Steam Masher

[ThrownOlive]

Been reading up on steam injection after making an enormous mess the last time I tried cooking corn. I've only got a 3 gallon pot and my wife won't let me put a drain valve or any thing fun on it. Cooking 2 gallons of corn at a time and dumping into the cooler only leads to burned hands, boiling hot corn splattered all over the kitchen and a whimpering dog(I should have listened to him, he knew this was a bad plan from the getgo).

I have a long handled potato masher that I use to stir and wallop the grains/sugar/fermentables into submission. In the interest of keeping my hooch supplies halfway contained, I added a ring/square of 1/2" copper to the masher and hacksawed slots in the top of the pipe. There's a copper riser and a ball valve to control how much steam I'm getting going up to a hosebarb that is gonna connect a line of hose to my potstill head(a 2" T with a cork on one side and 1/2" union on the other). The steam line will connect to the union. It will be fed by my 1/4keg.

I have to do the cleaning runs & any adjustments on my flute, but I'll be making some steamed corn mash to run through it soon!

[Black Eye]

Thats a pretty cool little rig and I like you're idea.

I've been looking for another keg to use as a boiler, so I can get on with AG ferments; now I'm thinking why bother. Could hook a rig like that right to the boiler I have and steam boil my grains & water right in the fermenting bucket. Might take a little more time, but like you said easier than trying to dump a big ass pot of boiling water into a bucket.... and no need to weld in drains on another boiling pot.

Glad someone else consults their dog on brewing processes.... I thought I might be a little crazy

[ThrownOlive]

If I didn't live in a small apartment, I would absolutely find a 1/2keg to cook in. A dedicated brew room is on my list in our next house/apt.

I'm thinking I'll put in about 3/4 the final amt of water with the grain and let it start warming up while the keg is heating. Once it's boiling and we're reading to party, I can't imagine it'll take too much to raise it ~80 degrees and if it does, it will be better than dumping boiling pots for sure!

Whether I like it or not, my damn dog will make his thoughts known. The worst part is, he's usually right...

[Cardinalbags]

I wish I could understand what my dog is telling me but I dont speak Spanish....

[ThrownOlive]

The steam masher works!

I made a little pressure release valve(ball bearing+spring in a threaded bushing) which went on the top of a 3/4" Tee. I pulled the PEX out of a 24" stainless sink braided line and replaced it with silicone line(rated to 500f). The steam-tee has a 1'' male NPT fitting that is threaded into a female NPS triclamp ferrule. I got 2 gallons of 50f to 140f in about 30 minutes overall(excluding heatup time for the keg).

I think it should handle a 10 gallon batch of NCHooch's AG like a cham.

[Black Eye]

Thanks for the update. I got so many different plans kicking around I'll file this one into that Plan B file, if I can't get my brewing set up moving along here soon.

[ThrownOlive]

Take a week off work, piss off your wife so she stays at her mom's house during that week and then get cracking. You'll have enough time leftover to buy roses and a card.

[Black Eye]

Nahhh she's cool with it. I just have some plans to build a new boiling / mash/ Fermentation / distilling set up in my shed and move it out of the house. I have a pile of 304 and 321 stainless sitting out in the shop with no certs, so I can't use it for aerospace product,but I can use it for my own needs. Gonna roll a couple 15 and 20 gallon boilers so I'm sure to have enough space and water to do some all grain recipes. Something like this but it probably wont be quite so pretty and shiney

[ThrownOlive]

Hell even getting my janky gear out of the house sounds great. I'd love to find a new apt/house with a shop. Having decent gear in it too? Even better!

I think I'll end up keeping the steamer if only for corn etc even if I do move outside with a bigger keggle just to limit scorching issues etc