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Author Topic: Mash-In Grain Hopper  (Read 4883 times)

Offline mheitt

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Mash-In Grain Hopper
« on: August 27, 2015, 05:46:19 pm »
Since starting all-grain brewing I've felt the hardest part of brewing alone is mashing-in without making dough balls or spilling milled grain on the floor. So I decided I needed to make some sort of hopper system so I could gradually add milled grain to the mash tun while continually stirring away.  I repurposed a dog food dispenser into a milled grain hopper by hanging it in my brew shed over my mash tun. I had to screw strips of 1x1 inside and outside the plastic container so the hangers wouldn't tear through the plastic.  I mill the grain directly into the hopper, hang it up, pump my hot liquor into the mash tun and then pull the hopper shoot with one hand while mixing with the other. Worked perfectly the first time I used it.



Check out a video at http://youtu.be/iqREvaS3-r8

-michael
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Brewtherville Labs

Offline Stevie

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2015, 06:40:03 pm »
Pretty cool. I normally have the wife dump while I stir or I just dump with one arm and stir with the other. I might consider something like this.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2015, 06:42:23 pm »
I just dump with one arm and stir with the other.

That's what I do.
Jon H.

Offline 69franx

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2015, 06:57:59 pm »
This would be very handy when the 14 year old does not want to help
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

coastsidemike

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2015, 09:46:39 pm »
100% gadget fun.  Is great to see this.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2015, 07:34:22 am by surfin.mikeg »

Offline denny

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2015, 10:24:59 am »
I just dump with one arm and stir with the other.

That's what I do.

Same here.  I put the grain in a paper bag and slowly pour them in while I stir.  Slow and stirring are the keys to helping prevent dough balls.
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Offline Stevie

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2015, 11:39:37 am »

I just dump with one arm and stir with the other.

That's what I do.

Same here.  I put the grain in a paper bag and slowly pour them in while I stir.  Slow and stirring are the keys to helping prevent dough balls.
Speaking of dough balls, I might try that 133° rest sometime to prevent.

Offline denny

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2015, 12:47:08 pm »

Speaking of dough balls, I might try that 133° rest sometime to prevent.

I don't think it will.  You'd have the dough balls before the rest, when you add the malt. 
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline Stevie

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2015, 01:22:46 pm »
Kai's article linked in the other thread mentioned that the 133° rest is too low for dough balls to form. Never tried it, just thought it was an interesting method.

Offline garcastle

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2015, 08:51:19 am »
Kai's article linked in the other thread mentioned that the 133° rest is too low for dough balls to form. Never tried it, just thought it was an interesting method.

Just joined the forum.  I typically do a protein rest in the 120s and have honestly never seen a "dough ball".  I'm usually adding 25+ lbs of grain to ~8 gallons of water.  Then I stir it in, cover, and let it sit for impatiently long LOL.

I'm definitely in favor of rigging anything to help things along though!  I do most of work outside on a raised brick pad I built up a bit to keep it level which also helps pour things into buckets when I bring it back into the basement.  I do the sparging on a Blichmann stand in the basement.  I couldn't get the stand to fit through my shed do for doing the boil/etc. so actually use it for the sparging and then chilling which works pretty well with the utility sink.  I'm likely going to get both Hot and cold hose hookups outside as soon as I can find a decently priced plumber.

Cheers,
G.

Offline Thirsty_Monk

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2015, 09:21:04 am »


Speaking of dough balls, I might try that 133° rest sometime to prevent.

I don't think it will.  You'd have the dough balls before the rest, when you add the malt.

I think dough balls are more maltster (brand) specific. Some are more prone to form them then others.
Na Zdravie

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Offline denny

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2015, 09:40:43 am »


Speaking of dough balls, I might try that 133° rest sometime to prevent.

I don't think it will.  You'd have the dough balls before the rest, when you add the malt.

I think dough balls are more maltster (brand) specific. Some are more prone to form them then others.

Yeah, that's been my experience also.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Mash-In Grain Hopper
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2015, 04:35:32 pm »


Speaking of dough balls, I might try that 133° rest sometime to prevent.

I don't think it will.  You'd have the dough balls before the rest, when you add the malt.

I think dough balls are more maltster (brand) specific. Some are more prone to form them then others.

Yeah, that's been my experience also.
Yup. Key word is prone. You probably can get doh balls with any of them, but some are almost guaranteed to ball up. Anymore though I dont worry about it. I just break them up while I'm doing my initial stir. Kind of motivation to do a thorough stir.