oxygen Brewing (LOB) the brewer attempts to minimize the uptake of atmospheric oxygen into the wort because oxygen is a very gregarious element that likes to make friends with other elements and molecules and thereby changes the character of its new friends. LODO/LOB brewers go to great (but easily accomplished) lengths to avoid oxygen pickup. One of the easiest ways to avoid oxygen pickup is to keep your recirculation and sparge manifolds below the surface of your mash, rather than trickling down on top of it in the traditional arrangement.

Here are some photos of my SS Brewtech rig--yeah it's not the same design as a malt pipe all-in-one, but the objective is the same:

These are the components of the rig. At the bottom of the tun is the false bottom, the circular thing that I'm holding up is the recirculation/sparge manifold. The manifold sits on top of the grain bed and below the surface of the wort while in operation, thus greatly diminishing oxygen's penchant for gregariousness.

I brewed earlier today, so I don't have a grist in the tun at present, but I can toss some dirty laundry in there. Let's pretend the dirty laundry is the grist. The manifold sits on top of the grist, but below the surface of your brewing liquor.

Here's where the cap comes in. The cap is placed on top and floats on the surface of the brewing liquor, providing a barrier between the brewing liquor and the gregarious atmospheric oxygen that resides within your mash tun.

For sparging, the arrangement within the mash tun remains the same. The only difference is that the pump is instead hooked up to the HLT (Hot Liqour Tank) to pump a slow flow of sparge liqour into the mash tun.

Don't feel bad if you find this confusing! To be sure, LODO can be quite dense at first glance. Fortunately, the actual practice of LODO is quite easy and adds little more than a rounding error to the time you spend on a brew day.

I hope you found this useful.

 

[Adam Zerwick]

Do you have reflectix directly floating on the mash liquid? If not could you post a pic of what's underneath it? I have a similar setup and couldn't really find a good solution for a mash cap over the recirc manifold. Thx.

...
Here's where the cap comes in. The cap is placed on top and floats on the surface of the brewing liquor, providing a barrier between the brewing liquor and the gregarious atmospheric oxygen that resides within your mash tun.

View attachment 860913

For sparging, the arrangement within the mash tun remains the same. The only difference is that the pump is instead hooked up to the HLT (Hot Liqour Tank) to pump a slow flow of sparge liqour into the mash tun.

Don't feel bad if you find this confusing! To be sure, LODO can be quite dense at first glance. Fortunately, the actual practice of LODO is quite easy and adds little more than a rounding error to the time you spend on a brew day.

I hope you found this useful.

 

[Bramling Cross]

Do you have reflectix directly floating on the mash liquid? If not could you post a pic of what's underneath it? I have a similar setup and couldn't really find a good solution for a mash cap over the recirc manifold. Thx.

I am using reflectix as a mash cap. Honestly, it's not a great material for this application--it's hard to clean, it's not closed cell so wort seeps into it. It sucks. However, I've had a big roll of the stuff sitting around from another project and I've been using it until I get off my lazy butt and buy a yoga mat.

 

[doug293cz]

I am using reflectix as a mash cap. Honestly, it's not a great material for this application--it's hard to clean, it's not closed cell so wort seeps into it. It sucks. However, I've had a big roll of the stuff sitting around from another project and I've been using it until I get off my lazy butt and buy a yoga mat.

How you gonna identify a food-safe yoga mat? Do any of them advertise as BPA, phalate, etc. free?

Brew on

 

[ninkwood]

I haven't seen anyone go to this level of effort to minimize hot side oxygenation before. Are there some good resources any of you would recommend for learning more about this?

 

[Bobby_M]

Seems to me a cake pan would be the best way to do it. Metal over plastic.

 

[mac_1103]

Seems like a false bottom would work. After all, it's kind of a false top.

 

[doug293cz]

Seems like a false bottom would work. After all, it's kind of a false top.

A perforated mash cap would defeat the purpose w.r.t. LoDO.

Brew on

 

[mac_1103]

A perforated mash cap would defeat the purpose w.r.t. LoDO.

OK. I thought it was the splashing that was more of a problem. So I guess that LoDO folks aren't impressed with this product even though it was designed by our dear departed friend?

 

[stamandster]

Yeah, honestly, you are better off changing out the fitting with a barb and use a length of 3/8 hose that lays on the top (I would have suggested 1/2 but honestly I believe it's too much flow for most systems, just my experience).

 

[Yesfan]

OK. I thought it was the splashing that was more of a problem. So I guess that LoDO folks aren't impressed with this product even though it was designed by our dear departed friend?

Sorry for the off topic, but what do you mean by "dear departed friend"?

 

[mac_1103]

what do you mean by "dear departed friend"?

Design credit goes to Bracconeire a well known and active supporter of www.homebrewtalk.com
RIP thread

 

[Bobby_M]

I still wouldn't call a perforated disk a "mash cap" in the vernacular of low oxygen brewing. A functional mash cap has to nearly eliminate the liquid to air junction, i.e. solid material.

 

[Jose Diaz]

This is old-ish... but, no one answered your question. Yes, it can be done. I have it set up like that. Get at least 2" washers (I used these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJNXRQP9?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_4&th=1). Remove the lid holder and transfer it to the other small hole in the anvil lid. Then you can install it in the center of the lid. Sprayer - washer - lid - washer - connection to hose (your choice here... barb or qd).

Regarding hot side aeration... I don't care. A lot has been written on this topic and general consensus is it doesn't matter. Of course, if anyone wants to chase this... by all means. A few resources: https://brulosophy.com/2014/11/18/is-hot-side-aeration-fact-or-fiction-exbeeriment-results/ http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/brew-strong-question-and-answer-with-neil-spake/

 

[mac_1103]

A lot has been written on this topic and general consensus is it doesn't matter.

There isn't general consensus on much of anything in this hobby, and there most definitely is not general consensus that hot side oxidation doesn't matter.

 

[Jose Diaz]

There isn't general consensus on much of anything in this hobby, and there most definitely is not general consensus that hot side oxidation doesn't matter.

Keep chasing it then. Good luck.

 

[mac_1103]

Keep chasing it then. Good luck.

I'm not chasing anything. I'm just not dismissing it. Why don't you tell us about the Brulosophy exbeeriment that has you so convinced that you're right?

 

[Jose Diaz]

I'm not chasing anything. I'm just not dismissing it. Why don't you tell us about the Brulosophy exbeeriment that has you so convinced that you're right?

If you didn't like that one... did you listen to what Charlie Bamforth, Professor of Beer at UC Davis, had to say? I would think he's a subject matter expert. I'm fully convinced that it's something I don't need to care about, whether it happens or not.

 

[doug293cz]

I'm not chasing anything. I'm just not dismissing it. Why don't you tell us about the Brulosophy exbeeriment that has you so convinced that you're right?

A link to the Brulosophy exbeeriment was provided. There you can read the original, and make up your own mind about the validity/applicability. That's better than reading someone else's synopsis.

Brew on

 

[mac_1103]

link to the Brulosophy exbeeriment was provided.

Missed it somehow. Sorry.