Mash tun keeps getting clogged

[eightv]

Hey, i have just done my secodn brew ever and everything went smoothly except mashing. Since i'm only doing 1 gallon (~4l) batches i have converted this 10l cooler into mash tun by drilling a hole, installing ball valve, nipple, etc. For the inside part i've bought a metal mesh hose with rubber hose inside it. I took it apart, made alot of holes in the rubber hose and reinstalled it inside the metal mesh hose.
My first mash got clogged in 10 seconds. I had to take the hose off, take the rubber part out and use metal mesh hose only. It went ok after that but my wort turned out rather cloudy.
Now second batch was today. Using only metal mesh hose, it got clogged in like 15 seconds and nothing helped. I've tried stirring, clearing the hose, clearing the valve, opening the end of the hose, all to no success.
I had to transfer everything to a strainer and mash/sparge using that. It wasn't even the mesh kind, the strainer i have has like 20 rather big holes on it and even using that mashing was very slow, i'm talking going drop by drop slow, so i had to stir it.
As a result it was a huge mess and my wort came out super cloudy and with alot of sediment in it.
I am now thinking about ways this mess could be avoided. I could install a false bottom but the flow was so slow using the strainer, i'm not sure the false bottom won't get clogged up. I am also thinking about brewing bags, which seems to be easier. Would you recomend bags over traditional mashing/sparging?
Also, since my wort turned out having alot of suspended particles, is there a way to clear it before bottling?

 

[plankbr]

Hey, i have just done my secodn brew ever and everything went smoothly except mashing. Since i'm only doing 1 gallon (~4l) batches i have converted this 10l cooler into mash tun by drilling a hole, installing ball valve, nipple, etc. For the inside part i've bought a metal mesh hose with rubber hose inside it. I took it apart, made alot of holes in the rubber hose and reinstalled it inside the metal mesh hose.
My first mash got clogged in 10 seconds. I had to take the hose off, take the rubber part out and use metal mesh hose only. It went ok after that but my wort turned out rather cloudy.
Now second batch was today. Using only metal mesh hose, it got clogged in like 15 seconds and nothing helped. I've tried stirring, clearing the hose, clearing the valve, opening the end of the hose, all to no success.
I had to transfer everything to a strainer and mash/sparge using that. It wasn't even the mesh kind, the strainer i have has like 20 rather big holes on it and even using that mashing was very slow, i'm talking going drop by drop slow, so i had to stir it.
As a result it was a huge mess and my wort came out super cloudy and with alot of sediment in it.
I am now thinking about ways this mess could be avoided. I could install a false bottom but the flow was so slow using the strainer, i'm not sure the false bottom won't get clogged up. I am also thinking about brewing bags, which seems to be easier. Would you recomend bags over traditional mashing/sparging?
Also, since my wort turned out having alot of suspended particles, is there a way to clear it before bottling?

You need to throw that rubber piece away. It's not helping anything. The metal mesh will act as a fine filter. As far as the cloudiness, you need to vorlauf. This means using a clear glass (pyrex measuring cup) or something clear to capture the 1st runnings and return them to the top of the mashtun. This allows the 'sediment' to settle at the top of your mashtun instead of in your boil kettle. Repeat this until the wort is clear and then drain to the boil kettle.

If you're still getting a stuck mash, your grain crush may be too fine.

 

[dsniegocki]

I use a bag along with / instead of a false bottom. If it ever gets stuck, I just lift the bag a bit until it flows again. Biggest plus for me is that clean-up of the spent grain is a snap.

Use a BIAB bag, or get the cheap 5 gal paint strainer bags which you can either rinse out or simply throw away along with the spent grain.

 

[kristiismean]

I second the bag. I use a "Brew Bag" that fit's my 10 Gallon cooler perfectly. and getting rid of spent grains is very very easy,

 

[Bullhawk]

I had the same issue and them I bought a 60 qt. bag to fit in my 10 gallon cooler and haven't had any problems. It's an easy fix

 

[wilserbrewer]

As said above, the braid alone will work well, there is no need to place or leave anything inside the braid. Some also report success lining their MT with a BIAB bag.

 

[dzlater]

Scroll down to "Building the Mashtun"
http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

 

[RM-MN]

As said above, the braid alone will work well, there is no need to place or leave anything inside the braid. Some also report success lining their MT with a BIAB bag.

Some of us skip the whole mash tun idea and just line our boiling kettle with a bag and mash in that. Pull the bag of grains out and let it drain. No clogging ever (unless you use a large percentage of flaked rye. That stuff will clog anything). You can even increase the efficinecy by squeezing out the extra wort that would have remained in the mash tun absorbed in the grain.:rockin:

 

[eightv]

As i mentioned before, my second brew was done using only the braid (no rubber hose) and it still got clogged.
Thank you for your answers everyone, i am definitely using some kind of strainer bag inside mash tun for my third brew. You brew and you learn

 

[kristiismean]

This is what I use. Yes, it's a little more expensive than the others, but to me it's worth it. Very worth it, very well made for an item that can be made cheaper...

http://www.brewinabag.com/collectio...-for-coolers?gclid=CM-QjpGL-88CFUtNfgod39cJNQ

 

[jrcrilly]

You will need to determine whether you are dealing with a stuck sparge (grain bed compacting and blocking flow) or a clogged filter. The fact that it didn't drain even with the strainer may indicate that it is the grains that are causing the problem. If that is the case, a different filter or a bag won't help at all. If it is a stuck sparge, rice hulls or a coarser grind would be the solution instead.

 

[wilserbrewer]

To the OP, are you positive your mesh hose is stainless steel?

A good portion of them are actually a plastic that looks like metal, sold at Home Depot.

Put a lighter to it gently lol

I did a thread "imposter braids" a while back....

The metal braids are very fine wires, the plastic braids are very coarse.

Just a thought, you wouldn't be the first to be fooled.