Pages: 1 2
Dead Space?
FirePitBrew wrote:
Ah, gotcha. I was mixing up head space and dead space. I need to go back and read the All Grain sections of all the books I've read and didn't understand the first time around when I started brewing. First all grain is right around the corner..
My first all grain is this weekend, and I'm doing the exact same thing. I'm reading every thing on AG all over again.
FirePitBrew wrote:
[ I was mixing up head space and dead space.
Ditto, sorry if I gave any mis-info
ricka182 wrote:
Ahhh...okay, that makes sense, sort of.....
So I use a long SS braid, and after I drain the MT, if I were to use improper methods to get more out of the MT, that volume would be the deadspace volume, as in I could put say 3 gallons in, and only get 2.75 out, I would have .25 gallons of deadspace??.....
Thats exactly correct.
The easiest way to calculate the dead space is to just run the tun or kettle without an actual brew going.
Just set up the equipment like you normally would and dump in a premeasure volume of water.
Open the valve and collect the water.
The difference in the input and output (collected) is deadspace.
You can quickly see that if you were to leave a half gallon of 1.040 wort behind in the tun because you simply cannot drain it due to the mechanics of the tun thats a hit in efficiency right there. And it has nothing to do with pH, crush or mash temp.
If you were expecting to get 5.5 gallons of 1.040 wort, but only collected 5.0 gallons, there's 9% of your mash efficiency right there
5.5gal* 40gravity units=220points;
5.0 gal*40gravity units=200points;
then 220-200/220=9% loss of points
So a good mainfold or drain setup goes along way. Actually, people start bitching about their effiency and start changing pH, crush, temp and all sorts of variables when the tun PHYSICALLY may leave behind 9% or more of your efficiency!!!! The first thing to consider then isn't always "Hey, jackass check your crush" It should be "Hey, jackass check your deadspace"
Or use more grain. 
I think I have very little deadspace.......I mash, drain, batch sparge and drain again....then when I dump the grains, there is very little liquid left over, in fact I usually have to kick the cooler to get all the grains out. They seem fairly dry, for being soaked in water for some time...I don't press down on the mash either when draining, I just let it go...........Next time I brew, I'll try to take measurements if I can......
ricka182 wrote:
I think I have very little deadspace.......I mash, drain, batch sparge and drain again....then when I dump the grains, there is very little liquid left over, in fact I usually have to kick the cooler to get all the grains out. They seem fairly dry, for being soaked in water for some time...I don't press down on the mash either when draining, I just let it go...........Next time I brew, I'll try to take measurements if I can......
Just pull out the mash tun and fill it with water.
Drain it.
Then close the valve and pour out what's left in a pitcher or something. Thats the best case scenario deadspace.
So, just sit it on something level, let it drain, and measure what doesn't come out without the MT being tipped? Easy enough..I'll try that tomorrow.......
ricka182 wrote:
So, just sit it on something level, let it drain, and measure what doesn't come out without the MT being tipped? Easy enough..I'll try that tomorrow.......
Exactly!
This is one of the definitive advantages that fly spargers have over batch guys that is never really talked about.
As a batch sparger we are emptying the tun. Almost all of us use some sort of "pick up" tun set up that pulls wort off the bottom of the tun and out of the tun. It doesn't actually drian out like a sink right?
In fly sparging, eventually the wort level will fall below the level of the pick up apparatus and the vacuum seal is broken. Then fluid is left behind.
A fly sparge doesn't have the same issue with deadspace, because they never empty the tun. Never break the vacuum seal between wort and pick-up tube apparatus.
I am convinced that batch sparging would become a dominate with efficiency if you were to design your tun with a false bottom that drained at the bottom like a sink.
I am designing such a tun right now.... but I am not giving up the details just yet.
My cooler drains from the bottom, out of the recessed valve built in, which was replaced with a ball valve and some other fittings.........is that close enough to sink-style.....
How do you get the wort out of your MT, from the top?......
brewchez wrote:
[This is one of the definitive advantages that fly spargers have over batch guys that is never really talked about.
.
FLY SPARGERS RULE!!!
ricka182 wrote:
My cooler drains from the bottom, out of the recessed valve built in, which was replaced with a ball valve and some other fittings.........is that close enough to sink-style.....
How do you get the wort out of your MT, from the top?......
Well its not really draing from the top.
I mean to say that most MT setups draw the wort of the bottom an inch or so and then its ported through the side of the tun. Albeit just and inch above the bottom but its still not a direct drain from the dead bottom of the tun like a porfessional tun with a false bottom and a drain beneath it.
So using a 54 qt cooler, with a false bottom and sink drain recessed in the center would be the way to go? Seems like installing a sink drain wouldn't be much of an issue.
DC
My MT has the valve slightly recessed in the front...maybe that's why it sucks so bad. Actually, it seems to work fine, but did get stuck yesterday....so taking a cooler like that, cutting a hole in the bottom center, installing and sealing a drain thingy, and covering it with a flase bottom or screen material......I'll let you perfect the design, and stick to my frankenstein tun for now......
Pages: 1 2
Search Home Brewing Knowledge Base
Custom Search
|