DIY Mash Caps

[mpietropaoli]

In order to build mash (and HLT?) caps, I was thinking of just using some styrofoam board and aluminum foil, affixed to the board, cut to diameter, with simple staples. I would need to do this for several different vessels, and this would be a pretty cheap way to go. Anyone have any feedback, particularly regarding any reactions, oxidative or not, from the aluminum?

HLT caps seem like they would be a decent idea just based on how quickly O2 dissolves into the preboiled strike water as it cools.

[Brandon]

[mpietropaoli]

No, its just the second half of my last name (Peter-Paul in Italiano)!

I think we'd probably need custom stuff to fit our vessels, so I may as well just do it and put the few hundred toward a DO meter..

[Brandon]

[Bryan R]

No, I custom cut mine from an old lid.. I think Tech found something.

[Brandon]

Speaking of kettles, I drilled out that one you recommended to me, to fit a ball valve. That was the hardest stainless I've ever dealt with. That thing is a tank, awesome kettle!

[Owenbräu]

Best thing is to source some stainless foil.

[Ski]

Greetings from Ireland and thanks to all contributors for this very interesting thesis.

Getting stainless steel foil is not so easy for me. How about a liquid mash cap? Wonder if this stuff would work at mash temperatures:

http://www.wiltec.de/speidel-vaseline-o ... rless.html
http://www.polsinelli.it/en/shop/produc ... 19/46.html

There's a brief description of how it's used in:
http://www.wiltec.de/speidel-juice-cont ... -edge.html
http://www.polsinelli.it/en/shop/produc ... 8/296.html

Vaseline oil is used in Germany and Italy for sealing juices and wines from atmospheric oxygen. So it should work at fermentation temperatures. It's a mineral oil, so it may well work fine at mash temperatures too. It is tasteless, odourless, and food-grade and doesn't go rancid. And it is used for exactly the same purpose we need: keeping O2 out of liquid. I have a lid I could use like Techbrau, but it's not big enough to completely seal the top of the mash. I was thinking this may be a solution to completing the seal. I think I'll order some and try it in my next brew. My first LODO brew went ok but there is a lot of new stuff to dial into the process, and I'm not sure I've completely eliminated O2 yet. Definitely reduced though and there is a clear improvement in flavour. Looking forward to ratcheting down the process and making further improvements.

Ski

[Owenbräu]

Even if it is not perfectly tight, it considerably reduces the surface area exposed and reduces the SA to volume ratio to as good or better than what commercial breweries experience. Nice work.

[Feurhund]

I was considering a custom cut silicone rubber cap. We have some in the kitchen and they are food grade and temp resistant. If cut perfect it would seal to the kettle wall and would rise with the sparge.

I use a silicone tube to recirculate and would cut a hole so it will run under the cap, but still seal out O2.

I found a 20" square on eBay for $20 that is thick but will keep looking. 20gal blochmanns are 17.5" diameter.