Average Agitator rpm for Bourbon Mashing/Chilling?

[luchete80]

Ok, Although i've been reading some numbers, I've created this topic cause i am finishing welding my 130lts SS brewing pot with a sieve/false bottom which i also built from an old washing machine sieve. I will cook mainly Jimbo's Bourbon with rye instead of wheat, this has given me excellent results scaled down to 20 liters till now and i want to get it bigger .

Actually I have two chillers: an outside-the-pot CounterFlow chiller which works great, and also a copper 3/8 worm which i put inside the pot, and i noticed that the last one work incredible better when the wash is circulating "counterwaterwise" instead of being quiet in the pot.

So, the plan is to use the agitator for:
1 - Mashing (and helping corn to drain)
2 - Helping corn to flow through the sieve and reach the CounterFlow chiller
3 - To help chilling via the internal chiller.
I have a 3/4 hp electric monophasic motor, and i will built an SS agitator, but i really dont know which rpm to choose as average.

I know from several different topics here that revvin' to low exists the risk of not moving the corn at the bottom.

Another excellent link

Till now i have these numbers:
1 - HDNB : 27 rpm is ok for corn, http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 50&t=57962
2 - firewater69: 60 rpm, same topic
3 - japsinok: Approx 125 rpm (60 is not ok for moving corn at the bottom), Work horse mash mixer http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 85&t=67776
4 - 2hp 230vac 3 phase 0 rpm to 60 rpm Variable Speed Agitator With Long Heavy Blades for Mash Cookinghttps://distillery-equipment.com/100_ga ... _still.htm
5 - Maybe in the future i want to try this setup to also distill on the grain...

I Think is not only important the rpm range, but also the paddle setup. Since i want to not only move corn for the bottom but also to twist around the wash for chilling, i'll go for big paddles. Mayble i would go for a variable speed controller, but i' rather to have a single one for both,

What do you guys think about the speed?? Which is your setup?

Some pics

Cutting

Sieve taking shape (i will post the finished one later)

Spot Welded with my Homemade Spot Welder and Ready for TIG

First succesful False Bottom tests

For inspiring!!!

For Inspiring!

I will put some pics of my loved little old homemade Spot Welder !


Thanks in advance!!!!

[firewater69]

My paddle is curved on the bottom to match the keg and I run it about 1/8" off of the bottom, I think mash paddle design is very important, mine has a slight twist which really churns the grain pretty good. I do believe the paddle needs to be close to the bottom but not touching, besides once the corn has been added to the boiling water it doesn't take much heat to hold the temp so no big worry about scorching as long as the paddle is going. Just my opinion and thoughts. I like the rpms around 60 I find anything more is overkill, but to each their own .

[Shine0n]

I would think a variable speed controller would be best, as it get thicker it will require more rpm to hold and will bog down due to the grain swelling.

If you have a one speed control and it does fine with thinner mash and as it swells and slows to a crawl you'll wish you had more rpm.

I don't have one but I use a tub and blade system at work for mixing grout, the more bags of cement I add the slower it goes and I have to up the rpm for keeping it agitated. at a full batch I run wide open but it's actually going half speed. Just food for thought

[HDNB]

Shine on, i think you have a lack of horsepower not rpm. if your mixer slows to 1/2 due to thickness you just gonna burn it out.

mine runs a 1/2hp 1750rpm 240vac motor with a gear reduction...i made a mash yesterday and paid attention, thought it was a 60:1 but it is a 100:1 so i'm actually running 17 rpm.

it has so much power i could throw a horse leg in there and it would spit out sausage.

the movement of the grain scours the tank shiny clean, the movement is evident everywhere, the lower blades are 2" off the bottom and it too (the bottom) show a distinct wear pattern. it's a square tank and it even scours right into the corners, where the wear pattern sweeps "up" from horizontal on the sides.

it's awesome.

[kiwi Bruce]

HDNB could you post some Pics? Please!

[HDNB]

eeez fulla mash right now. mebbe next weekend?

[firewater69]

Gear drives are the bomb, no slowing down at all.

[luchete80]

Hey guys!!!
Merry Christmas to all !!!!!!
Thank you very much!!!!! Is really really help for me to know your setups, i'm always learning from you. Ok, i think i'm not gonna go for the 120 rpm one. I think i will go for the 1:20 reducer or even larger. Also, in the next months i'm finishing a variable speed reductor from an Honda Twister motorcycle i get really cheap (ok, i LOVE being playing in my workshop, a little crazy guy i am jeje). So is good to me to know about a certain rpm average like you are giving me, in the future maybe i could move from there to some near speeds.

Yes firewater69, i also think the design is really important, i will consider to twist the blades a little too, and, since i want circular motion for the internal chiller to act, maybe to add some vertical paddles away from the center, like Der Wo in his still agitator:

Der Woo Vertical Paddles

Thanks Shine on for your comment, but at this stage i think i prefer to not go for a dimmer or electronic reduction or another cheap one, cause changing the input voltage will drop the torque. And choosing a variable frequency drive is for the moment to expensive for me .

My gear reducer future project

Playing with the gear reducer