Getting a tighter fit on our false bottom

[Deerhammer]

I've been having a lot of problems with the false bottom (6 wedge-wire plates that lock together with screws) that came in my 20bbl mashtun. The gaps from the plates to the sides of the mashtun vary around the perimiter -- anywhere from perfectly flush to gaps of nearly 1/8". Way too much grist is sneaking though to the bottom, and a full removal of the false bottom has been required after ever few mashes to unclog things. This is with a rather conservative crush.

Any thoughts on running a bead of RTV silicone gasket material (or another similar material?) around the entire perimeter of the false bottom? The main concern would be any kind of gnarlyness that could leach from this stuff, but i'm running low on other options/ideas. Thoughts?

[jcrjustin]

food grade silicone

I've used food grade silicone (found at local hardware stores) with good results for this exact purpose. You will need to inspect and replace periodically, but its fairly cheap and consistent.

[kugeman]

I worked at a brewery with a similar problem on the 15 bbl mash tun. We used 2-3 ft sections of hose cut in half lengthwise and then shoved down into the gap (I think it might have actually been sections of an old garden hose). It was a bit of a pain, but it worked, and whenever we pulled the plates to spray them down, the sections of hose could be soaked in cleaner before being reinserted.

[Deerhammer]

Thanks for the ideas. I had thought about using some split silicone hose, but the gap inconsistancies would make it pretty tough to fit in there.

I just picked up some food grade silicone -- gonna give that a shot.

Thanks

[Natrat]

I might be a bit late to this, but I found that a thin strip of EPDM screwed into the flange of the screen worked really well. To make it go in a circle, I nicked the inside edge with a blade. As you bend it and screw it down, it flips up a bit...so get it wide enough that it will cover your gap...mine was 2". It lays against the sidewall and covers gaps no matter how oval your tank is! Lasted about 3 years before it got replaced, and they pulled their screens every day.

Let us know how the silicon works...