Overflow pipe. All in one.

[Jamesman]

Hi everyone, I've bought a brewmonk all in one and want to brew at the weekend. This might be a stupid question considering the name overflow pipe but is liquid actually supposed to flow into the overflow pipe during the mash? The reason I ask is because in the manual it says adjust the telescopic overflow pipe to 3-4cm above the water volume. I've looked on YouTube and some have the liquid flowing into the pipe and others have it well above the water volume. Just wondering if anyone knows?Cheers.

 

[Redgrave_3]

I don’t have an all-in-one so hopefully someone will be along who does to answer more categorically. I’d imagine it’s there to prevent a situation with a stuck sparge where no liquid is at the base with the element on and perhaps overflowing as a result. On that basis I wouldn’t expect you’d want it in use during a normal sparse or recirculating as you want that water/wort in contact with the grains.

 

[chopps]

Thats how I used mine. If you’re constantly pumping wort from the base of the system to the top and it’s not draining through fast enough then there is a risk of boiling dry. I kept the pipe just above the water level and moderated the pump flow to keep it from overflowing.

 

[Gerryjo]

Its main purpose is for a stuck mash so as wort can flow over to cover the heating elements and prevent it boiling dry and cutting out.The whole idea is to maintain a good filter bed with your grain when recirculating with flow control on the pump ball valve.

 

[labrewski]

Yep I have one also and was worried about it
I have it so it gently pours in with a kinda swirling motion if u get me and I'm 8 brews in and it didnt blow up yet lol

 

[Jamesman]

Thanks for your help everyone, so does that mean it should flow into the overflow pipe or it does it just when theyres a stuck mash? Basically Is it best to flow into it or not.thanks again. Cheers

 

[chopps]

My logic was thats it better to have the wort pass thrrough the grain than bypass it, you’re mashing after all, it’s not a water feature :). I’d set the overflow to only be used to ensure a dry boil doesn’t happen. Others may differ.

 

[Jamesman]

My logic was thats it better to have the wort pass thrrough the grain than byoass it, you’re mashing after all, it’s not a water feature :). I’d set the overflow to only be used to ensure a dry boil doesn’t happen. Others may differ.

OK I think I'll do that aswell. It's just confusing watching YouTube videos everyone does something different. Cheers.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Some people remove the overflow pipe, block off the hole in the bottom tray and just recirculate. I think it's an option to have a bottom tray that is solid.
Homebrew network ( gaz I think he's called ) hasn't been using overflow for a while.
I have mine in the robobrew and guten as security but I tend to watch the mash until it's stable. Often start with a slow flow for first 15 minutes and as the mash proceeds the flow can be increased and i'm nearly always at full pace after about half an hour or so.
Just have the pipe extended above the screen ( robobrew has a little thing that sits on it not sure about your machine.

 

[Jamesman]

Some people remove the overflow pipe, block off the hole in the bottom tray and just recirculate. I think it's an option to have a bottom tray that is solid.
Homebrew network ( gaz I think he's called ) hasn't been using overflow for a while.
I have mine in the robobrew and guten as security but I tend to watch the mash until it's stable. Often start with a slow flow for first 15 minutes and as the mash proceeds the flow can be increased and i'm nearly always at full pace after about half an hour or so.
Just have the pipe extended above the screen ( robobrew has a little thing that sits on it not sure about your machine.

Cheers that sounds like a good way to do it. Mines a brewmonk it's just got an extendable overflow pipe. Cheers.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Same as the robobrew and guten then.