Mash tun?

[lmo506]

Hi Folks,
I'm new here and just started brewing after a 20 year absence. Back then I only used extract because it was the only thing available.
I have five batches of partial mash kits going now and want to go all grain. I have a 30 gal steam kettle that I use in my maple syrup business for heating syrup for bottling. I was going to post pictures but apparently the images have to be online somewhere else? :?  The basic dimensions are 24" ID x 20 deep. The walls are straight down for about a foot and then curve in to a 1" drain in the bottom. It is double walled and heated by steam. I can get 30 gal of water boiling in about 45 min. It will hold any temp you set on the control and holds heat very well. So obviously i want to use this for my mash tun but i don't have a false bottom for it. Before I order one I  was hoping some of you folks with experience could chime in and give me some advice. I was wondering first of all how much space should i have under the grain bed? Second , I see Blichmann stamps their's where as the majority of the rest use perforated, is there really a advantage to the stamped design? Third ,where i should get it made? , i've found several online.
Any answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated.
Hopefully mother nature will be kind to the maple producers this spring. If anyone wants RO water once i start production your welcome to it because i will put upwards of 100,000 gal down the drain. I'm in the Hartland area so if you want any msg me and bring your barrels or tanks or what have you.
I'd also be interested in sitting in on a all grain brewday sometime whenever someone has one going
Thanks in advance and hope to meet some of you
Leonard

[Chris Craig]

Welcome Leonard! Glad to have you aboard.

That kettle seems like a pretty neat rig. Most of us are still using picnic coolers as mash tuns here, but we have at least one member using a false bottom in a kettle for a mash tun, although I'm not sure any of us are using direct-fire to maintain the temperature.  You're going to need to recirculate your mash with a pump to keep an even temperature, I suspect.  Is this your intention?

We're having what we call a Mash Occur at the end of March.  It's where we all gather together and brew at the same time.  This would probably be the best time to observe because everybody brews a bit differently.

[Kyle]

Wow... great first post.

I'd say your tun is perfect for a mash vessel.

1. As for a false bottom, the amount of space needed under the false bottom is minimal with a bottom drain, I'd go with a half inch to inch.

2. I don't have a Blichmann, but some people on here do, such as JohnQ, Sdixon, Fakr, and maybe others.

3. I'm not able to advise on where would be best to have it made, other than to ask a member called NorthNomad. He has an extensive background in stainless steel sourcing.

4. Many of the guys in the club are all grain brewers, and sitting in will be easy to arrange. Also, you are welcome to come to our Mash Occur at the end of March, where a number of members will be brewing together at a club meeting, send a PM to JohnQ for details.

[DandyMason]

Sounds like that mash tun has huge potential

[jamie_savoie]

I brew every 2-3 weeks, you’re welcome to come up to grand-falls if you would like

[fakr]

Welcome Leonard, that sounds like a really nice kettle. What are you using to generate the steam?

And do you own a maple sugar camp?  I might need to talk to you about acquiring 10GAL of raw sap for a spring ale I want to make, subbing water with raw sap.

[lmo506]

Wow,
I didn't expect replies so quick. The kettle has six 3000 w elements in the bottom ( I only have 3 hooked up because of the available amp i have and the price of the heavier gauge wire. Those elements heat the water which turns to steam and heats the jacketed kettle . The whole steam unit, if you will , is under 30 inches of vacuum because it builds up pressure and it will auto shut of if the units gets above 30 psi.
I do own the sugar camp and will have (hopefully) sap soon. I will try to remember to post when i start. I'll give sap and ro water away and to fellow brewers i can foresee a big discount for syrup if anyone needs or wants it.  

jamie_savoie, let me know when your gonna brew , I need the experience

I have many different pumps in house to move liquids but i guess i wasn't foreseeing having to recirculate. The way the kettle holds heat i didnt think i would have to. I haven't had a lot of time to study up on the techniques . I guess the best thing to do is see how and what everyone else is doing it and then design around what available equipment i have.
I'd post a couple pics of this kettle if someone could tell me how. I thought you would just click the insert img tag and upload your file put it asking for a url.

[fakr]

I've attached a pic of how to attach a pic.

click the browse button to browse for the pic on your hard drive, then click "add the file".  From there you can place the pic inline with your text by clicking the "place inline" button below.  that's at least how I do it.

That's great that you will have sap!  not overly sure what the final beer product will taste like, but its worth a try.

[attachment=0:3qs8q5wk]Capture5.JPG[/attachment:3qs8q5wk]

[fakr]

Where are you from by the way Leonard?

[Chris Craig]

The way the kettle holds heat i didnt think i would have to. I haven't had a lot of time to study up on the techniques . I guess the best thing to do is see how and what everyone else is doing it and then design around what available equipment i have.

If you don't recirculate the mash, you run the risk of scorching the wort at the bottom of the kettle.  The mash benefits from an even temperature throughout.  Any pump you use should be food-grade. You don't want nasty chemicals leaching into your mash due to the hot liquid.

[Richard]

Fakr & lmo:

Unfortunately non-NBCBA cannot attach files to the forum. This was originally a measure against potential spammers, but at this point I figure I can lift it since I vet every person who gets onto the forum via email.

lmo: in a few minutes you should have attachment permissions enabled.

[lmo506]

[attachment=0:295kbfkz]IMG_3205.JPG[/attachment:295kbfkz]

[lmo506]

[attachment=0:1qh6wlx5]IMG_3200.JPG[/attachment:1qh6wlx5]oops... I'll try and scale the next one down  more

[lmo506]

I'm in the Hartland area.

You see how the sidewalls of the unit are straight up and down, and then its a gradual sweeping curve all the way to the bottom. I've never measured the volume but taking a wild guesswhen i put liquid in it, it probably takes 15 gal before the liquid is up to where the curved part meets the straight up and down part. The steam actually gets right up to within a couple inches of the top. From my experience of heating and cooking syrup in it i've never burnt any. I think that's the idea with steam jacketed units is that you can't burn whatever it is your cooking. I guess I was leaning towards a false bottom of about 15" and that would give me about 6 inches of liquid below the grain bed

[Richard]

Very nice