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lasersnake
Joined: 23 Jan 2018 Posts: 10
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Link Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2018 11:01 pm Post subject: Avoiding mash channelling? |
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Hey Team,
I have used my electric brewery maybe 5 times now and am having problems with channelling in my mash, due to recirculating the wort at full pump in to one position in the mash tun. It basically leaves a cone of grain.
How do people avoid this?
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perogi
Joined: 12 Feb 2012 Posts: 850 Location: NH
Drinking: Perogi Pale, NEIPA, Nutter's Crossing Nut Brown Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Clone
Working on: Max's Maibock
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 1:25 am Post subject: |
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Funny you mention this, I took a video of it happening in my mash today:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bt8e2b9g1x3qttj/20180714_102752.mp4?dl=0
I would stir it every 10 mins for so about 3-4" deep to break it up a bit.
That being said, according to the software that I used my mash efficiency was 79%. I have no idea if this is considered good or not but I hit my numbers so I'm pretty happy. (edit 2: put my numbers into another software application and got conversion of 89.9%)
edit: I sparged for 80 minutes after mashing out at 168 degrees for 20 minutes. (Yes my brew days are long )
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701pilot
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 50 Location: northern california
Drinking: Bohemian Pilsner,Caribou Slobber, Munich Helles, Weissbier, Black Bute Porter, RIS, Irish Red Ale
Working on: Milk Chocolate Stout
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:42 am Post subject: |
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perogi,
I noticed that your sparge hose is at a very steep entry to the mash. Creating a big hole. I use a longer hose and coil it around the kettle at least a full circle so the outlet is somewhat level with the top of the mash. That way it just makes a whirlpool.
I usually get about 80% efficiency using that method. It still leaves the malt with a cone shape, so I started using the SS Brew Tech Mash Re-Circulation/ Manifold. Efficiency went up to 87%. The malt stays flat on top, no more holes or cone shapes.
_________________ Mark
I can't change the laws of physics but with enough horse power I can chase it into submission.
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perogi
Joined: 12 Feb 2012 Posts: 850 Location: NH
Drinking: Perogi Pale, NEIPA, Nutter's Crossing Nut Brown Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Clone
Working on: Max's Maibock
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 2:51 am Post subject: |
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Thanks 701pilot! I will give that a look. Any issues with grain getting stuck?
edit: I looked at the video again, the hose goes all the way around the outside of the kettle and comes out basically at 2 o'clock (so essentially one revolution around). It's laying pretty flat at that point. Did you think that it's going straight in where you can see the tube enter the water? Thanks again.
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kal Forum Administrator
Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 11123 Location: Ottawa, Canada
Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 1:39 pm Post subject: Re: Avoiding mash channelling? |
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lasersnake wrote: | Hey Team,
I have used my electric brewery maybe 5 times now and am having problems with channelling in my mash, due to recirculating the wort at full pump in to one position in the mash tun. It basically leaves a cone of grain.
How do people avoid this? |
Do you have any pictures of your setup?
What false bottom are you using? What kettle?
What is your mash (conversion) efficiency?
Kal
_________________ Our new shop with over 150 new products: shop.TheElectricBrewery.com
We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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701pilot
Joined: 10 May 2016 Posts: 50 Location: northern california
Drinking: Bohemian Pilsner,Caribou Slobber, Munich Helles, Weissbier, Black Bute Porter, RIS, Irish Red Ale
Working on: Milk Chocolate Stout
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | Did you think that it's going straight in where you can see the tube enter the water? Thanks again. |
Yes I did. By the way it is pooling in one spot it looked like that to me. Looking closer I can see what you're saying. Because the outlet flow is hitting the tubing where it first goes into the mash,it is disturbing the flow and causing the small whirlpool.
I had all these same problems until I started using the SS sparge manafold. I don't have any problems with grain getting stuck in the manafold. It slows down the flow a little, but i don't think 5 gpm flow rate is really necessary. I'm down to about 3 gpm, and it seems to work fine. Although the slower flow rate may contribute to the temperature difference between the HLT and the MLT outlet. Mine is about 1 degree different, so I just set the HLT 1 degree higher than I want the MLT to be.
_________________ Mark
I can't change the laws of physics but with enough horse power I can chase it into submission.
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perogi
Joined: 12 Feb 2012 Posts: 850 Location: NH
Drinking: Perogi Pale, NEIPA, Nutter's Crossing Nut Brown Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Clone
Working on: Max's Maibock
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2018 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Mark - thank you for the reply. I will check out that manifold. Another thought is to maybe get a longer hose to bypass where it's coming down and getting disturbed like you mentioned. I am replacing my hoses before my next batch anyway so may as well see if your idea fixes the issue. Good brewing to you!
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lasersnake
Joined: 23 Jan 2018 Posts: 10
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:13 am Post subject: |
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Hi guys, just an update. I decided to make a makeshift sparge ring/mash recirculation manifold out of a tee and some silicone tube with some holes punched out of it. I am getting no channelling and my mash efficiency has gone up 8% as well!
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kal Forum Administrator
Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 11123 Location: Ottawa, Canada
Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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Do you have any pictures of your setup?
What false bottom are you using? What kettle?
What is your mash (conversion) efficiency now?
Kal
_________________ Our new shop with over 150 new products: shop.TheElectricBrewery.com
We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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Ozarks Mountain Brew
Joined: 22 May 2013 Posts: 737 Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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I've had those issues and what I've done is just adjust my water to my grain after starting recirculation and not go with an exact grain/water ratio, it seems every batch can be a little different, I just make sure I have 2 or more inches of water on top of the grain bed to allow for even recirculation, now if you stir the grain floats to the top but will drop down shortly
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lasersnake
Joined: 23 Jan 2018 Posts: 10
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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I am using a domed false bottom and I have attached some photos of the set up now, sorry I dont have any of it in action.
My mash efficiency is up around 78% when it was approximately 70% previously... I know it doesn't matter too much as long as you know what it is and its consistent so heres hoping it is consistent!
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kal Forum Administrator
Joined: 12 Dec 2010 Posts: 11123 Location: Ottawa, Canada
Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter
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Link Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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Hard to tell just from pictures, but my guess would be side-wall shunting due to gaps between your false bottom and the kettle. It seems to sit along the edge of the kettle base as it becomes narrower at the bottom and that position is haphazard. There is no shelf for the kettle bottom and false bottom to make good solid contact as in some designs like so:
More info: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/kettles-overview?page=6
Nothing wrong with 78% mash efficiency. IMHO, consistent mash efficiency is more important than high mash efficiency. That said, depends on how much you brew. Using a higher mash efficiency setup that cost more that gets you into 90-95% range could pay off in the long run. It depends on your brewing rate. People are sometimes scared at the higher cost of certain equipment, but in some cases it's an upfront cost that pays off in the long run.
Good luck!
Kal
_________________ Our new shop with over 150 new products: shop.TheElectricBrewery.com
We ship worldwide and support our products and customers for life.
Purchasing through our affiliate links helps support our site at no extra cost to you. We thank you!
My basement/bar/brewery build 2.0
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