Cleaning Mash Tun?

[ImNewToBrew]

I did a search but couldn't find anything quite related to. Tips/Techniques to removing the grains from a mash tun with false bottom?

I did my first AG this past weekend and was thinking to myself there has to be a better way than I did.

Thanks in Advance,
Frank

 

[NedStackey]

You're just trying to remove the spent grain after you've got the wort into the kettle? How big is your tun?

 

[stpug]

I dump my MLT upside down to get the grain out but it's also not too heavy when empty. Others will spoon it out until it's manageable. Whatever works and is easy is probably the best method for you.

 

[TeamAshBrewing]

I dump mine into either the garden or compost pile, and into the garbage every once in a while. I then pull off the false bottom, clean, and dry.

 

[ImNewToBrew]

I have a 10g mash tun. Do you guys jump it straight into the garbage? I was doing partial mash previously so I only ~1-3lbs of grains.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Find some neighborhood kids and hire them to clean it out for you. Pay them with candy.

Failing that...

I have a somewhat short plastic garbage container that's a bit shorter than my brew stand. I tip my mash tun on its side and then use a big metal spoon to scoop out as much of the used grains as I can. Flip the mash tun back upright and then haul the trash container outside and toss the grains along the back yard fence line where the birds and rabbits greatly appreciate it. Take the mash tun to my big mop sink. I have a short hose attached to the faucet. I remove the false bottom and spray that down good and lay it aside. I flip the mash tun on its side and spray out the inside, getting the grains that made it past the false bottom. I run water through the valve and my sparge arm. Grab the Bar Keepers Friend and a scrubby and thoroughly clean the inside. Do a final rinse of everything once again. Dry and put back together.

 

[stpug]

I have a 10g mash tun. Do you guys jump it straight into the garbage? I was doing partial mash previously so I only ~1-3lbs of grains.

I dump into the garden and then spread it out nice and thin to it'll dry quickly. Over the course of the summer and next spring it gets incorporated into the soil. It's important to not leave a pile because the middle will begin to get really rank within a day or two. Garbage also works if you don't have a garden or compost.

 

[ImNewToBrew]

Thanks all for the quick responses. It's too hear there is no quick way out of it.

 

[Vamptrump]

I scoop it up with a giant spoon and put the spent grain into containers. I have a friend who then cooks with it. I don't think she realized how much grain she would get on a constant basis when she agreed to take it on.

 

[Gavin C]

You could line the mash tun with a mesh bag. Mash in a Bag. That would sit above any false bottom or manifold you may have. It can also act as the manifold/FB in and of itself. The bag will contain all the grain except for some particulate that may sneak through. If you have a good quality bag this will be minimal.

Lift out bag

Dump grains

Rinse out mash-tun


I don't do this myself but have read other posts where people have done this for a variety of reasons, cleanup being chief among them.

 

[EMPyre]

Wet/Dry vac FTW. The bucket-top style at HD for $20 and a heavy gage plastic bucket (think dry wall mud, got mine at Shermin Williams). No lifting, and gets a full keggle MT empty in about 10 minutes and 2-3 bucket loads. Compost or yard waste after that.

 

[mauer_62]

now that its warmer out i have been brewing outside on my porch. i have been dumping my spent grains in the woods and using a garden hose to flush out my mash tun

 

[JonM]

I put a garbage bag over it and then flip the whole thing over. Grains land in the bag - nice and neat. Then I hose out whatever gunk is left in there and blast the false bottom with a jet spray to dislodge any little bits that are stuck. It's quick and easy.

 

[Natdavis777]

I use a 1qt measuring cup to scoop the grain into a trashbag (or malt bag if that is what the LHBS puts my grain in). Once 90% is out, I flip the keggle upside down and give it a good spray with the hose. From there, it gets a pbw solution that I can recirc the pumps and eventually the BK at the end of the brew.

Ive had a bag or two "break" on the way to the trashcan, so I like to put it in something sturdy. I brew often, and have told people with chickens and other livestock that they are free to come pick it up, but no one has. So in the garbage it goes.

 

[Wharn]

I too have been searching for good ideas on this to clean the MT in-situ. I mash in a SS 100 litre tank so it's not always easy to pick up, or tip the tank to empty the grains out. I use a PP spade - actually a kids beach spade - to dig the grains out which go into an unused plastic lauter bucket to drain any remaining liquor before dumping into the compost bin. It's always a pain to get the little bits of grain out.

Before I upgraded to stainless tanks I built a nifty little recirculating system in a 10 litre bucket that was great for easy cleaning of the MT. The bucket had a taco SS mesh filter, a recirc pump which fed a flexible hose and about 5 litres of water. In the bottom of the plastic MT I had a 28mm tank connection which had a silicon bung in during mashing. Once I had dug out most of the grains, I'd lift out the false bottom and pull out the bung. The remaining grains then get washed out through the 28mm tank connector and into the recirc bucket. The water gets recirculated to clean the MT and false bottom. The 28mm hole never got blocked and this system would quickly wash out every last grain plus, the small bucket was easy to clean and handle.

I don't want to drill a big hole in the bottom of my shiny stainless tank so now I dig out most of the grains, lift the false bottom, then with the taps closed wash the walls and false bottom down. To stop the MT drain taps getting getting blocked up, the wash water gets syphoned out using a larger diameter pipe which sucks up all the bits of grain too. This method may need to be done twice to get the MT clean but it is still easier for me than carting the whole tank around.

If you have them, I'm open to better ideas.