Will I regret not getting rakes/mixer in the MLT?

[REDACTED]

Currently specing a 10bbl brewhouse, and like nearly everybody, money's tight. Adding lauter rakes -- or more properly, "mash mixer w/ partial grain out" -- are about a $12,000 add on. I've only brewed on a handful of systems up to this point, and each has had at least a plough for graining out.

Will I regret not dropping what's more or less the cost of another 20bbl FV on the mixer? Is graining out 10bbl worth of grain "good exercise but kind of crappy, save the 12k" or "you're going to want to kill yourself and wish you'd spent that money."

Thoughts? Thanks!

[tonbrew]

Currently specing a 10bbl brewhouse, and like nearly everybody, money's tight. Adding lauter rakes -- or more properly, "mash mixer w/ partial grain out" -- are about a $12,000 add on. I've only brewed on a handful of systems up to this point, and each has had at least a plough for graining out.

Will I regret not dropping what's more or less the cost of another 20bbl FV on the mixer? Is graining out 10bbl worth of grain "good exercise but kind of crappy, save the 12k" or "you're going to want to kill yourself and wish you'd spent that money."

Thoughts? Thanks!

You will not regret it. I have rakes and it's convenient mashing in, but they just get in the way graining out. I actually consider taking mine out occasionally

Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

[gitchegumee]

Agreed.

On a small system, rakes are of little real help. And add more trouble to clean than they're worth to mix or cut your bed. Grain-out and cleaning of 10bbl mash/lauter tun is easily done in 30 minutes, tops. Much longer if you have rakes. I'd even go without rakes in a lauter tun up to about 30hl just for the simplicity in cleaning--and wouldn't think of automatic grain-out until much larger--and then I'd invest in a Pondorff instead of a plow. Invest in something else. Have fun!

[lhall]

I'd say have the lauter tun designed with mounts for the rake system, but wait until you feel you can afford it or really need it. That money is better spent on other things at startup.

[dick murton]

I wouldn't bother. I have taken them out of a couple of slightly larger systems as they simply got in the way, and didn't add anything to the extract. If anything they lost extract due to channelling. You simply need to ensure it is mashed in properly. As noted though, if for some reason at this size you want to do stepped temperature mashes, then not having rakes to help mix does hinder this. I suggest you simply accept you can't do rising temperature (stepped) mashes at this scale - simplicity is essential in small breweries. Spend the money on buying yourself another beer or two.

[TiminOz]

I think they are worth the investment and as long as they are designed correctly are a benefit to brewing and also very helpful for a quick turnaround when do double brew days.

[REDACTED]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful feedback -- I've removed the rakes from the quote! The "grain out in under 30 minutes" really tells the story here: if the rake/plough system literally cut that to ZERO, it would take a DECADE to break even on the cost of paying someone to grain out manually!

Thanks again all!