bioviper Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 hays bros got another juicy one for ya. im using a 4 by 4 foot 360 gal polypropaline tank to mash in. im making a single malt so i have to crush the grain. im going to weld up some sort of SS false bottom but i dont know how small i should make the holes in the screen and how low the false bottom should sit in the mash tub . the spoit is on the bottom of the tub. i need a pretty clean wash because my 250 gal. still is heated with electrice emerision heaters and they could posibly burn the grain which would make for some shitty whisky. any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMacaw Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 If you plan to drill through stainless steel plate, 3/16" holes are sufficient. In your case, you will need to vorlauf (recirculate) the wort until it is clear and particulate free before run off into your fermenter(s). However, it is best to use wedge wire for mash screens due to the even pressure they can create across the mash bed which prevents channeling and raises extraction. While on the topic of extraction, you also need to use multiple draw points which lead into a single outlet for the same reason. Are you sparging? If not, you areleaving residual extract behind. Eric Watson President AlBevCon LLC, USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenny Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 If you're running a poly-tank as your mashing vessal, I'd recomend skipping the perforated stainless lauter plate. You're investment in materials and cusomization will likely not be worth it for something that you will likely upgrade from down the road. As Eric mentioned, a wedge wire lauter plate is going to yield the best effieciencies but if It's not incredibly well fitted to your tank, you might be wasting time/money on such a setup. There are plently of small breweries (and tons of homebrewers) running a slotted manifold based system for sepperating liquid from grain. You'll probably be looking at lower extractions rates (ballpark 80% effieciency), but at least you'd be able to feel out your mashing system for overall effectivness before putting in an ultra-sweet lauter plate that might not really jive with your poly-tank. Just an idea... If you are commited to running a perforated stainless false bottom, shoot me a private message - I've got one kicking around that might work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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