milldoggy
Well-Known Member
Yea, would pound it flat
What does the grain bed look like post-lauter? Is there a big hole drilled in the middle from that return line?
Cheers!
Ah, well, that's encouraging in both regards. 1/8" is hella cheaper than 1/4".
But I think I'd try to come up with a diffuser for the return as I like to recirculate at 2-3 gpm and I fear I'd bore a hole in the grain bed...
Cheers!
Any chance something like this is food grade?
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/804822/Office-Depot-Brand-Foam-Board-20/
I just feel like I should be able to get some polystyrene type thing really cheap like this.
Just picked up a stainless serving platter, 18" diameter. Should work pretty good.
I have an autosparge mounted as high on the kettle wall as possible without interfering with the lid, with a few feet of 3/8" silicone tube laying atop the mash supported by an ss float ball.
The autosparge makes this whole cap thing a bit of a challenge - the idea of the cap engaging with the sidewall makes for a great cap but might be problematic wrt the sparge valve float. In the end I may have to accept a less than 100% cap coverage in favor of a free floating cap...
Cheers!
Where did you get those stainless steel supports for your mash cap? Did you machine them yourself? Also wondering how this has worked out for you, if you've come up with a different solution since last year.Check out my mash cap build. I get 100% coverage and a vacuum tight seal. I also use a keggle with a smaller opening then surface area of mash
View attachment 607706
View attachment 607708
Can you share source for SS ball?
Where did you get those stainless steel supports for your mash cap? Did you machine them yourself? Also wondering how this has worked out for you, if you've come up with a different solution since last year.
So sorry, I didn't notice this reply until tonight. The float ball came with the Blichmann autosparge assembly...
Cheers!
Thanks!
Wanna get into the mash cap business? [emoji16]It would be pretty slick to take two of those pizza pans and seam weld all the way around so that it's guaranteed to float.
So, the only 18" round SS serving platter I see on Amazon tonight looks like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Group-SLCT018-Serving-18-Inch/dp/B00CDT2QSU
The diameter would be tight for my 20g G1 kettles (17-5/8" ID), but I do not love the 1-3/8" depth.
Next!
Cheers!
The answer to the question is simple: the ideal solution does not trap or allow air under any part of its surface area and instead contacts the wort surface entirely save for a large enough gap to the vessel wall to not wedge in the vessel.
So, I'm still looking for that...
Cheers!
That's why I use balls....I'm using these...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UG7QVI/
I would rather be using caps without the tapered/flared rim. They would cover more surface area and be easier to pick up.
Guaranteed floating would be nice too since it has gotten caught on my whirlpool return while draining and then crashed down to the bottom of my kettle, kicking up all the trub.
Murphy's Law is strictly enforced.
I'm using these...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UG7QVI/
I would rather be using caps without the tapered/flared rim. They would cover more surface area and be easier to pick up.
Guaranteed floating would be nice too since it has gotten caught on my whirlpool return while draining and then crashed down to the bottom of my kettle, kicking up all the trub.
Murphy's Law is strictly enforced.
The answer to the question is simple: the ideal solution does not trap or allow air under any part of its surface area and instead contacts the wort surface entirely save for a large enough gap to the vessel wall to not wedge in the vessel.
So, I'm still looking for that...
Cheers!
The ideal solution is not a mash cap, rather a pressure capable vessel that is purged. [emoji6]
I'm not understanding the negativity about flares up edges.[...]
You're hilarious! And I still run an "armstrong" gas rig that cost - what - 1/70th of your Space Brewery?
It is clearly obvious there is a large amount of area that would be potentially exposed to the ambient air depending on just how high that platter floats atop a mash bed - or hlt. That is why I stressed the "nearly square edge" thing.
Have you posted a picture of your purpose-built cap? It might explain what I'm talking about
CHeers!
[emoji41]
The purpose built one for the LOB brewing Speidel kit does have a slight turn up. But it works good, after all I designed it. [emoji12]
I was looking into those, you can get them as small as 5mm. But they were expensive. Was quoted $1,600 for 1000 10mm stainless floating balls on alibaba. Although, I only needed 300 to to cover my mash.My pleasure - sorry I was slow
fwiw, I came across identical SS float balls somewhere on the intertubes, so they're out there if you're interested...
Cheers!
What about 20mm?I was looking into those, you can get them as small as 5mm. But they were expensive. Was quoted $1,600 for 1000 10mm stainless floating balls on alibaba. Although, I only needed 300 to to cover my mash.
Not sure, I decided to go a different route with a silicone floating mash cap. You can buy 19mm ones on Amazon, but they're $3/piece: https://www.amazon.com/PROKTH-Stainless-Exercise-Floating-Seamless/dp/B07BRWXK3Q/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=304+stainless+steel+floating+ball&qid=1579750026&sr=8-8&th=1What about 20mm?
Not sure, I decided to go a different route with a silicone floating mash cap. You can buy 19mm ones on Amazon, but they're $3/piece: https://www.amazon.com/PROKTH-Stainless-Exercise-Floating-Seamless/dp/B07BRWXK3Q/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=304+stainless+steel+floating+ball&qid=1579750026&sr=8-8&th=1
@Die_Beerery is there any hope of a LOB kit becoming available for the 10L Braumeister?
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