New false bottom

[bigchris]

yesterday was my chance to use the new false bottom I made from Stainless steel. I've pretty much gone from 3v over to the shady side now with my last half dozen or so brews being BIAB. I've not used my Mash Tun for months. I had been using an upturned colendar to keep the bag off the element but it was not really satisfactory.

I use a buffalo 40L and so cut a sheet of perforated stainless off e-bay to fit and hold it off the bottom, above the hop stopper, with 4 x 6mm stainless bolts/washers/nuts.





It worked really well. 25L of brown ale in the fermenter now, bubbling nicely.

[LeeH]

Don't folks seal the outer edge with silicon hose?

[GrowlingDogBeer]

You may want a few more bolts. There is quite a lot of weight of grain in there and you don't want it bending. I have beer line around the edge of mine which helps it seal and stops it scratching the inside of the boiler.

[bigchris]

Thanks, I'll probably seal around the outer edge, more to stop the scratching really. I'm now a confirmed BAB brewer so this is really just to keep the bag off the element. When I bought the stainless I was still 3V and so had intended it for keeping the hops away from the drain. Now though, after mashing, I tip the grain out of the bag and then rinse and use the bag again with the hops in during the boil and chill.

I'm not sure the weight of the grain is going to be a problem as the grain will always be suspended in the water/wort until lifted out in the bag before the boil.

[Steve B]

I just use the grill attachment from an old microwave - the circular thing with legs and a grille top. It's a very solid one and holds the grain bag well clear of the element nicely. Cost and labour £0.0. My kind of gadget!