Re: DIY Mash Caps
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 2:58 pm
Bryan, that looks like a very neat solution. I like it! Thanks so much for posting the pictures. What did you use to cut the lid? Nice circle!
Re: the oil; never used it, so can't make any claims. But mineral oil density is about 800g/L so it should float easily on plain water and sweet wort. I haven't used a mash cap yet, but last brew, (my first attempt at LODO), I used a little stainless steel weight to hold my mash return hose down onto the top of the grain bed, instead of letting it float near the top like I used to do. The wort at the surface barely moves, so I think that oil mixing in due to turbulence would not be a problem. It's odourless and flavourless, so it shouldn't affect the mash in any harmful way. (I was thinking about cooking oils initially until I remembered the polsinelli site mentioning their oil). If it doesn't flavour white wines, fruit juices or olive oils, it's probably ok.
Re: the oil; never used it, so can't make any claims. But mineral oil density is about 800g/L so it should float easily on plain water and sweet wort. I haven't used a mash cap yet, but last brew, (my first attempt at LODO), I used a little stainless steel weight to hold my mash return hose down onto the top of the grain bed, instead of letting it float near the top like I used to do. The wort at the surface barely moves, so I think that oil mixing in due to turbulence would not be a problem. It's odourless and flavourless, so it shouldn't affect the mash in any harmful way. (I was thinking about cooking oils initially until I remembered the polsinelli site mentioning their oil). If it doesn't flavour white wines, fruit juices or olive oils, it's probably ok.