No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
User avatar
EricTheRed
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1108
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:49 pm
Location: South Africa

No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by EricTheRed »

I had been doing the whole squeeze the mash after fermentation in a variety of different ways.
By hand - ouch
Mop bucket - ugh - pita
Fruit press - messy & a pita

so i decided to try just letting it drip dry(ish)

Please note i do Corn Flour and Oatmeal flour (7.6kg and 3.3kgs respectively)
Sometimes only corn flour if i don't have oatmeal on hand.

Now that gets quite gluggy.

So, after a few experiments, we came up with this

A SS strainer held at the correct distance with nylon string.
image.png
A cheesecloth sack that is supported by the strainer
It is in turn held up by the lid lock
image.png
About 13 - 16L of mash is poured in
image.png
Then i sit back and wait - i stir it once or twice to move the cake from the sidewall and let the liquid flow.
image.png
image.png (93.39 KiB) Viewed 789 times
I'll post a few more pics in a couple of hours.
It really is an easy, quite un-messy method of getting at the pre-nectar!

the spent Corn/Oatmeal goes to the cows after it sits for a day. don't need drunk cows! :D
My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D
Life has gotten interesting!
User avatar
Dancing4dan
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 911
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2020 4:18 pm
Location: Alberta

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by Dancing4dan »

Nice solution! :clap: :clap: I’m with you on disliking the squeeze.

My solution has been to pull the BIAB out of the fermenter with a pulley system and let it drain on its own. When it has really slowed down I put a heavy duty garbage bag around the hanging BIAB leaving room at the bottom and tie it around the top. The liquid builds up after a few days I snip off a bottom corner of the garbage bag and drain the remainder. It’s always clear. Then tie off the corner of the bag.

Then the bag is taken outside. The BIAB is emptied into the garbage bag and disposed of.

The amount of liquid gained when I used any squeeze system compared to drip drain was insignificant and not worth the effort.
"What harms us is to persist in self deceit and ignorance"
Marcus Aurelius
I’m not an alcoholic! I’m a drunk. Alcoholics go to meetings!
User avatar
EricTheRed
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1108
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:49 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by EricTheRed »

Dancing4dan wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:41 am The amount of liquid gained when I used any squeeze system compared to drip drain was insignificant and not worth the effort.
100%

more pics coming
My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D
Life has gotten interesting!
User avatar
EricTheRed
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1108
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:49 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by EricTheRed »

so, after 1 hour1,
image.png
having stirred it once
image.png
and letting it sit for a total of 2 hours, there is almost no moisture left
image.png
image.png (110.59 KiB) Viewed 770 times
and the result
image.png
image.png
Once 1st blue 50L barrel is empty, set up second drip.

Started at 13:30, 5 minutes work x 3 - done phaffing for the day at 17:30
will finish up in the morning (drip overnight) and be done by 09H30 - with NO EFFORT REALLY
My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D
Life has gotten interesting!
User avatar
EricTheRed
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1108
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:49 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by EricTheRed »

Summary - from 3 x 50L barrels

a) siphoned off about 45 - 55 litres of clear wash
b) drip off another 45 - 55 L of clear wash - usually get around 96 to 110 L cleared wash
c) no yeast pushed through the cloth
d) no foaming when i run it
e) less than 1/4 the effort of pressing/squeezing
f) MUCH LESS MESS - Meaning SWAMBO is much happier!

ta
My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D
Life has gotten interesting!
Setsumi
Distiller
Posts: 1371
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:23 pm
Location: Central South Africa

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by Setsumi »

EricTheRed wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 7:36 am
Dancing4dan wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:41 am The amount of liquid gained when I used any squeeze system compared to drip drain was insignificant and not worth the effort.
100%

more pics coming
I do not agree.... okay I agree squeezing by hand is a no. I press after I drip dry. Drip dry is a big contributer to gain, especially if you rake and turn during. But pressing will gain that extra and it is worth it if you have a handsoff system.
My first flute
My press
My twins
My controller
My wife tells me I fell from heaven covered in white. Why did they let me fall?
User avatar
jonnys_spirit
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 3629
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:58 am
Location: The Milky Way

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I've got three large blue HDPE barrels so I'm going to set this up for next AG after I take off the clear beer.

Thanks for the pics!

Cheers,
jonny
————
i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
————
User avatar
squigglefunk
Trainee
Posts: 886
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2021 9:27 am

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by squigglefunk »

this is how I do pretty much the same thing... let gravity drain the grains

might be even easier IMO

I guess you could smush down on the grain bed to try and squeeze a little bit more out, not me

sure there's a drizzle left in the bottom, maybe a shot or three of booze in the end
Attachments
barrel2.jpg
User avatar
EricTheRed
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1108
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:49 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: No Press / Squeeze mash clearing

Post by EricTheRed »

Setsumi wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:05 am
EricTheRed wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 7:36 am
Dancing4dan wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:41 am The amount of liquid gained when I used any squeeze system compared to drip drain was insignificant and not worth the effort.
100%

more pics coming
I do not agree.... okay I agree squeezing by hand is a no. I press after I drip dry. Drip dry is a big contributer to gain, especially if you rake and turn during. But pressing will gain that extra and it is worth it if you have a handsoff system.
Setsumi - i like your press - but even though i live on a farm, i haven't the space really.
Also, after i did my drip dry - i did once also put it through my fruit press. this gained me an extra 3 ish litres of very dirty wash which i had to let sit for another week as it pushed through a lot of yeast. By the time it settled - i had about 2.5 L
And that took about 5 hours of dirty work to get that. I'll just mash in more! :)

btw - thanks for that tip on Impala Mielies - really nice product. 7.6 kgs impala mielies, 3.3 kgs ground up jungle oats, enzymes (alpha and gluco from distillique) , yeast nutrients and distillers yeast - barrel topped up to 45 litre mark - takes off quickly and usually finishes in 4 to 5 days, then i let it sit for 2 weeks to settle out.
My fekking eyes are bleeding! Installed BS Filters - better! :D
Life has gotten interesting!
Post Reply