My handmade mash paddle

[zepicurean]

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing this. It's hard maple treated with Tung oil. I made it all with a jig saw. 

 

[bigmatt]

The image was not available.  How do you like your paddle so far?  I habe been thinking about building one, but have not really had the need until I started making 10 gallon batches of a high gravity ale.  That thick full mash gets harder to stir then and bends plastic brewing spoons easily.

 

[fftwarren]

well I cant see the picture, but whats a mash paddle?

 

[kaiser]

 

[cowgirl]

I can't get the image to open either but Kaiser...the one in your pic is niiiiice! 

 I need one of those!

 

[zepicurean]

That's my paddle! How did you get the picture to post! Thank you!

Glad you like it Cowgirl!

 

[sqwib]

That's my paddle! How did you get the picture to post! Thank you!

Glad you like it Cowgirl!

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q142/zepicurean/DSC01114-1.jpg

dropped the [/IMG] from the end of your link

 

[cowgirl]

That's my paddle! How did you get the picture to post! Thank you!

Glad you like it Cowgirl!

You did a nice job on it!  Looks great!

 

 

[mballi3011]

Now you won't get very far with that paddle chef. Oh you said a mash paddle is that for the kids?? Just kidding you did one fine job chef.

 

[zepicurean]

Thanks MBalli, when I designed it, I wanted something different, so I made the 2-row barley design with a paper template that I traced on. I bought the jig-saw specifically for making the paddle. This was my first ever paddle, and I had very little wood working experience, so I think it's easy enough for anyone to do, should you find a need. 

I usually do 5 gallon batches, and I love having a paddle to stir the mash especially for big beers with a malt bill greater than 10 lbs. The Tung Oil finish is really holding up well after almost 2 years of use. 

 

[ak1]

And, I thought it was for mashed potatos!!!

 

[bigmatt]

well I cant see the picture, but whats a mash paddle?

A mash paddle, to answer your question, is a stirring paddle that mixes barley grains that have been crushed to ensure that there are no dough balls and gets everything to a nice even temperature so that the starches in the grain can convert into sugars which then can be drained from the mash tank, boiled and fermented into beer.
 

 

[bigmatt]

Sorry for the longest run-on sentence ever...