Draw string grain bags

Are draw string grain bags meant to be reused? I was ordering a kit from more beer.com they don't come with grain bags. The bags they sell are $5. It doesn't say if its more then one bag. Why are some grain bags so expensive, can you reuse them? I would think it would make more sense to buy some cheap ones in bill

Mtdesh said:

Are draw string grain bags meant to be reused? I was ordering a kit from more beer.com they don't come with grain bags. The bags they sell are $5. It doesn't say if its more then one bag. Why are some grain bags so expensive, can you reuse them? I would think it would make more sense to buy some cheap ones in bill

Click to expand...

Bulk

sure you can re-use them if they are undamaged. Rinse it out and let it air dry.

I use one gallon paint strainers. Work great. Tie off top with string, rinse, reuse.

http://www.amazon.com/Trimaco-11311-25-Gallon-Strainer/dp/B000FKEFV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1360085275&sr=1-1&keywords=one+gallon+paint+strainers

another option, when you make your order from morebeer, search for "muslin". You'll see muslin socks/bags for like .75 cents.

that's what I always use, and just toss 'em.

I recently started using 5 gallon paint strainer bags from Lowes. Cheap and effective

I like the nylon hops bags. They make em big enough for grains too. Just wash em and save em. Nylon seems to hold up better and no grain escapes.

Reuse them. I use paint strainer bags or bags sewn from voile. The hops stain the bag, the grains not so much. Staining is not a sanitary problem.

I rise off any residue then turn it inside-out and repeat until almost all the little bits are gone. Almost impossible to get every last grain fragment, but two or three bits have not hurt anything. Squish them in a sanitizing solution. Hang out to dry like DW's nylons. Just before using, rinse and pass through sanitizing solution.

Note on sour beer: another thread suggested separating the plastic equipment used for sour beer from that used for regular beer. The reasoning from experience is the bacteria necessary for sour beer hang around in the scratches of plastic fermenters and the weave of plastic bags.