Is my mash braid too long?

[jwalker1140]

I batch sparge in a round 5 gal cooler with a stainless steel mash braid I bought from bargainfittings.com. The braid is too long to lay straight by 2-3 inches. I try to push the end of it down so that it curves around the inside wall but it always seems to straighten out and curve up.

Should I clip the end so it can lay flat and straight or just leave it? The wort seems to channel to the end that's sticking up. I know channeling isn't supposed to be a concern with batch sparging, but I still wonder...

 

[duboman]

As long as its draining then I would leave it unless its really bothering you, if so, snip and crimp

 

[CA_Mouse]

I bent mine into an 'S' shape and it works perfectly. I wouldn't mess with it if it works. As they say... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Mouse

 

[wilserbrewer]

Most of the wort drains through the first several inches of the braid...If you feel it beneficial to trim the braid it likely wouldn't hurt. But also having the braid curl up a bit should still drain the MT to the bottom.

 

[TNGabe]

If it's annoying, trim it to lay flat.

 

[jwalker1140]

Guys, thanks for the input. I think I'll leave it alone for now. If anything, I may somehow attach a SS coupling or something to the end to weight it down.

 

[mabrungard]

Don't trim it. The ideal intake screen at the bottom of a mash tun would cover every inch of the bottom. So coiling or bending an intake screen to fit in the tun and cover more of the bottom is preferable.

 

[kh54s10]

Don't trim it. The ideal intake screen at the bottom of a mash tun would cover every inch of the bottom. So coiling or bending an intake screen to fit in the tun and cover more of the bottom is preferable.

I don't believe this is really important. Look at all of the different types of braids/manifolds. There are tons of different setups that work.

I would try to bend it into an s shape just to save some work. If that did not work I would shorten it only because you will be constantly smacking the raised part while stirring.

 

[Denny]

Don't trim it. The ideal intake screen at the bottom of a mash tun would cover every inch of the bottom. So coiling or bending an intake screen to fit in the tun and cover more of the bottom is preferable.

You're thinking fly sparging, Martin. For batch slarging that's not a consideration.

 

[mabrungard]

You're thinking fly sparging, Martin. For batch slarging that's not a consideration.

Nope, it doesn't matter if it is fly sparging or batch sparging. The more the bottom of the vessel is covered with drains, the fewer areas with 'dead zones' that won't have the sugars swept as well from the grist. There is a reason why ALL the professional lauter tuns have screens covering the entire bottom of the tun.

 

[Denny]

Nope, it doesn't matter if it is fly sparging or batch sparging. The more the bottom of the vessel is covered with drains, the fewer areas with 'dead zones' that won't have the sugars swept as well from the grist. There is a reason why ALL the professional lauter tuns have screens covering the entire bottom of the tun.

Martin, I seldom disagree with you, but you're wrong on this one. Because you're draining, not rinsing, with batch sparging, all you need is something to keep the grain from clogging your tun outlet. The "professional" lauter tuns you refer to are made for fly sparging. And they're on an entirely different scale from homebrewing. It's another case of why I'm glad I'm a homebrewer and not a commercial brewer.

 

[bobtheUKbrewer2]

The larger the surface area of the piece of braid the faster the wort can be drained. For us homebrewers we need a reasonable flow. I actually use a 6 in by 4 in 3/4 in copper pipe manifold with slots cut every 3 mm - and I wrap this in a medium muslin bag. I normally get gin clear runnings within 5 to 6 pints of run off and my flow rate - set by me - is 5 gallons in 10 minutes.

 

[Bennywisest]

Jwalker, if it works as is, I would probably leave it be. But it is your equipment and really whatever you are comfortable with. What mash efficiencies do you get with your setup? Depending on your comfort level with the mash effeciency either adjust it or leave it be.

 

[Denny]

The larger the surface area of the piece of braid the faster the wort can be drained. For us homebrewers we need a reasonable flow. I actually use a 6 in by 4 in 3/4 in copper pipe manifold with slots cut every 3 mm - and I wrap this in a medium muslin bag. I normally get gin clear runnings within 5 to 6 pints of run off and my flow rate - set by me - is 5 gallons in 10 minutes.

That's about the same for me using a 3/8" braid. Actually, my runoff is a bit faster. It takes me a total of 15 min. to vorlauf, run off the mash, pour in the sparge water, stir it, vorlauf again, and run off the sparge. 7.5-8 gal. in the kettle.

 

[jwalker1140]

Jwalker, if it works as is, I would probably leave it be. But it is your equipment and really whatever you are comfortable with. What mash efficiencies do you get with your setup? Depending on your comfort level with the mash effeciency either adjust it or leave it be.

I get about 75% with my Barley Crusher set at the factory spacing (0.39, I think), so it's not exactly a serious problem from that standpoint. More of a fine tuning issue.

My mash paddle often hits it and moves it around quite a bit, and I see the wort funneling over to the end of the braid that's sticking up despite my best efforts to keep it down.

Thanks again for the advice, especially from such home brewing heavyweights as Denny, Martin, et al.

 

[Denny]

It really doesn't matter of the braid floats since all the draining is at the outlet. The braid is porous. It's not like wort is gonna flow down it.

 

[plumber_bob]

I batch sparge in a round 5 gal cooler with a stainless steel mash braid I bought from bargainfittings.com. The braid is too long to lay straight by 2-3 inches. I try to push the end of it down so that it curves around the inside wall but it always seems to straighten out and curve up.

Should I clip the end so it can lay flat and straight or just leave it? The wort seems to channel to the end that's sticking up. I know channeling isn't supposed to be a concern with batch sparging, but I still wonder...

The braid in my MLT is really long, like 5'. It goes every where it the tun. Never had a problem, but I'm looking at getting a 2' version to see how that does. I just don't like having to hold the 10 gal tun way over my head to dump the spent grains, and trying to keep the braid from touching the ground.

pb --- Never goes good.

 

[silentmike]

The braid in my MLT is really long, like 5'. It goes every where it the tun. Never had a problem, but I'm looking at getting a 2' version to see how that does. I just don't like having to hold the 10 gal tun way over my head to dump the spent grains, and trying to keep the braid from touching the ground.

pb --- Never goes good.

why does the braid touching the ground matter?

 

[plumber_bob]

why does the braid touching the ground matter?

It just bugs me I guess. I know it rinses easily, but it just bugs me when it dangles in dirt and leaves.

pb

 

[silentmike]

ha fair enough....my braid goes about 3/4 the length of my tun and i get great results...i dont think it matters too much

 

[plumber_bob]

ha fair enough....my braid goes about 3/4 the length of my tun and i get great results...i dont think it matters too much

That sounds like a better length.

Mine is all kinked and funky looking so I'll probably get a new one at about 2'.

Actually I bought one that long at Wally World yesterday. After I cut the ends off I realized I'd bought the plastic braided kind.

pb

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Guys, thanks for the input. I think I'll leave it alone for now. If anything, I may somehow attach a SS coupling or something to the end to weight it down.

You can buy something like this, a simple Stainless plug. You could also just get lead free brass.

At a HD or Lowes...insert it into the end of your braid and put a hose clamp around it. Whala you have capped and sealed your end and weighed it down.

 

[relaxnrelapsen]

You can buy something like this, a simple Stainless plug. You could also just get lead free brass.

At a HD or Lowes...insert it into the end of your braid and put a hose clamp around it. Whala you have capped and sealed your end and weighed it down.

my question is if you can get a plug like this, why not fasten it to ball valve (with appropriate washer of course) and skip the braid all together?

 

[silentmike]

my question is if you can get a plug like this, why not fasten it to ball valve (with appropriate washer of course) and skip the braid all together?

what i am not doing is following what you mean here...

 

[plumber_bob]

what i am not doing is following what you mean here...

It's either humor,... or a gross misunderstanding of the purpose of a valve and screen!

Or,... there were too many beers involved before posting!

pb

 

[wilserbrewer]

my question is if you can get a plug like this, why not fasten it to ball valve (with appropriate washer of course) and skip the braid all together?

Yes, this is exactly what I do when I have been brewing too much and want to stop brewing, sort of a makeshift mash tun chastity belt.

Try the veal