Dip tube with Pico style false bottom?

hey all
I am in the process of making a direct fired rims mash tun(keggle) and have a question on whether or not to use a dip tube. I have a pico style false bottom that sits above the ball valve. I plan to batch sparge to start, but will eventually buy a sparge arm and start fly sparging. I was wondering if I should use a dip tube to drain the water that is under the false bottom or just drain off the side under the false bottom. I know if I drain off the side I will leave water behind under my ball valve and can compensate for this factor. I am more concerned about having channeling or uneven heating issues if I pull off the side rather than closer to the middle with a dip tube. Any help with what is commonly used in either the batch sparge or fly sparge situation would be helpful.
Thanks,
Hoopman

I'm at the point in my system build where I'm about to buy my false bottoms for my Keggle mash tun and boil Keggle. I'm deciding between the pico style or one of Jaybirds. How did the pico work for you?

I have a pico false bottom in my MLT, it works pretty good. I did get some grains come through it until I added a BIAB for ease of removing the grains after brewing, now nothing gets through. One thing I like about it over standard false bottoms is there is no way you can move it while stiring your mash.

-G

I would install a dip tube. My worry wouldn't be from channeling formed in the grains but from the uneven pull of wort when heating it directly. If you do not use a dip tube, I would think you would get a pocket, on the opposite side of the keg port, in which the wort would not flow and it will be continuously heated without being circulated.

HDIron, where do you think the grain was getting through at? One of my concerns with the PICO from AIH is the split "center line". If there was a gap there at all I could definitely see a few slipping past. I did however buy my keggles from them so fit and finish she be perfect since it's the same company. May have to give them a call. I also like the idea, since I have a direct fired mash of having the grains suspended slightly higher in the tun away from the direct heat source. My quandary is that at about a hundred bucks I want to buy the right one the first time. I have heard nothing but good things about Jaybird's as well.

AIH sells a dip tube made to go with the PICO, shorter so it works with the grid system under the PICO. I think that is a must as well to prevent channeling and get less of a dead space under the valve fitting since w/o one Ive seen people with 2.5 to 3 gallons under the coupling/valve.