Any ideas for a straining bucket?

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

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MikeyT
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Any ideas for a straining bucket?

Post by MikeyT »

Got this idea of putting a screen on the bottom of a bucket to strain my fermented mash into another bucket. Any suggestions? Pics would sure help.
TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY
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Post by TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY »

Well, i aint got a digi cam. But I use a stainless steel screen,(mesh bout the size of a screen doors) that I folded in 4 places, then bent down around the top of a 15 gal plastic drum. Where gloves if you do this, the wires are quite sharp. Id guess it to hold bout 2.5 gal worth of grain, and since the drum is the same size I ferment in theres no danger of the liquid gettin back into my strianed grain. I do have to empty the screen a couple times thou.
If it was easy everybody would do it.

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goose eye
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Post by goose eye »

colinders. they easy to modyfy dependin on need
junkyard dawg
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Post by junkyard dawg »

Beer brewers call em false bottoms. They are pretty common. Check out sabco and see how they do it. You can get kits from most homebrew shops.
MORGAN
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Post by MORGAN »

MikeyT, I just secure a piece of scotchbrite around the inlet of my syphon with a rubber band. Ain't but 10 percent. Should be ok. Beats trying to pour out of that 30 gallon fermenter. Roll on big mama. Damn this ____ is good. What a hobby. Gonna get serious about it one day. M.
pintoshine
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Post by pintoshine »

I us EZ-strainer. they are cheap and fit most buckets

http://www.bascousa.com/store/item.aspx ... TEM_ID=469
and you can't beat the price.
MikeyT
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Post by MikeyT »

Ok, yawl have given me some ideas.

2 five gallon buckets that fit inside of each other. Cut a square out of plywood and into that a hole just big enough for the bottom of one of the buckets. Put a screen on the bottom of the plywood. Set the plywood on top of the other bucket. Drill several holes into the bottom of the 1st bucket. Set that bucket in the hole in the plywood and fill it with mash and let it drain into the bottom bucket.

Each mash I make comes to about 5 gallons of spent grain.

Uh, but, I may have more than 5 gallons of wash! Get 2 bottoms buckets, I guess.
theholymackerel
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Post by theholymackerel »

Why not syphon?

It seems the easiest and cheapest way to move from bucket to bucket. It also gives the benefit of limitin' oxidation and leavin' behind sediment.
Aidas
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Post by Aidas »

I built myself an easy masher. Works great -- cheap and easy to construct.

Here's a link:

http://schmidling.com/empp.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Aidas
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MikeyT
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Post by MikeyT »

Aidas wrote:I built myself an easy masher. Works great -- cheap and easy to construct.

Here's a link:

http://schmidling.com/empp.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Aidas
Aidas -
Will have to think about that. What size mesh screen did you use? Was there any problem with it plugging up? Where did you get the screen?

I'd have to get a 2nd SS pot to do this. I ferment 'on the grain'. But, cooking and fermenting in the same pot is really attractive sounding and would save lots of work. My one 80 qt SS pot is used now for both cooking and distilling. Fermentation is done in Rubbermaid plastic containers.

I'm really concerned that my boiled cracked corn, rye flour, and ground 6-row barley mash would plug up anything but a very coarse screen.
Bujapat
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Post by Bujapat »

Here is what I use, easy, efficient, quite fast :
Image
This picture isn't mine, but works the same way in an SS keg.
Image
Those flexible pipe with a SS braiding are easily available... You just have to remove the inner rubber pipe.
Another pic : I choosed 60cm (23") lenght and 3/4" diameter, fitted in a 50 liters SS keg.
Image
I'm french speaking!

Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
MikeyT
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Post by MikeyT »

Bujapat -

I take it that pic is showing just a straining bucket? If the outlet was in the side could it be used for both fermentation and straining?
Bujapat
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Post by Bujapat »

I use this bucket for mashing and straining.
I ferment in another bucket, without the grain.
But why not ferment in the same bucket, and strain after fermentation?
I'm french speaking!

Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
Samogon
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Post by Samogon »

MikeyT wrote:Bujapat -

I take it that pic is showing just a straining bucket? If the outlet was in the side could it be used for both fermentation and straining?
I'd think it was used for infusion mashing and then lautering/sparging rather than being dedicated for just straining, but I could be wrong. I'd be worried about sanitizing it for fermenting in the plastic. With the EasyMasher system, you've already boiled the wash with the strainer in it. I guess if Bujapat's is in a stainless keg, he could cook (corn), mash (malt), ferment on the grain and then run off to a still when done. I would put the outlet on the side, just so I could set the thing down! And not pull off yeast if you ferment with the thing.

Myself, I just siphon with one of those orange 'hats' on the end of my racking cane. Cheap and easy.
possum
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Post by possum »

I like the strainer bucket Bujapat...thats a good idea.


MikeyT, rye flour can be a real pain, it is practically impossibile to strain. I have tried with many different methods. The only really good seperation I have gotten is to let it settle out.
I ran some stuff with rye flour distilled on the grain in an externally heated still, and it worked fine. Your needs may be different, if you have internal heat.
Hey guys!!! Watch this.... OUCH!
Bujapat
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Post by Bujapat »

Possum is right... I never mashed flour but cracked corn or grain...
On my SS Keg, outlet isn't at the bottom but on the side...
I never fermented in this purpose, but I just said why not... Sanitizing is a good objection...
I'm french speaking!

Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
Aidas
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Post by Aidas »

MikeyT wrote: Aidas -
Will have to think about that. What size mesh screen did you use? Was there any problem with it plugging up? Where did you get the screen?
I couldn't find stainless steel mesh, so I'm using chicken wire (I have no idea how big the holes are) -- they're bigger than windowscreen.

No problem is pluggin up. All I did was cut a bit of the fencing and rolled it into a tube, so the layers overlap.

BTW it's a lot faster than I expected.

Aidas
Nisi te iuvat cibus, plus bibe vini!
Little Lukie
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Post by Little Lukie »

Can you use a press for corn like a cider press to get every last drop!
Bujapat
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Post by Bujapat »

I used a press before to build the setup you've seen upper. It worked well, but much more difficult than straining with the "SS screen tube" purpose!

Note : to brew with the straining setup as shown, I use a "hobby brewer" method : example for 30 liters wash :
- Brew with 15 to 20 liters water, than put in the straining bucket.
- When strained, rince slowly with the rest of the water (very hot) to extract all the sugar remaining in the grain... and let strain again.
I'm french speaking!

Boiler : 50 L (13 gal) beer keg, gas heated.
Reflux : 104 cm (41 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter withh SS scrubbers packing.
Potstill : 40 cm (15 inches) column 54 mm (2 inches) diameter without packing.
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