The amazing collapsible braid

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bwomp313

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I've been looking around but haven't quite found the answer to my query. I had a problem recently where my stainless steel braid in my MLT collapsed during a batch and I had to strain out the whole thing, blahblahblah. My question is, I know some people reinforce the braid in different ways. Can I leave the plastic tube in the braid if I drill a whole bunch of holes in it? Or would that piece be no good in the hot temperature of the wort?
 
You could also just shove a few appropriately sized SS nuts into the braid at fixed intervals. I didn't bother with that because while I was poking around a restaurant supply store, I found a 12 inch one of these:

pizza tool-Stainless Steel-6 Inch Pizza Screen/Pizza Pan Screen-Bakest-8807# products, buy pizza tool-Stainless Steel-6 Inch Pizza Screen/Pizza Pan Screen-Bakest-8807# products from alibaba.com

It's a stainless steel pizza screen. I think I paid 3 bucks for it. The holes are NOT fine by any means, but I just taco'd it a little bit, and sat it over the braid on the bottom of my MLT. Keeps the braid from collapsing (I never actually had it happen before, but this is good insurance).
 
You could also just shove a few appropriately sized SS nuts into the braid at fixed intervals. I didn't bother with that because while I was poking around a restaurant supply store, I found a 12 inch one of these:

pizza tool-Stainless Steel-6 Inch Pizza Screen/Pizza Pan Screen-Bakest-8807# products, buy pizza tool-Stainless Steel-6 Inch Pizza Screen/Pizza Pan Screen-Bakest-8807# products from alibaba.com

It's a stainless steel pizza screen. I think I paid 3 bucks for it. The holes are NOT fine by any means, but I just taco'd it a little bit, and sat it over the braid on the bottom of my MLT. Keeps the braid from collapsing (I never actually had it happen before, but this is good insurance).


wrong link?
 
Hmm, yeah, I guess that took you to the main page or something.

It won't post the direct link. I just wanted to post what I was talking about. You can't purchase it from there anyhow.

One of these:

t_pizza%20screen1(1).jpg
 
+1 to Coil some copper wire around a pencil and put that inside the braid. This has worked well for me when I used to use a braid.
 
I've read somewhere here on HBT that the larger diameter SS braids for hot water tanks are more resistant to collapsing. Any truth to that?
 
Time to build a manifold. I used pex tubing in both of my mash tuns (5 gal Gott and 52 qt Coleman Xtreme). A manifold will not crush and the pex lays nice and flat. This will also drain more liquid than a braid so less dead volume.
 
I've read somewhere here on HBT that the larger diameter SS braids for hot water tanks are more resistant to collapsing. Any truth to that?

Probably, the one I use is a larger one for a hot water tank and very solid, never had a problem. It was a ***** to get the inner tube out though as it is rubber so you need some needle nose pliers, work and patience to get the two separated.
 
A lot of us do something to prevent that, we've talked about it throughout here, including in the "cheap and easy..." thread, here's what I've posted;

I've used mine for 5 years and have never had the braid collapse. I took that nylon tube that is inside of it, and I drilled holes in it like a machine gun barrell, and put it back into the braid, which keeps it from getting crushed.

This web pic sort shows what I'm talking about except the one in the plumbing line is white and nylon, I think. You clip off the ends, push the ends of the braid towards each other to loosen, then using needle nose pliers pull out the hose, and drill a lot of hole all through it, then put it back in.

50762_8113f7b0f5da04328cf4858fe67dba13.gif


I also have it in a circle using a t-fitting like this;

PC-1063.jpg


I often even forget to vorlauf and don't get a lot coming through. Just having the braid free floating may cause the gaps in the mesh to be wider than mine- since the braid is in a sense like the chinese finger trap

finger-trap.jpg


on mine the gap between mesh can be adjusted. And mine is pretty tight, almost the original tightness as if I never tore it apart and got the core out and put it back in.

The nice thing about my t-fitting is that it's removable, and at the furthest point from where it is connected to the ball valve it actually touches the bottom of the cooler, so there's also not a lot of deadspace in my cooler, only about 1/2 gallon or so.

The t thingy fits perfectly into the hose ends inside the braid, then I used zip ties (really tiny ones) to hold the braid in place. It's been perfect for like 5 years now.

22829d1301421820-vorlauf-techniques-forumrunner_20110329_135903.jpg


22830d1301421833-vorlauf-techniques-forumrunner_20110329_135955.jpg


22831d1301421849-vorlauf-techniques-forumrunner_20110329_135924.jpg


22834d1301422651-vorlauf-techniques-forumrunner_20110329_141635.jpg


But with the hose in there, it doesn't compress whatsoever.

After drilled holes in it I boiled it for 15-20 minutes, that helped blow out all the little nylon or whatever particles were generated by drilling through the hose. But basically yup, that's all I did.

Putting the hose back in can be a hassel but just remember the chinese finger puzzle concept, pushing the ends towards each other makes it wider and easier to get the hose back in, pulling outward makes it tighter. I use needle nose pliers and long tweezers to help pull the braid in and out as needed.

There's a couple other solutions in here.
 
+1 on the SS Spring from McMaster-Carr. I think I bought 2 & just slid them inside the braid. I would not use plastic tubing because over time i would think it would melt and/or develop scratches that could harbor bacteria/dirt. I know it would all end up in the boil anyway so the bacteria should be killed, but that's just my 2 cents.

I also bought a 4-way connector that looks like a cross...one attaches to the ball valve, the two ends connect the SS Braid and loop around the perimeter of the mash tun, & the connection opposite the ball valve has another SS Braid that runs across the diameter of the mash tun. That way, I figure if one braid collapses during a mash even with a spring in it, I'll still be able to drain the mash tun with the other braid. I posted a pic on the link below.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/mash-tun-buy-237727/index2.html
 
I've read somewhere here on HBT that the larger diameter SS braids for hot water tanks are more resistant to collapsing. Any truth to that?

No. I used a larger diameter braid and it collapsed the last two times I brewed. What a pain in the ass

I bought a 10" false bottom for $30 to replace it. If it works, it would be worth twice that...
 
Thanks for all the responses! I have a lot to consider. Being as I'm quite lazy, I was really hoping that I could just get away with the tubing inside the braid. Where do I find one of those T fittings?
 
Thanks for all the responses! I have a lot to consider. Being as I'm quite lazy, I was really hoping that I could just get away with the tubing inside the braid. Where do I find one of those T fittings?

The tubing inside the braid has served me well for 5 years and a ton of batches.

The t-fitting I got from a hardware store.
 
I use a SS braid and I put a piece of copper wire in the braid to keep it from collapsing. I wrapped it around a skinny pencil, stretched it out so it had some space between the loops and then put it inside. Going strong for almost two years and I'm not careful about how I stir my mash. Give it a shot.
 
Take some ss wire and make a spring looking deal and shove it in the spring
 
bazooka screen!

For my first AG batch I used the false bottom I bought with my mash tun - instant stuck from the moment I opened the valve, it was useless as I found it doesn't even sit totally flat and is slightly warped. I returned it and got a bazooka screen for $17 from Northern, costs even less on some other sites. Second AG batch went wonderfully, no stuck drain/sparge whatsoever.


Rev.
 
yeah, i initially had a false bottom as well. for the most part it was ok but sometimes i had to fight that b*tch like it was a rabid bear. I once had to abort a brewday after dumping the mash out 3 times because it would just not lauter. That was an ESB too, not like a wheat or anything crazy....

anyway when I bought my rectangular cooler it wasn't really an option so I bought a bazooka screen and it works awesome.
 
CGVT said:
No. I used a larger diameter braid and it collapsed the last two times I brewed. What a pain in the ass

I bought a 10" false bottom for $30 to replace it. If it works, it would be worth twice that...

I use the 3/4 inch braid and have had great luck! Maybe I need to put a spring in mine for insurance.
 
I ended up going with the stainless wire and wrapping it around a wooden dowel then sticking it into the braid. It held up pretty well after brewing with it friday. I decided to test her limits making a 100% oat beer which I discuss in this thread.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/otbier-282035/

That is exactly what I did when I made mine. I used 16 gauge wire and wrapped it around a pen and then slid it inside the tube....problem solved.
 
My first one I didn't use anything and then later a piece of rigid tubing which worked ok. I later used PVC which was the most functional of the group but it would probably suck for curved applications. It worked better than nothing at all and was extremely rigid. I used a hacksaw and cut out a slot in the bottom about 1/4" wide (kept it from shifting and flat against the bottom) and drilled the rest out with 1/4" (IIRC anyway) holes as many as I could fit without losing integrity of the piece. I don't think I'd go back to that over a false bottom though.
 
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