I’ve used a long SS spoon for all of my brews up to this point. I’ve considered picking up a wooden paddle as the spoon can sometimes scrape up the plastic mash tun.
For the wooden paddle owners, whatcha’ got?
I’ve got a nice maple paddle a friend made for me. hard maple shaped like a canoe paddle but shorter and blunter with holes in the blade. it works find and I can pour my vorlauf over it to get a decent trickle onto the top of the grain bed.
I don’t know if it’s really any better than a SS spoon. scratches in the mash tun don’t really matter.
Mine is a cheapo pine paddle. Because it’s soft, it tends to hold moisture so I need to make sure it is clean before I hang it to dry. It molded once but I was able to sand it down to like new.
I have a small wooden paddle. I use it every batch and I think it does avoid scratches in the mash tun.
I got mine off eBay. It’s a “partial mash” paddle. Basically it’s smaller which works well for my small batches. Unfortunately the eBay seller has closed his account.
Pic:
Edited to show my actual paddle.
Plain wooden paddle, no holes, angled edge on bottom. Wood burned initials, lots of notches.
Nice avitar
If you want one go for it, but I haven’t found that a paddle works any better than a spoon for me.
Yep. And I’d go as far as saying my SS spoon works better - it reaches into the corners of the cooler better. I mounted my paddle on the wall of the garage, above one of my kegerators.
Sounds like a great xBeermt for publishing very early in april. Wooden mash paddle vs Stainless spoon: can the judges detect a difference in a blind triangle test? Does it effect hot side aeration? Does the flavor contributed by the wood require the beer to be entered in a special category?
Nice. Maybe the mash paddle version tastes ‘oaked’ ? ;D
Mine would taste maple.
Where you live probably vine maple
Except it didn’t come from around here…
That’s what they all say. And you’re probably just holding it for a friend.
Thanks! It was fun to make!
I have a long SS spoon and have used mostly that. I have one slotted for the mash and one non slotted in the boil. I made an Amazon order a few weeks back and I picked up a wooden paddle from the Bayou Classic people. I have 2 of their pots as a HLT and a boil kettle. Those have been great so for $12 for a 35" paddle, I figured I would try it. Only used it once but it made things a lot easier, the spoon I usually use is a little short for my new bigger mashtun and starts to really hurt my hand.
This seems like it is also soft wood so I’ll have to keep it clean and sanitized.
A Navy Master Chief friend of mine made mine out of a piece of White Ash.
Here’s his Facebook Page. He makes shadowboxes for folks that are retiring. The photo of the mash paddle he made for me is near the bottom.
I have a piece of maple laying around that I figure I would make a mash paddle out of.
Almost looks too nice to place into sticky, sugary, hot wort. Great work!
I have a cheap plastic paddle from Midwest Supplies. It tends to bend a bit while I am stirring but it works. I have thought about investing in a nice wooden paddle sometime.