Having now done a couple of brews, I'd like to use the element to maintain the mash temperature - after all what's the point of having all these fancy electronic gadgets to sit dormant whilst my brew drops in temp?
Worried about scorching the bag though, so I think a false bottom is the way to go.
My pot is straight walled - so I assume the only way of doing this is to drop a round stainless steel plate with holes in it with several bolts to keep it off the element in?
I haven't read of any other miraculous inventions.
I've been thinking I could put a long metal handle on it that loops out of the pot which I can use to remove it once mashing is complete and not worry about it bouncing during the boil.
Thoughts? Feelings?
Post #2 made 11 years ago
tim_n,
I now use a stainless steel baking cooling rack that my wife bought at a junk sale. It's about a inch high and round. It fits perfectly. Look at baking supply stores or in the kitchen utensils area of your local mega mart! You can make something work but these items seem to be made for Biab?
I now use a stainless steel baking cooling rack that my wife bought at a junk sale. It's about a inch high and round. It fits perfectly. Look at baking supply stores or in the kitchen utensils area of your local mega mart! You can make something work but these items seem to be made for Biab?
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tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
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Post #3 made 11 years ago
Unfortunately I need something to fit over the 5.5kw camco element and there's no round steel baking racks which are big enough to cover the bottom without leaving an 8cm gap all the way round (biggest I've found is 30cm diameter, kettle is 45cm)BobBrews wrote:tim_n,
I now use a stainless steel baking cooling rack that my wife bought at a junk sale. It's about a inch high and round. It fits perfectly. Look at baking supply stores or in the kitchen utensils area of your local mega mart! You can make something work but these items seem to be made for Biab?
The other way I'm thinking is taking a smaller rectangular one, bending it in the approximate shape of the wavy element and using a bit of SS wire to pull it out when it's done.
Not impossible, but a PITA.
Last edited by tim_n on 28 Jan 2014, 21:49, edited 1 time in total.
Post #4 made 11 years ago
tim_n,
Some people use SS mesh for things like that? They use it (the mesh) for termite protection. You can Google ( termite mesh suppliers ) But I doubt if you can find it where you live or could buy it in small quantities. I was going to build a SS mesh brew bag out of it when I stumbled on to BIAB. Good luck!
Some people use SS mesh for things like that? They use it (the mesh) for termite protection. You can Google ( termite mesh suppliers ) But I doubt if you can find it where you live or could buy it in small quantities. I was going to build a SS mesh brew bag out of it when I stumbled on to BIAB. Good luck!
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
-
- SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
-
Post #5 made 11 years ago
There is a general lack of termites in the UK 
I'm doing a mig welding course end of next month, so thinking I might get some inch thick SS welded mesh and add legs. Probably cheapest option.
I'm doing a mig welding course end of next month, so thinking I might get some inch thick SS welded mesh and add legs. Probably cheapest option.
Post #6 made 11 years ago
tim_n,
Go for it. You will probably have the best one yet? Pictures when done?
Go for it. You will probably have the best one yet? Pictures when done?
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV
http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
-
- SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
-
Post #8 made 11 years ago
Hi there Timtim_n wrote:I'd like to use the element to maintain the mash temperature ...
Thoughts? Feelings?
,The basic rule when heating during a mash is that you have to agitate the wort. If you don't, all you succeed in doing is getting the bottom of the grist very hot (so hot that enzyme activity stops) and the top remaining cold.
Furthermore, unless you apply agitation, you will have no idea what temperature your mash is at because all you will be measuring is the tiny pocket of undisturbed grist or sweet liquor that your thermometer is touching.
So, agitation is needed and it can only be applied two ways, manually or with a pump. Crusty is a member here and he had a traditional system costing three or five thousand dollars and heaps of hours to build. It was automated and had pumps etc etc. He now BIAB brews in an urn and he thinks his beer is much better.
Every time you think of adding a bit of equipment to your kettle, you really need to make sure you are doing it for the right reason. A false bottom in an urn with an exposed element sounds sensible. A false bottom on an urn with a concealed element is probably totally unnecessary as you should be agitating the grist anyway when you apply heat.
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 29 Jan 2014, 18:56, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #9 made 11 years ago
Quite! Yes I have an exposed LWPI Camco wavy 5.5kw element.PistolPatch wrote:
Every time you think of adding a bit of equipment to your kettle, you really need to make sure you are doing it for the right reason. A false bottom in an urn with an exposed element sounds sensible. A false bottom on an urn with a concealed element is probably totally unnecessary as you should be agitating the grist anyway when you apply heat.
PP
I have been working on keeping the heat in so leaving the lid on and insulated. I heat the wort to strike, turn off the element, then stir the grain to remove clumps and normalise temperature. Then I insulate and leave.
When I've noticed a drop of 2-3'C I strip the insulation, lift the bag, switch on the element back to temperature. Then I switch off, drop bag, stir, wrap and leave again.
Doing this about every half an hour, but it has been about 4'C in the garage...
Last edited by tim_n on 29 Jan 2014, 22:38, edited 1 time in total.
Post #10 made 11 years ago
Turns out one of my fellow scout leaders is a stainless steel fabricator.
Bit of a turn of luck!
Bit of a turn of luck!
Post #11 made 11 years ago
Tim,
I have the same element in my kettle with the Auber PID controller. You can set your PID to manual at about 5-10% with a stir every 20 min or so and be fine. With that low of a power setting you won't have to worry about scorching, etc. on the bottom of the bag and don't need a false bottom. I have tried the pump circulation with the PID set to maintain temp and it is really more trouble than it is worth. The only time a pump helped much was when trying to do a step mash and then it is still a PITA. A spoon is much easier to clean than a pump, tubing, etc. and a whole lot cheaper.
mark
I have the same element in my kettle with the Auber PID controller. You can set your PID to manual at about 5-10% with a stir every 20 min or so and be fine. With that low of a power setting you won't have to worry about scorching, etc. on the bottom of the bag and don't need a false bottom. I have tried the pump circulation with the PID set to maintain temp and it is really more trouble than it is worth. The only time a pump helped much was when trying to do a step mash and then it is still a PITA. A spoon is much easier to clean than a pump, tubing, etc. and a whole lot cheaper.
mark
Post #12 made 11 years ago
Thanks lonetexan - I think I need to spend more time reading through the manual - it didn't make an awful lot of sense when I was trying to get it to work - I found setting (whatever the setting name was) to '2' as suggested in the manual was far too little power.lonetexan wrote:Tim,
I have the same element in my kettle with the Auber PID controller. You can set your PID to manual at about 5-10% with a stir every 20 min or so and be fine. With that low of a power setting you won't have to worry about scorching, etc. on the bottom of the bag and don't need a false bottom. I have tried the pump circulation with the PID set to maintain temp and it is really more trouble than it is worth. The only time a pump helped much was when trying to do a step mash and then it is still a PITA. A spoon is much easier to clean than a pump, tubing, etc. and a whole lot cheaper.
mark
Last edited by tim_n on 31 Jan 2014, 19:35, edited 1 time in total.
Post #13 made 11 years ago
Have a look at how the bayou classic kettles are designed with the new false bottoms, maybe you can rig up something like that. I bought one of these 16 gal kettles with a false bottom and it has enough room under it for the element. The kettle has a ring stamped in it though, but the principle is the same. Maybe one of those false bottoms will fit your kettle? they have a 10 gal size and 16 gal size I think with different diam.and they already have feet on them. I use a pump to circulate with the PID set to my mash temp and I just run the pump the whole time and this setup works great. Without a pump you probably will have to stir quite a bit like other members have said.
