SenorWanderer

Recipes 

What a waste of money! I got so gummed up last night. everything stuck solid after my first gallon of first runnings. This isn't the frist time i've had issues, but i've always been able to work through it fairly quickly. i was doing a stout, so no adjuncts. i did adjust my Barley Crusher from the factory setting of .039" down to .035" and it did seem a little floury, but a lot of people have done this and have been happy with it. I had to dump my mash into buckets, clean out the MLT, install the SS braid i have in my 2 gallon MLT, and continue. worked fine. hit my volume, hit my OG, efficiency only suffer 3 points. So that's it, false bottoms suck A$$, a complete waste of money, and the worst part is that the SS braid works BETTER.

On a completely unrelated topic, i have 9" and 12" Northern Brewer false bottoms for sale. they work great!! you'll love 'em, i promise! PM me if you're interested.

Evan!

Recipes 

I use a false bottom and have never had a stuck sparge.

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.planned:
•Scottish 80/- •Sweet Stout •Roggenbier
.primary | bright:
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98: Yorkshire Special 100: Maple Porter 89: Cidre Saison 101: Steffiweizen '09 (#3)

JnJ

Recipes 

This was in an MLT? I use SS braid in my MLT but want to use a false bottom in my keggle (when completed).

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SenorWanderer

Recipes 

Evan!, you suck! seriously though, this is the first time i've really had a problem. but I usually have "issues". maybe i vorlauf too much? but with the braid i don't get the grain in the runnings like i do with the false bottom, AND the vorlauf runs clear faster, AND the runnings move faster. during past sparges with the false bottom the end of the sparge is so slow, like a trickle.

JnJ, yes, cooler MLT. a false bottom in a keggle to strain break and hops would work fine, i'm sure. i use a bazooka tube in my kettle and it works great.

DAAB

Recipes 

I expect shifting it between vessels helped, sounds like it compacted too much. I much prefer a false bottom over braid or copper manifold.

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Ó Flannagáin

Recipes 

Build a copper manifold. You'll never have a stuck sparge again!!

RLinNH

Recipes 

What the French Guy said.

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Bernie Brewer

Recipes 

Plastic or stainless? I'll be interested if they are stainless. I've never used anything but false bottoms and have never had a stuck sparge.


EDIT: I will say, however, that my brewing buddy has had a stuck sparge with a false bottom, but a quick burst from his air compressor solved the problem. And before you sanitation nazis have a heart attack about that, remember it was pre-boil, so there were no issues with nasties.

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BierMuncher

Recipes 

Only had one stuck sparge (greedy crush) and a simple back flush with a hose blew it clean and away we went…

I don’t know that a back flush would do much for a false bottom.

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SenorWanderer

Recipes 

ok, maybe i've been hasty! i would have to think it was my crush. it's the only thing i've changed. i did blow into the valve and that didn't do a damn bit of good. got lots of bubbles though. this was the first time using my 10 gallon MLT. my 5 gallon has a false bottom as well, and i don't usually have problems with that. like i said in the OP, i changed the settings on Barley Crusher from .039 to .035. is that really too much? like i said, it did look a little floury. i'm doing a belgian after turkey day, so i'll give it one more chance. those of you who have PM'd me, i'll hold on to 'em just in case.