Many all-grains .... first stuck sparge, first time using braid. Coincidence?

[SamuraiSquirrel]

So a little background.........

I've done about ten all-grain batches prior to my most recent batch that got stuck.

My previous setup was a 12 gallon rectangular cooler with a copper manifold. This mash tun was awesome except it had one flaw. It lost about 5-6 degrees over a 60 minute mash. Everything else worked great. I made big, beers, small beers, wheat beers, used rice hulls, forgot rice hulls. Never had anything close to a stuck sparge.

Well I had an itch to make some changes so I picked up 2 10-gallon igloo coolers of off of craigslist and converted them to HLT & MLT. I went the braid route as it was cheap, easy, i batch sparge, and I heard people have good results.

First batch was brewed with the new setup this past weekend. It was a simple and cheap beer (ed's pale ale). Got the grain from BMW as i did with almost all of my other previous batches. Mash went fine. Hit the target temps. Coolers held temp within 1 degree over 60 minutes - AWESOME.

............ Then it came time to runoff.........

I could not get the beer out for the life of me. I would get about half a quart and then it would come to a sudden and complete stop. I tried running off slow didn't work, fast didn't work. So after about an 1.5 -2.0 hours of stirring with the valve open I finally got my 8 gallons (initial runoff + 2 sparge rounds) of wort out.

Needless to say I build a manifold for my tun the very next day. I am pretty excited about trying it out but still frustrated and disappointed in my first and only braid experience.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Did the braid get crushed? Did you use a stainless steel braid?

I never had any problems with mine until the last two batches, which got stuck (because I crushed the braid right by the ball valve assembly). It wasn't that big of a deal, because blowing into it every half gallon or so kept things going reasonably well. Yesterday I took the braid out, reversed it, and am confident that things will work again just fine next time I use it.

I have never used a manifold or false bottom, but as long as you can keep the braid from collapsing or getting crushed, this method works fine.

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

Yeah, Stainless braid. After i removed grain and cleaned tun braid was still in perfect condition. Wasn't crushed, bent, of beat up at all. Looked brand new. I am kind of confused as to why it kept getting stuck.

I never understood how painful a stuck sparge was until this past batch. I never want to experience it again.

 

[mkling]

I know it's not likely . . . but you did remove the plastic tube from inside the braid, right?

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

yes, tube was removed.

 

[alemonster]

did you maybe open the valve wide open right off the bat? I did that, and got stuck.

but hey you got a great new MANifold!!

mike

 

[TheMan]

I brewed with the OP that day. Brought my whole setup over to his place. I've done numerous batches with my cooler/braid setup. I've never had a stuck sparge, yet that day I had a stuck sparge as well. I attribute it to not using rice hulls, I believe I've used hulls in every batch so far and forgot them for this one. But perhaps there is something in his water lol

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

RICE HULLS SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED A BATCH CONSISTING OF 8 LBS 2-ROW & 2 LBS VIENNA.

It is all the braids fault.

Braids are for women. Copper is much more manly. Plus i got to solder stuff which is always a bonus.

 

[CamelToeJoe]

Ditto on not opening the valve all the way open. I only crack mine about 1/2 to 3/4 open. When I open it all the way I tend to get a stuck sparge.

 

[BadKarma]

I have a high temp perforated tube in my braid and I always use rice hulls. No stuck sparge in 2 years.

Could be that the crush you got this time was a bit finer than normal. Maybe the beer gods needed some comic relief that day!!!

 

[Denny]

As I've often said, I don't use rice hulls, I don't have anything inside my braid, and I've never had a stuck runoff in 371 batches. It can be done.

 

[TheMan]

As I've often said, I don't use rice hulls, I don't have anything inside my braid, and I've never had a stuck runoff in 371 batches. It can be done.

This is what I told him...I've done plenty without a stuck sparge. He is convinced it's the braid lol.

I cannot fault the crush...Brewmasterswarehouse has never failed...

 

[BadKarma]

Any number of things can cause one. Sometimes it seems like you eyeballed the MLT wrong and BINGO stuck!!!!

Any excuse to tinker with equipment is a good thing. And fun too. RDWHAHB.

 

[Bandit]

I had a similar experience. In preparation for my first all grain session, I was trying out my new cooler mash tun with bazooka screen by filling it with just water. No grain was in the cooler, I was just doing a dry run walk through of my batch sparge steps. I opened the ball valve fully and little to nothing came out. I then blew into the run off hose and then the water flowed freely. I am guessing an air bubble in the valve was keeping the water from flowing. Maybe you have a similar issue?