Stupidest mistake of the year? Yah, I think so....

So I've got sparge water heated, grain all milled....getting the mash tun together and......where's my stainless false bottom?

I looked everywhere. Up, down, every-freaking-where.

I'm now convinced I dumped my grain out into a large plastic bag last time and left the false bottom in the trash bag. And trash just got picked up oh...about an hour ago.

Cheese and freaking rice.

How do I explain this one to SWMBO?

Oh, bummer! I "almost" did that with my manifold. It was sitting in a hefty bag of spent grains in the trash. When I was cleaning up after a brew day I noticed it MIA since I always make sure I put it back in cooler when done (forgot to add it before the grains once ).

Dude said:

How do I explain this one to SWMBO?

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She don't gotsta know. Be a real gangster and replace it without her knowing.

Oh, f*ck. Dude, that sucks. Wow...

Um, does she have to know?

desertBrew said:

Oh, bummer! I "almost" did that with my manifold. It was sitting in a hefty bag of spent grains in the trash. When I was cleaning up after a brew day I noticed it MIA since I always make sure I put it back in cooler when done (forgot to add it before the grains once ).

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I dump my grain into the green recycling barrel with the grass clippings. I've had my manifold come out a few times.

Dude said:

How do I explain this one to SWMBO?

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You know she'll know what happened as soon as she goes looking for her colander and you've flattened it...

homebrewer_99 said:

You know she'll know what happened as soon as she goes looking for her colander and you've flattened it...

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LOL!!!! Hey good idea!!

Well at least I had my old trusty 5 gallon MLT cooler still available. *Whew*

And regarding buying another under her nose, RIGHT. She's got that checking account buckled up tighter than a snare drum. This one is going to include begging...I know it.

Dude said:

LOL!!!! Hey good idea!!

Well at least I had my old trusty 5 gallon MLT cooler still available. *Whew*

And regarding buying another under her nose, RIGHT. She's got that checking account buckled up tighter than a snare drum. This one is going to include begging...I know it.

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Get some perforated SS from onlinemetals.com and make one - it'll cost you half as much, at most.

That's why I throw the spent grains into the neighbor's yard. I'd only have to jump the fence. Man, it's tough enough to get buying permission and now you have to get RE-buying permission. ouch. By the way, the year's not up yet. Stupider might still happen.

That SUCKS, dude. I recently found a little plactic elbow for my sparge arm on the kitchen floor.....I'm definitely on track to throw something important out.

Regardless, I think you should just fess up to SWMBO. Make sure she know how important this is for you. Let her know that you need her support in these hard times, and that she should be there for you. The correct response, Dude's Special Lady Friend, is "Honey, just write down what you need. I'll run to the LHBS and replace it for you while you continue to prep here. I'll pick up a bomber for you, too."

Fiery Sword said:

Regardless, I think you should just fess up to SWMBO. Make sure she know how important this is for you. Let her know that you need her support in these hard times, and that she should be there for you. The correct response, Dude's Special Lady Friend, is "Honey, just write down what you need. I'll run to the LHBS and replace it for you while you continue to prep here. I'll pick up a bomber for you, too."

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LOL. I agree with the advice to confess. I hate it when SWMBO spends discretionary money without telling me. It's not that I expect her to ask my permission, pre se--I just hate the "sneakiness" aspect.

You might try crying. Just sit somewhere you know where she'll be shortly and start crying, with hand to forehead.
Nab her sympathy BEFORE telling her how stupid you were.

It..uh.. might work.

God I'm glad I'm single...

Copper manifold will cost you under $10. Might want to make one of those.. It's what I use.

Man, that sucks Dude! Glad to hear that you have a back up plan for today's brew session though.

Sounds like someone's about to get a SS braid for the necessary "Toilet Repair".

Isn't she in Qatar? Isn't there a way to weasle out the $50 for another purpose?

Cheesefood said:

Sounds like someone's about to get a SS braid for the necessary "Toilet Repair".

Isn't she in Qatar? Isn't there a way to weasle out the $50 for another purpose?

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All good ideas.....I think I am just going to buy it and suffer the consequences later.

Or be a TRUE gangsta and tell her "B**** better have my money!" Then go buy a new one.

It sounds like a perfect time to "upgrade" to a stainless braid. I had a false bottom for years and I got rid of it because the stainless braid works much better and it's 1/10 the cost.

In 1 year I had about 3 stuck sparges with the FB. In the 3 years I've used the braid I've had none and my efficiency went up. Most of the members of my club have also switched to a braid and the clubs 40 gallon system uses one.

This is all it takes and I get 80%+ efficiency consistantly....

Monster Mash said:

It sounds like a perfect time to "upgrade" to a stainless braid. I had a false bottom for years and I got rid of it because the stainless braid works much better and it's 1/10 the cost.

In 1 year I had about 3 stuck sparges with the FB. In the 3 years I've used the braid I've had none and my efficiency went up. Most of the members of my club have also switched to a braid and the clubs 40 gallon system uses one.

This is all it takes and I get 80%+ efficiency consistantly....

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I have a stainless braid in my small MLT--I agree it works better than the false bottom. However, how do you keep the braid on the bottom? I'm always scared to death of ripping that braid off when I stir the mash (I batch sparge).

Dude said:

I have a stainless braid in my small MLT--I agree it works better than the false bottom. However, how do you keep the braid on the bottom? I'm always scared to death of ripping that braid off when I stir the mash (I batch sparge).

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You could clamp it down.

Dude, get a small close nipple. Insert it into the open end of the braid instead of folding it over. Leave it about halfway out. Attach with a hose clamp. Add an endcap piece. Just enough weight to keep it down on the bottom where it belongs.

Do you need an icepack, Dude?



hahahahaha - I love when I get to ask that!

the_bird said:

Dude, get a small close nipple. Insert it into the open end of the braid instead of folding it over. Leave it about halfway out. Attach with a hose clamp. Add an endcap piece. Just enough weight to keep it down on the bottom where it belongs.

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No guys....it is already clamped to the tee. I'm worried about the mash paddle hooking on the ring and pulling it. I need some kind of weight to hold the braid from floating around.

Dude said:

No guys....it is already clamped to the tee. I'm worried about the mash paddle hooking on the ring and pulling it. I need some kind of weight to hold the braid from floating around.

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That's what the nipple and end cap do - add weight to the end so that the braid stays on the bottom of the tun. The end of the braid that you see is the loose end, it's not connected to anything. I used to hit the braid all the time before I did this - now, it stays put on the bottom without having to hook it down. You obviously just can;t put your mash paddle ALL the way down into the tun indiscriminantly.

the_bird said:

That's what the nipple and end cap do - add weight to the end so that the braid stays on the bottom of the tun. The end of the braid that you see is the loose end, it's not connected to anything. I used to hit the braid all the time before I did this - now, it stays put on the bottom without having to hook it down. You obviously just can;t put your mash paddle ALL the way down into the tun indiscriminantly.

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My braid is a ring, not a T. What kind of efficiency are you getting?

Dude said:

My braid is a ring, not a T. What kind of efficiency are you getting?

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Natch, didn't realize you had a ring. Got ~78% on the pale ale, but I'm still dialing in the system, so it's generally been closer to 70% (mostly because I think I under-sparge). Still learning this AG gig.

If you are batch sparging you don't need a loop, just a straight piece of braid will suffice.

Some people coil solid copper wire around the braid to stiffen it up and keep it in place. Since my MT is 30 gallons and I mash 70+lbs of grain I don't even get close enough to the braid to worry about it.