How to get a false bottom made

[ryanmanchester]

Without mentioning plastic surgery would you lot kindly advise how you go about making and installing a 'proper' false bottom?

I realize there's lots of ways to make one but I'm more interested in making one out of hardy perforated / mesh SS than anything else.


Where's the best place to buy perforated / mesh SS? (or what kind of place)

Can you cut it yourself? / Would any old metal worker be able to help you get one cut?

Is the idea to have the plate right up to the edge of the tun?

i.e.


|---------|
|..____..|
|/.........\| to the edge at the bottom

or


|-----------|
|....___....|
|../.......\..| not to the edge at the bottom


or?

|............|
|______|
|............| flat (like big breweries?)



For the rest of us looking into this, fittings and etc that you need can be found here on Daab's site:

http://www.18000feet.com/Daabs_False_Bottom/DFB1.htm

[mixbrewery]

Or try this approach....

The Mix Strainer!
I got my perforated SS sheet on ebay - £15 delivered.

I'll upload my drawing dimensions later and add the the original thread with a PDF link.

[David Edge]

Ryan
Wondering why you want a 'proper' false bottom as opposed to a manifold...

[Gurgeh]

fwiw, my mash tun is a round fermenting bin - the type you can buy in wilkinsons for about £7. I've put a plastic tap as far down as possible and use a frying pan splatter guard (sainsbury's £1.49) as my false bottom.

I use some PVC hose coiled around the bottom of the tun to prevent the false bottom from collapsing.

works a treat - no need to recirculate, no stuck mashes (yet).

[mixbrewery]

It's only had one brew through it so hard to tell really.

When the damn thing didn't come away from the outlet tap it worked really well. No solids in the wort at all. But had to recirc the first few litres.

Second outing should be in a few weeks.
Bar anymore disasters i'll try to get some pics of the run-offs during the sparge so we can all judge the effectiveness of the MixScreen.

[Vossy1]

I agree with DaaB on this one. I looked into all sorts of places for mesh and even stainless steel flour sieves.
I notice you haven't said whether it's for tun or copper.
I went through all sorts of copper manifolds before having a purpose made false bottom done for me by John at the Hop and Grape, for my mash tun.
I have taken DaaB's advice for my copper and just ordered a 12" false bottom from morebeer at $27.95 + p+p. Even if it cost £20 all in it's a lot easier than faffing about and trying to make one...probably also cheaper baring in mind the prices for decent mesh

Mesh supplier

http://www.inoxia.co.uk/rw/category/9.aspx

Mesh supplier in Manchester

http://www.johnstaniar.co.uk/

Stainless steel flour sieves...these really caught my eye for price.

http://www.bslh-catering.co.uk/cnb/shop ... egoryID=29

They also have some other nice stainless goodies

This is the false bottom I just ordered from Morebeer

http://morebeer.com/view_product/15571/102309