preferred method for connecting false bottoms?

I use a small piece of thermoplastic tubing…it's rigid enough so that if you knock it with your mash paddle, it won't fall off, but flexible enough and durable. I've had it probably for 10 years now.

 

I am using silicon tune. It is flexible enough to remove easily but stays put under the weight of the grain and water. Essentially inert. Can be cleaned easily. Tolerates up to 350F. Cheap.

Thermoplastic tubing is also a good option, but there is no such thing as "Thermoplastic". It just means that the material is plastic and won't degrade, melt, off gas or ruin your wort at elevated temperatures. Assume that if it is sold by a good brew shop it will work.

Personally I wouldn't use rigid pipe. The connection to the ball valve is not rock solid, it's only a plastic bulkhead after all. And it would be a pain to unscrew it any time you need to remove the false bottom to clean, which is often.

Just don't use plain vinyl or anything not FDA and heat tolerant. You will taste plastic.
Cheers.

 

I use camlock fittings, silicone tubing, and a flared SS riser for easy removal

 

correct, you always want to make sure that you buy the manila colored thermoplastic tubing…and not sure what you mean by "no such thing…" are you saying it's a class of plastics and not a specific type?

agree 100% and vinyl get really pliable at mash temps and easy will fall off if knocked by a mash paddle. Not the end of the world, but means you need to dump your mash into another vessel then back again into the lauter tun…

 

Correct, the male camlock has female threads to screw into the ball valve

 

Yes. It is just a term, not a specific type of tubing. Teflon/PTFE tubing is thermoplastic. So is PVC but not a good choice, especially since the stuff we use would have phthalates, plasticizer. There are dozens of thermoplastics and a lot of brand names but the mere term alone is fairly meaningless in this situation.
Just adding the FYI.
Cheers/

 

Yes, I use hose clamps on both ends of the silicone tubing. I take the cotter pins off the cam locks because they are not needed and just get in the way. As far as the camlock coming off...when you get yours, see if you can get it to come off with a paddle or spoon (in or out of the mash tun)...pretty much impossible .

 

I have a domed false bottom that I use barbed fittings and silicone tubing with. I hate it. I have to use a stainless steel scrubby pad under it to keep grains at bay that make it under the false bottom. I am looking to go with a solid dip tube and a hinged raised false bottom.

 

I was having a PITA time with my false bottom, so I added a brew bag to my MLT. Zero grains getting through and easy peasy clean up. One of those items that has been worth the extra cost imo.

 

This is my setup also, with a silicone gasket around the edge of the domed false bottom. I also use a custom made BIAB with it which makes cleaning up easier and to eliminate the vorlauf step. Maybe a bit of an overkill I guess but it works pretty good and saves a time off the brew day.

 

@fuzzbalz and @HopsintheSack do either of you use a keggle for your mash tun? I use a direct fired keggle and have thought about using a BIAB sack but was nervous that it would melt if I needed to turn up the heat as it were...

 

Remember that anything surrounded by water will not get above 212F, 100C. If the material is in direct contact with the steel maybe then it could degrade but otherwise you can't melt much of anything in boiling water.
Cheers.

PS, if you have not sat around a campfire drank many beers and done the magic red cup trick, you just haven't been living.

 

I do not use a keggle myself. If you already use a false bottom in the keggle, I would just leave it in place which would keep the bag off the bottom. As mentioned above, as long as it isn't resting on the metal bottom where the heat is being directly transferred I would think it would be fine.

 

There are FBs made for keggles that work/seal perfectly...no need for bags/edge cushions/other creative solutions. The key is proper alignment to where your ball valve is located on your keggle.

 

Mine came from NoBrewer in their all grain 10 gallon cooler kit.

 

I use a cooler.