Help with SS Braid

So after my horible stuck sparge incident, I made another manifold for my new mash tun. This time I believe I cut the slits to big. There was some grain that got throught. So now Im going to give a SS braid a chance. Ive looked at some of the posts about building a mash tun, but I still dont understand completely how to attach the SS braid. And the only SS braids that I can find a Lowes are hoses. Do I have to take the rubber out? How to I attach the braid to my valve? If there is a step by step of this that anyone could direct me too that would be awesome. Thanks alot.

flyguy's thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23008

Yes you do have to take the plastic out. Start by cutting the ends off. The two easiest method I have used are a hatchet (nice and quick) and with a tubing cutter. Getting the braid off takes a bit of work. First put on a heavy pair of gloves. The wire ends are sharp! You then need to push the braid off. This stuff is like those old chinese finger traps. The more you pull, the tighter they get. Start at one end and push towards the middle. You will see the braid begin to lift away from the tubing. Just keep working it towards the other end.

To connect the braid simply expand the end to fit over the end of the tube coming out of your bulkhead/valve fitting and secure it with a stainless steel hose clamp.

There are some pictures showing a typical way of hooking up the braid on this page: http://cruisenews.net/brewing/infusion/page1.php

This can be easily modified to work with any type of valve/bulkhead setup.

Another resource for how to do this is at http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

eriktlupus said:

flyguy's thread http://https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23008

Click to expand...

the link isn't working for me

Edit: ahhhh, didn't notice the double http://

I've also used a dremel to cut the ends off. Just grab the inside tube with a pair of needle nose pliers, then pull the tube out while pushing off the braid. Once you get it started it should all slide right off.

I used a jig saw. Getting it off the hose using the "Chinese finger lock" strategy is the key - push in to bulge the mesh, the inch the hose out.

To attach the braid, I put a short section of tubing over the barbed fittings, then put the braid over that (the tubing gives it something to grip). If you pull back on the braid it will snug tight on the tube/barb, like the finger lock. I find that I don't even need hose clamps to keep it on during a mash.

Putting a notched or slotted section of tubing in the braid keeps it from getting kinked or otherwise deformed.

Lastly, I've had better luck with a looped 30" braid connected to a T-fitting. Before I had a 12" straight weighted down with an extra plug on the end.

I crimped the end of mine... I'll neve do that again. Looks ugly. If i do it again one end will be attached to the ball valve on some threads/tubing stretched over barb/etc... and the other end will be attached to a 1/2" SS plug!

I've built my mash tuns pretty much the same way that flyguy describes

http://brewing.lustreking.com/gear/mashtun.html

Anyway, I cut the ends off with a hacksaw, fold one end of the braid back, grab the tubing with a pliers, and gently slide it back with the "handle" created by the folded back braid.

adx said:

I've also used a dremel to cut the ends off. Just grab the inside tube with a pair of needle nose pliers, then pull the tube out while pushing off the braid. Once you get it started it should all slide right off.

Click to expand...

bingo! that's how I do it.
also the braid is woven in one direction...so if it doesn't want to push off one way, try the other...it should come off very easily.

then you just get a barbed adapter for your valve, and I use 2-3 small cable ties to attach it, since its hard to find 100% SS hose clamps (the screws often aren't SS and will corrode in the acidic mash).

Why not solder the stainless mesh tube onto the fitting as well the crimped end?

I got so sick of the stainless steel poking me that I used a copper T compression fitting to attach my braid. I used a pair of pliars to widen the braid and then inserted the compression fitting on the inside and slid the braid in and screwed it all down tight to make a loop. It was a bit of a struggle the first time, but once I figured it out it's pretty easy to repeat.

It doesn't solder, at least when I tried. I think you need special flux. A hose clamp works fine.

Yes you can solder stainless steel with paste flux and 95/5 solder but you have to be carefull with the heat, if the braid turns black it will never take solder. Heat the braid gently ( use just the edge of the flame as you only need to reach 450 degrees to melt the solder) and use plenty of paste, add solder and additional paste to " tin" the braid, then do the same for the fitting you are going to attach to. Assemble braid to fitting and gently apply heat and additional solder. Silvabrite 100 brand solder works a lot better than plain 95/5 solder as it has nickel and silver added to improve wetting and joint fill properties. You will need to use a detergent solution to remove the flux residue as the binder is usually petroleum jelly with zinc chloride added as the cleaning agent.