Looking for a grist hydrator

[Brancid]

First off I'd like to thank everyone that is active on the board. I've been a homebrewer lurking here for several years sucking up as much info that I could to help me break into the industry. Well, it worked!! Thanks for all the help over the years and I'm very happy to be a part of such a sharing and helpful community.

Cheers!!

Now...Let's get down to brass tacks here. I've been searching the internet like crazy for a grist hydrator and have only come up w/ one from DME. Does anyone have a source for these or is it mostly a custom job for everyone.

Also, if it turns out it's just easier to have one made, does anyone have a great designed hydrator that they would be willing to take a few photos of for me?

Cheers,
Brandon
Twisted Pine Brewing
Boulder, Colorado

[beertje46]

DME's hydrators work very well. I wish I had the head space to replace my Spec. Mech. POS hydrator that spray hot liquor up into the end of the auger dump box. I can't use it at all.

Also search for Steele's Masher. Northern Brew in BC used to make one but I think they are out of the brewery manufacturing biz.

[Gregg]

We are using a progressive cavity pump - something like a standard helical augur leading to thick twisted rod (rotor) in shaped elastomer bushing (stator). Grist falls into hopper onto auger, hot liquor into side, and the pump mixes grist and liquor a la Steele's and pumps it through a pipe into the mash tun. Seepex BT range is one example.

Expensive but effective and efficient.

Gregg