Quick False Bottom Question

[Loetz]

How close to the bottom of the thermopot is too close for a false bottom? I have it set at about 8mm right now. Is that too little dead space?

I'm about to take an angle grinder to the bottom of the thermobox. Wish me luck!

 

[PD]

that will be ok...my first one just sat on a rim of 10mm syphon tbe around the edge of the fb. Had no problem.
My new one has a 22,, upstand welded on to it so theres quite a bit of space underneath. BUT its a bottom drainer so theres no actual " dead space "

 

[Loetz]

oh yea, I suppose that 'dead space' isnt really the best word for what I meant since mine will have a bottom drain too.

I'm realising that my bottom drain sticks up about 4mm off of the bottom of the mash tun, so that gives me about 4mm between the FB and the drain. I'm not really comfortable with that. I think I'll go to the hardware store tomorrow and buy some washers to jack this thing up a little higher.

The angle grinding went well! :P

 

[pittsy]

still got all your fingers and didn't cut the wrong size ? well done lol.

 

[Fil]

a simple approach to minimising deadspace is to put the drain near the front edge, and tip to get the last out :)

 

[Down2die]

what bottom drain is that Fil? dosent seem to have any lip like the boating stuff? is it modified?

 

[Fil]

what bottom drain is that Fil? dosent seem to have any lip like the boating stuff? is it modified?

its a trick of the light its a standard cut down shank asap 1/2" bsp skin fitting sitin ontop of the skin, not countersunk..

however i tip tested after a play with a float controlled sparge stopper and emptied the volume after a tip drain and it was just over 60ml...

 

[cnelsonplumber]

Having the out let near the MT wall will limit dead space to some extent, but it will also lower the flow of sparge water through the grain bed on the opposite side of the MT if the false bottom is too close to the MT base.

The sparge water will take the path of least resistance, ie if the sparge can not flow freely into open space through the false bottom then you will get channeling as the sparge water heads straight for the out let by the shortest route. This will give you poor extraction rates.

It is worth keeping good records of SG and vols to see if batch sparge will give anything like the results with the false bottom close to the base of the MT.

Hope this helps. :

 

[Fil]

Having the out let near the MT wall will limit dead space to some extent, but it will also lower the flow of sparge water through the grain bed on the opposite side of the MT if the false bottom is too close to the MT base.

The sparge water will take the path of least resistance, ie if the sparge can not flow freely into open space through the false bottom then you will get channeling as the sparge water heads straight for the out let by the shortest route. This will give you poor extraction rates.

It is worth keeping good records of SG and vols to see if batch sparge will give anything like the results with the false bottom close to the base of the MT.

Hope this helps. :

cheers must admit i had not considered that aspect. i will be batch sparging for the big brew number 1 so will have a yardstick to compare..

 

[Vossy1]

A good point by C Also worth considering are flow rates as even if your 'take off' is centralised you might be 'pulling' more runnings from directly above the exit. I've seen on US forums that some folk use an inverted disc above the outlet to prevent this situation, like a wort aerator the wrong way round, to get 'around' this hypothetical problem...does it make a jot of difference...I don't know, but worth consideration until proven otherwise.

 

[Fil]

trust our US cousins to come up with an elegant engineered solution, me, i thought of dropping a bit of silicone sheet over the drain area on the fb

 

[Vossy1]

I love simple solutions ...unfortunately sometimes I can't see them for the woods through the trees :lol: :thumb:
Had one of those moments today making a new compost bin for the lotty, it's 25cm too tall,...... I said to swimbo it's going to be a RPITA chopping that 25cm off, she said why don't you bury it 25cm :shock: ...so simple :lol:

 

[fermentall]

A methodical woman with common sense is hard to find,bet she's making Shiney things for you soon :lol:

 

[Vossy1]

as long as she's not drinking the beer :lol:

 

[fermentall]

:nono: