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Author Topic: repeated stuck mashes  (Read 7933 times)

Offline melferburque

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repeated stuck mashes
« on: March 12, 2012, 12:08:26 pm »
I recently acquired my own mash tun after sharing with a buddy of mine for the past year. it's an identical setup to his (10 gallon round igloo & stainless steel false bottom), with the exception that I opted for a high temp hose for mine and he has a reinforced braided hose in his.  we used his setup dozens of times without issue.  all four times I've used my setup, I've had a stuck mash.

I typically brew with a bit of rye (10% overall at most), but that was on the old and the new system.  my buddy thinks maybe my hose is getting crushed under the mash, but I don't think that's it.  I'm noticing a LOT of grains under the false bottom when I clean up afterwards.  I don't know how it's getting under there, unless the more flexible hose is allowing the bottom to flap?

mashing out and even dumping my sparge into the tank hasn't been enough to loosen it up, I've had to dump the entire mash tun in my boil kettle and strain through the bazooka tube. I'm sure this isn't as efficient for straining and I'm getting the smaller particulates into the boil.

any suggestions?
weirdo in a weird land.

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2012, 12:22:31 pm »
huh, I am confused, you have a false bottom AND a hose? my coleman has the SS braid and that's it. I brewed a big beer with mostly wheat and it sort of stuck, but the nice thing about batch sparging is you just stir it up and wait 5 minutes before re-vourlaufing and move on.

where is the hose in relation to the false bottom? could also be a crush issue I suppose, have you also started using a different mill for your grain?
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Offline Hokerer

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2012, 12:29:26 pm »
I assume your false bottom is the kind where a pipe elbow passes through so that the lower end is under the false bottom?  and the hose you're talking about goes from the other end of the elbow to the spigot outlet of your cooler?

What sometimes happens with that kind of setup is that the weight of the grain causes the false bottom to flex slightly such that the lower end of that elbow seals against the bottom of the cooler stopping the flow.  If it is flexing, maybe that's also what's allowing grain underneath.  Maybe, since you got your setup after your buddy, your false bottom uses cheaper/thinner stainless so his works and yours doesn't.

Maybe next time, try putting some sort of shim under the elbow so that it can't seal to the bottom?
Joe

Offline Slowbrew

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2012, 12:32:12 pm »
I assume your false bottom is the kind where a pipe elbow passes through so that the lower end is under the false bottom?  and the hose you're talking about goes from the other end of the elbow to the spigot outlet of your cooler?

What sometimes happens with that kind of setup is that the weight of the grain causes the false bottom to flex slightly such that the lower end of that elbow seals against the bottom of the cooler stopping the flow.  If it is flexing, maybe that's also what's allowing grain underneath.  Maybe, since you got your setup after your buddy, your false bottom uses cheaper/thinner stainless so his works and yours doesn't.

Maybe next time, try putting some sort of shim under the elbow so that it can't seal to the bottom?

+1

My thoughts exactly.

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline melferburque

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2012, 12:34:33 pm »
the hose is just a 5" silicone tube connecting the 90 to the ball valve.  the false bottom is identical to my buddy's, very sturdy. I'll try the shim, maybe that will keep the dome from flapping around.
weirdo in a weird land.

Offline Mark G

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2012, 12:42:30 pm »
It could be the hose. The silicone high-temp hose is pretty soft, especially when hot, so it might be getting crushed flat under the weight of the grain, or letting the false bottom move around too much. The braided hose is a lot stiffer, so it eliminates that problem.
Mark Gres

Offline gmac

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2012, 12:56:03 pm »
It's your avatar.  Get rid of the habs jersey and get a Leaf's one and everything will be just fine.

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2012, 12:57:16 pm »
My false bottom is held up by a bunch of stainless bolts/nuts in supporting spots.  If the false bottom is flexing, this could prevent that.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline melferburque

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2012, 12:59:58 pm »
It's your avatar.  Get rid of the habs jersey and get a Leaf's one and everything will be just fine.

why would a laffs sweater help my mash?  there are no children around to molest...
weirdo in a weird land.

Offline melferburque

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2012, 01:02:25 pm »
My false bottom is held up by a bunch of stainless bolts/nuts in supporting spots.  If the false bottom is flexing, this could prevent that.

mine is just a basic dome like this: http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/12-Inch-Stainless-False-Bottom.html. do I need to add some feet to it?
weirdo in a weird land.

Offline repo

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2012, 01:26:55 pm »
I have the same domed false bottom and have never had a stuck mash with this setup. No modifications necessary. I would bet its your hose. If you can pinch it closed with your thumb and index finger offset(not right under each other but about an inch apart along length of hose) it is too soft.

Offline ccfoo242

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2012, 06:36:16 pm »
Maybe try braided vinyl tubing, it's hard to squish. I got some at Lowes.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2012, 06:48:40 pm »
My false bottom is held up by a bunch of stainless bolts/nuts in supporting spots.  If the false bottom is flexing, this could prevent that.

mine is just a basic dome like this: http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/12-Inch-Stainless-False-Bottom.html. do I need to add some feet to it?

Tom could be right on the flexing.  You can get a large resolved force on the False Bottom with just a little pressure differential.  The elbow may bottom out on the bottom of the cooler.  I have an old Listerman Phalse bottom made of plastic.  Those had horizontal holes drilled through the elbow at right angles so you would maintain flow when the plastic was hot in the mash, under pressure, and bottomed out on the elbow that extends under he false bottom.  Hope you understand what I mean.
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Offline jamminbrew

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2012, 07:00:42 pm »
If it is your hose, I used this trick to keep mine from flattening under the mash...  I bought a lenght of copper wire, wrapped it tightly around a thin object, (a dip tube, or a bic pen works) and insert the coiled wire into the hose.  No more squished hose!
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Offline corkybstewart

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Re: repeated stuck mashes
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2012, 09:38:28 pm »
If it is your hose, I used this trick to keep mine from flattening under the mash...  I bought a lenght of copper wire, wrapped it tightly around a thin object, (a dip tube, or a bic pen works) and insert the coiled wire into the hose.  No more squished hose!
that's what I did-I used a couple of feet of 10 gauge romex wrapped around a diptube and inserted into a stainless mesh-there was no way to close it off.
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