Tubing for SS braid support.

I am just about to finish my cooler to MLT conversion and I am doing the SS braid setup.

On flyguy's tutorial he mentions some vinyl tubing to place in for support. I think I found it at my local ACO. It says vinyl (PVC) tubing safe for potable water but not ice machines. The packaging also states that it is good up until 175*F and I think 50psi or so. It seems like my keg tubing that I have. It comes in a 10' package so I could use what I need for the braid and then the rest can be used outside the cooler.

OR

Do I get the stiff white ice machine tubing?

OR

Just reuse the tube I just pulled out of the SS braid, notch it, and out it back into the braid?

Thanks in advance.

Personally, I'd use some 14gauge copper wire and wrap it around a pencil or dowel, then push that inside the braid.

Put nothing inside the braid, it will be fine. More often than not, something inside the braid will only hinder it performance!!

No real benifit IMO to a real long braid either. Oh, and when you stir the mash, just use a reasonable amount of care around the braid. KISS

If you are insistent on over designing your braid, i would put a coiled piece of copper wire.

IMO a piece of vinyl tubing w/ slits is a BAD idea inside the braid which often results in a next post of:

"STUCK MASH W/ BRAID...WTF"

Actually, FlyGuy only uses the tubing to secure the braid instead of using clamps, not to support the SS braid:

FlyGuy said:

...
EDIT: If you use the tubing insert idea instead of hose clamps to secure your braid, you MUST use stiff, high temp, food grade tubing. This works exceptionally for myself and many other people. However, if you use rubber tubing, or soft tubing, or tubing that is not rated for high temperatures, it will collapse under its own weight inside the SS braid and cause a stuck sparge. Further, you do not need the tubing to reinforce the SS braid -- it should not collapse under the weight of the mash (if it does you either have a deceivingly similar-looking plastic braid, or the quality of your SS braid is too poor to use in an MLT).

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Sorry bad thread title. My main concern is the connection issue with the hose clamps. Flyguy's 'ss' clamps had non stainless screws. Is that universal for SS clamps or did he just get a bad batch? Do zip ties work?

I may buy the the first option of tubing for draining the wort anyway.

adamjab19 said:

Sorry bad thread title. My main concern is the connection issue with the hose clamps. Flyguy's 'ss' clamps had non stainless screws. Is that universal for SS clamps or did he just get a bad batch? Do zip ties work?

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Zip ties will work, but who knows what they are made of.

Regarding the stainless screw clamps, I've been using the same ones for years, and have never had any corroding problems.

ok ss clamps it is to start. Ill get the first tubing I mentioned for the outside of the cooler and if I find I need it Ill just cut off some and put that into the SS braid.

Thanks!

I simply replaced the band clamps with zip ties, no tubing. For what it's worth, I've only done a partial mash but I had no issues. I plan on doing a AG batch with this setup next weekend.

Zip ties +1(they're nylon).If you want a braid support go to a welding shop & ask for a 1ft piece of SS welding wire ,wrap around a pencil to form spring & insert in braid.Cheap insurance and peace of mind.Mine like this has never had a stuck sparge not using rice hulls and w/grain bill of up to 1/2 of flaked wheat.

I know that the hose clamps at my local Lowes are 100% stainless and have never rusted. I also had luck with the hose clamps from Mcmaster.com. Home depot on the other hand....

Tie-wraps will be fine, and SS hose clamps with SS worm gear is available at Lowe's. Regardless of the route you choose, please don't try to use any tubing to support the braid. In my experience, true SS braid will support itself as long as you don't hammer it while stirring and with the tubing you are almost guaranteed a stuck sparge.

My mash paddle was pretty rough on my old braid and beat it up after a few mashes, stretched it out, caused some openings that were too large IMO. I got some stainless steel wire, coiled it around a marker, and slid it inside a new braid. It has held up much better than my old, unsupported braid.

I didn't have any stainless clamps on hand when I made my MLT, so I just clamped the braid to the hose barb with a piece of 14 gauge copper wire wrapped around and twisted tight, no tubing, works great so far.

Fozzie said:

I didn't have any stainless clamps on hand when I made my MLT, so I just clamped the braid to the hose barb with a piece of 14 gauge copper wire wrapped around and twisted tight, no tubing, works great so far.

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I did this w/ my leftover SS wire and promptly stirred my braid off the hose end on my first mash--thus the zip ties,Digging 11lbs. of 155F grain out to re-attach sux!!Mine was Denny Conn style though and over a stub of hose--not a barb.

wilserbrewer said:

IMO a piece of vinyl tubing w/ slits is a BAD idea inside the braid which often results in a next post of:

"STUCK MASH W/ BRAID...WTF"

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Wow, seriously? Every stuck mash w/braid story I've read was without tubing inside the braid.

Lord knows mine has worked flawlessly for a couple years now, with the tubing. That's the only way I'll ever use it.

bull8042 said:

and with the tubing you are almost guaranteed a stuck sparge.

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Now that is just silly! Are you Ashton Kutcher? Have we all just been punk'd?!? :cross: