Draining mash

[cuddy-boozer]

Hmm, what would the benefit be of this conical shape versus a traditional false bottom? Drain bottom of the tun makes sense as long as you never had to set it flat on the ground. My tun sits on a stand that is open in the center anyhow so if I build another, would definitely consider putting the drain in the bottom.

[HDNB]

SC, i'm going to build one of the bucket in bucket contraptions, ala the salad spinner. my plan (if you can call it that) is an inside bucket with a bunch of holes drilled in it size TBD. gonna start at 3/16 i think. i'm going to run some ready rod through the middle of it and Throw a bushing in the bottom to hold centre and a bushing it the top to hold centre, and adda hand crank of maybe try a cordless drill on low.
I did my time in a honey house when i was a teen, using a monster extractor. it does not really have to spin that fast or that long...and those honeycombs come out dry as a bone.
if i get lucky and find a bucket that will fit the top of the 200L ferementer, i'll just drill a big drain hole in the bottom of the outer and throw the whole assembly in the 205L tank and give'er, otherwise the only other appurtanance will be a a 1" ball valve for draining.

Bellybuster, how ong does it take for your set up to drain and pump out? i'm assuming this was purchased form a brewers supply?

I use the same racking can idea on UJSSM, but i put the scrubbie on the stick, cover in one wrap of cheese cloth tie-wrap it on and stick it in the bucket, wash conmes out very clear. *does not* work at all on AG

[bellybuster]

Bellybuster, how ong does it take for your set up to drain and pump out? i'm assuming this was purchased form a brewers supply?

I really don't know how long it takes, haven't really paid that much attention. I've brewed many a beer with a false bottom, with sticky grains like rye and corn I have always used rice hulls to aid in draining. My drain os only half inch so I wouldn't say its fast but Im not in a hurry.
This false bottom was indeed purchased, prior to that I used a DIY bazooka screen for many many years. They work well too but not as good as the false bottom.

This is my previous setup, quad screens. Worked really well, I only went to the false bottom to try it in a recent rebuild of my brew rig

[bellybuster]

I've just reread this entire post and think I may have come off a bit standoffish. Not intended at all. Just don't understand all the hubbub about getting the liquid out of grains, it can be as easy as you want to make it.
I probably have allot more losses with my setup vs squeezing the grains with a press of sorts but thats an acceptable loss for the reduction in required equipment for me. Different strokes they say.

Being a long time beer brewer, I treat my distillation mashes exactly like my beer mashes. Losses are calculated beforehand and compensated for with a bit more water and a bit more grain. I also sparge my mashes (haven't tried 100% corn yet) so that minimizes losses as well.

My next brew will be 100% corn using enzymes, I'll let you all know how a false bottom works with sticky gooey corn. Hopefully I can do this one next week. I plan on fermenting on the grain in my mash tun so the false bottom will get a true test.

[cuddy-boozer]

No problems here bellybuster. I appreciate your help. I definitely am not wanted to squeeze all the liquid out of my wash. Just need something better than doing nothing at all. That being said you helped me identify where I'm going and that is with a false bottom. I'd be willing to bet I can just start the process and even with 55 gal fermenter should be done in a relatively low amount of time versus feed it into a mop bucket or paint strainer.

Please keep up updated on the all corn. Definitely interested in hearing more on that.

[MichiganCornhusker]

I did my time in a honey house when i was a teen

Brilliant S-Cackalacky & HDNB, it works. I just made a simple versions and it seems like it would work great. I brought it up to speed with a drill and it shows great promise.
I'm gonna punch a bunch of holes, something like 1/2" dia. in the bucket, and then line the inside of the bucket with some window screen.
My bucket actually fits perfectly in my cookpot, even has a bumper near the top to keep everything from going sideways. I put a wood block in the bottom of the cookpot to center the threaded rod into.
I also cut two large holes, about 4" dia, in the lid of the bucket for easy filling and watching. Will need to add a drain to the cookpot.

Edit: Got rid of plywood in bottom of cookpot

[bellybuster]

thats awesome MC we for sure need video of that sucker going. I take it there is a drain in the outer cookpot?

[MichiganCornhusker]

thats awesome MC we for sure need video of that sucker going. I take it there is a drain in the outer cookpot?

Yeah, would have to add a drain. Works great empty, not sure how squirrely it might get with the weight of wet grains in it. Could be used before or after fermentation.
Thanks, guys, for posting this idea, I'm itching to run something through this.

[bellybuster]

try it with a load of laundry?????? Or some spinach maybe???? ha groan

[S-Cackalacky]

MC, thanks for proving the concept. Man, that was quick! Please post some pics and maybe a video when you get it pimped out and ready to run. I like the idea of the plywood bottom. I was wondering if you should find some way to waterproof it, so it doesn't start warping and separating from the moisture.

I bought a couple of 5 gallon HDPE buckets at Wallyworld today. Don't know when I will get to building it. Still need to think through a few things and get all the parts together.

[OBX Phantom]

SC is right you need to figure out a way to water proof the plywood... after all it does have glue in it that is going to dissolve into your wash.

[MichiganCornhusker]

MC, thanks for proving the concept. Man, that was quick! Please post some pics and maybe a video when you get it pimped out and ready to run.

Thanks for the idea. I think I'm going to ditch the plywood and use maybe a 1x4. That way I don't get any of the plywood glue funk into my mash. And the 1x4 is disposable, so no clean up.
I think I will also need to come up with some better disconnect at the lid. The way I drew it, it's pretty tedious to move the nuts and washers up and down to get the lid off. I'm thinking something like one of those longer union nuts.
I'll get some pics, not sure how to do video. Brewing up a batch of old school whiskey right now to give it a real road test. 50# unmalted field corn, 20# malted wheat, 10# malted 2-row. No liquid enzymes. If it works on this, it will work on anything. I'm going to ferment on grain, so that will give me some time to get the BucketFuge together.

Edit: Posted while OBX. Yeah, this thing was just sorta thrown together as a prototype, plywood is a no-go. Bring on the suggestions!

[Hound Dog]

MC you made the sig line.

So Brutal, did HDNB make the signature line just before MC? Har Har! Sorry HDNB, I couldn't resist!

I did my time in a honey house when i was a teen

[OBX Phantom]

Well since you asked..lol. I was thinking earlier that you may need some kind of gearing system in order to make it spin fast enough to separate the liquid out of the grain. Or you are going to have to have a fairly short handle in order to be able to turn it fast, which will take more effort.

Also you probably need some space between the bottom of the pot and the basket in order to have somewhere for the liquid to accumulate. I know you mentioned a drain, but the liquid will come out of the grains faster than it can pass through a drain.

[MichiganCornhusker]

Well since you asked..lol. I was thinking earlier that you may need some kind of gearing system in order to make it spin fast enough to separate the liquid out of the grain. Or you are going to have to have a fairly short handle in order to be able to turn it fast, which will take more effort.

I was going to stand over it with a drill motor attached to the threaded rod. I don't think it will take that long to separate the liquid.
I might need to lose the holes in the lid. Not sure how much stuff I could put in it before it wants to come up out of the top when I fire it up.
I will be starting with small amounts of liquid and low speeds, so y'all can stop looking forward to that video...

[OBX Phantom]

OK a drill would be good, but I added another suggestion about space between the pot and spinner bucket.

[S-Cackalacky]

I was thinking I might hook mine up to a bicycle.

[MichiganCornhusker]

OK a drill would be good, but I added another suggestion about space between the pot and spinner bucket.

Bigger drain! Actually, I thought I was going to need to make a disc that would bolt onto the top that would be slightly smaller than the collection pot. But, as it worked out the bucket fits quite nicely in the pot as-is. I can also vary speed and stop and start to manage how quickly the fluids come out. Right now I'm trying to keep this thing bare bones simple. Thanks for the comments, good to think about these things before this thing is full of sticky beer.

Lol, S-Cack, my first thought was a bicycle too! Like one of those old spin exercise bikes that nobody ever uses anymore. Love the idea of a bike powered 55 gallon unit.

[bellybuster]

instead of a 2X4 in the bottom, how about HDPE cutting board?

Video is a must, hire someone if you need to. We shall not be denied.

[S-Cackalacky]

I was thinking I might just drill several holes in the bottom of the outside bucket and position the whole thing over a third bucket and just let it quickly drain into the third bucket. It'll be a bicycle powered multi-bucket apparatus.

[OBX Phantom]

Fred Flintstone powered...lol...

[bellybuster]

bicycle powered multi-bucket apparatus.

BPMBA wort extraction contraption. Ronco is on the phone...

[OBX Phantom]

I was thinking I might just drill several holes in the bottom of the outside bucket and position the whole thing over a third bucket and just let it quickly drain into the third bucket. It'll be a bicycle powered multi-bucket apparatus.

Now it is starting to sound like my holey bucket method, only I don't spin it. Just let it sit and drain then ass press it.

[MichiganCornhusker]

Now it is starting to sound like my holey bucket method, only I don't spin it. Just let it sit and drain then ass press it.

Think of the fun you've been missing.
I like the HDPE idea, Belly, safe, reusable, cleanable...

[HDNB]

it won't have to spin that fast, the honey extractor i'll bet didn't go over 60 RPM...maybe only 30.. You don't want it to fly apart at 300RPM, it will look like a helicopter crash!

i got all my parts from the home despot today. their bucket for 3 bucks fits right inside a 6 gallon fermenter bucket, and you can clip the lid on. I'm gonna get one done on the weekend...damn day job keeps cutting into my drinking umm...i mean hobby time.

total parts :
2 x 3' ready rod in SS
1 x 3' alum tube for speader assy.
4 x ss washers
4 x 5/16 ss nuts
5 x ss acorn nuts
1 x HD pail
1 X existing pail

[OBX Phantom]

Holey Bucket

Holey bucket is suspended 12 inches from bottom of larger bucket

[MichiganCornhusker]

That's a little disappointing parts list, HDNB, I know YOU can hotrod this thing up!

Dang, OBX, you're already there, just spin it!

[OBX Phantom]

No need to spin it. After it is done draining I just pull the rod out, put the holey bucket into another 6 gal. bucket, which leaves a space between the bottom. Then I put another bucket on top of the grains with a lid on it and sit on it which presses the liquid out and it falls into the bottom bucket.

I explained this at the beginning of this thread but everyone was stuck on the paint bags...

[HDNB]

OBX, It's a shorter parts list but how does it SPIN?

can you get someone to get a pic of the ass-press technique? I'm not sure we are all getting the gist of it.

[OBX Phantom]

HDNB, Mine doesn't spin, I think spinning it is over complicating it.

Ass press