Pata de pato

Question

My lovely novia has the oft painful charge of having to translate bad and technical Spanish into English.

Does anyone know what 'pata de pato' might mean in the brewing industry.

Context:

Verificar la entrada de jarabe de maíz al cocedor de baja, que tenga instalada la pata de pato en la entrada de producto.

Yes the diffuser could be the item in question it does rather look like the toes of a ducks foot. The other option would be the mixing paddles in the kettle also having a shape like that. of course brewing terminolgy has carried over from the past. - pacofinkler, Feb 21, 2011

I suggested that she use the word diffuser, give that is sits 'en la entrada de producto'. Thanks again. - afowen, Feb 21, 2011

Answer 1

mash paddle

Thanks Q, I think it's some kind of diffuser, used to spray the syrup into the vessel rather than having it pour, still no closer to the industry term... - afowen, Feb 21, 2011

Answer 2

I'll take a guess: Mixing paddles on the equipment?

Thanks, it's a big big brewery :-) - afowen, Feb 21, 2011

Answer 3

Hi Afowen:

In a large brewing operation the brew kettle has a mixer integral to the machine, I have seen in microbreweries a long handled stainless steel tool used to mix or submerge the ingredients into the kettle, It has a shape that could be considered a "duck foot"

Thanks Paco, this is a massive brewery, they have a 14 metre diameter lauter tun, I doubt that much is done manually. Reading the sentence again, it sounds like it could be a device covering the tube down which comes the syrup so as to spray it into... - afowen, Feb 21, 2011

... thekettle - afowen, Feb 21, 2011