Making a Mash Paddle

[LouieMacGoo]

After getting my new Anvil Foundry system I quickly realized that my old plastic spoon that I had used for years just wasn't going to cut it anymore as it was a little too short for the new system and not quite strong enough for the seemingly thicker mash. Looking on Amazon and some online homebrew stores the mash paddles that I was seeing that I felt work work for me were in my opinion rather expensive so I decided to do look into making my own as I figured I could make one for considerably less.

First I searched for which wood is best for use as a mash paddle which returned the following options.

• Maple: Non-porous, dense, and widely recommended for its durability and minimal flavor impact.
• Oak: White oak is preferred over red oak due to its tighter grain.
• Cherry or Poplar: Both have suitable grain properties but are less common than maple.
• Hickory: Dense and durable, ideal for brewing applications.

Based on that information I decide to use either Maple or Hickory and headed off to my local big box lumber yard (Menard's) in search of the suitable lumber. I determined that a 6 foot piece or 1" X 4" would allow me to make two mash paddles, just in case I screwed up making the first on. I found 1 board of Maple at the store but it was noticeably warped so I moved on to the Hickory and found several suitable pieces that I could use at a cost of about $20.

After getting back home I started looking at different designs online and on YouTube. I wanted something that was functional, obviously but also fairly simple in design to try to keep the work to a minimum. I then sketched out the design on the board and headed out to the garage to start cutting and shaping it. Fortunately I had all the tools I needed and was able to get it done pretty quickly. In about two hours time I had my mash paddle done and ready to use. I think this will be a good addition to my brewing.

Mash Paddle

[/image]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP ... authuser=0[/image]

[Beer-lord]

For some reason, the image isn't working for me.
I just use a long, hard plastic for the mash and a long metal spoon for the boil. I have 2 nice paddles that are boiling crawfish. 1 wooden and one stainless.

[LouieMacGoo]

I updated the link. See if you can see it now?

[LouieMacGoo]

For some reason I can't get the image to show up on the original post only on a reply.

[berryman]

I finally see the picture now, looks good. I use to post a lot pic. on here, but can't figure it out in a long time on my IPhone.

[mashani]

Thats pretty nice and very similar to mine... except I was lazy and bought it vs. made it.

[bpgreen]

I have a great mash paddle. I bought it from a fellow Borg member. I don't remember who.

[berryman]

Thats pretty nice and very similar to mine... except I was lazy and bought it vs. made it.

I bought mine too, but it was solid and used it a few times and then did the holes myself later on.

[berryman]

I have a great mash paddle. I bought it from a fellow Borg member. I don't remember who.

I can't think of his name either, he came here with the bunch when the Mr Beer fan forum shut down and made some nice custom paddles.