Mash tun specifics?

[Scrounge]

Would anyone be willing to share with me the specifics of their mash tun design? I would like to have the ability to laughter or pump out my mash grain in. Is a removable false bottom how others handle this, and just set it up for that particular cook? If not removable false bottom, another say 2" drain just above the screen for pumping out grain-in? I didn't really think this would be a hold up in getting a mash tun ordered, but when I talk about this with possible manufactures they all seem to be scratching they're head a bit on this. Not that they couldn't build it however I wanted, just that they don't really know how anyone else is doing it. I really figured there would be a standard at the manufacture end for this since from my research, people are doing a lot of both(laughter/grain-in). The beer guys just think im a moron for wanting to do a grain-in ferment and im kinda hearing anyone else scratch their head. Anyhow any thoughts on how you or others have it set up would be much appreciated. Just don't want to be boxed into a method by an uneducated equipment purchase. If it matters,I'm looking for 10bbl,steam jacketed,agitation,and as I mentioned the ability to laughter or pump out grain-in. Thanks for anyone's time!!! Josh

[BWFiggins]

This post brought me great laughter! Please contact me, Scrounge, and I'll sort you out.

[Scrounge]

Haaaahaaa that is pretty funny! Dang ole spell check didn't even help me there. I will pm and email at you. Thanks!

[Artisan Still Design]

perforated screen false bottom, and inclusion of rice hulls or other such to help drainage.

grain in makes for more flavor, but a cleared wort is nice for a lighter whiskey.

Steve

[Scrounge]

Thanks Artisan, I guess the lauter(let me get it spelled right) aspect isn't very hard to understand. Im just wondering how I go about doing grain in ferment/distilling if ive got a fixed screen in there. By the way your guy Eric is digging up some info for me on this and some other Q's to see if you guys can take care of my needs.

[Lenny]

I recently had a 20bbl mashtun built for me in a very similar manner to what your describing. I lauter for the majority of my whiskey production but wanted the option to pull out the false bottom and transfer the entire mash over to a fermenter. Companies that typically fabricate or broker mashtuns for breweries definitely get thrown off when you start talking about leaving the grain in for fermentation. It took me a while to convey what I was after, but the end result seems like it should work just fine. I had them put in a 4" ferule that is flush with the inside/bottom of the mashtun which I can pump out from if the false bottom is removed. Also, I had them build an extra large steam jacket to be sure that I'd be able to bring a cereal mash (corn or whatever) up to a sufficient temperature. Removal of the false bottom is definitely a chore but it's doable and allows for a ton of flexibly in whiskey production.

Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions that I might be able to answer.

[Jedd Haas]

Lenny, can you advise on who manufactured this mash tun for you?

[Lenny]

I got my mashtun from Glacier who brokers it though a Chinese factory (said by Glacier to be one of the largest producers of brewing equipment in China). The owner of Glacier (Mike Roelle) travels to china every few months to work directly with the factory over there, and any questions that came up along the way were quickly answered by a call over to the team in china.

If one is willing to go with overseas production for some of their equipment (I've had both of my stills manufactured in the US - sorta like carbon credits for manufacturing?), I'd feel very comfortable recommending Glacier for that sort of thing. I can't say the mashtun arrived to me without a hitch, but the guys at Glacier were very willing to work with me to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Their shop is in Portland, OR and they do a good amount of fabrication and/or modification on site.

http://www.glaciertanks.com/Mash_Tuns-Mash_Tun_20BBL_Steam_Motor_Commercial.html

This is pretty much the same mashtun I have, with the addition of a beefed up steam jacket, 4" dump ferrule on the bottom, and vfd control for the agitator.

There are plenty of domestic options for this sort of thing, but for me timing and cost were a driving factor. I'm quite happy with the mashtun I've received from Glacier, and I'm looking forward to yanking out the screens to get moving on our bourbon production this spring.

If anyone was thinking about ordering from these guys, feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call. I'd be happy to give you more details.

[Scrounge]

Thanks for the reply Lenny. Glacier is one of the manufactures/brokers that I was looking at. I'll try and give you a call today as I'd love to pick your brain a bit about their equipment. Scrounge

[Jedd Haas]

Thanks, Lenny. I've purchased from Glacier before and agree that they're a trustworthy supplier.

[Scrounge]

Thanks so much for the replies! Nothing like how spending a bunch a $, can make something fairly simple seem so complicated! Feeling more confident now though. Much appreciated! Scrounge