48 qt rubbermaid manifold vs. stainless weave

Hey guys great break....

just got a 48 qt rubber maid from my busch rep, (gotta love free) just gonna cost me a sixer of HB. My question is should I build a manifold or a braided setup. and if manifold PVC or copper. SHould I solder or just dry fit for cleaning puposes.

Thanks for all the help
The cooler is great, it even has Busch barvarian beer logo on the side, "brewing 50 years"

thanks again

I guess most people will recommend what they use.....
So here's mine. 80% effec never a stuck mash. (batch sparge)

Copper manifold, slots, partially sweated so It doesn't fall apart but it's easy to clean. (Check my sig for pictures)

If you are going to batch sparge then I would go with a stainless steel braid. I have never had a problem as have many others, just make sure it is actually stainless and not plastic.

There you have it - 3 different answers, three different methods. I use a false bottom (keg MLT)! :fro:

Just pick one and go with it. The SS braid is the easiest, but if you want more of a project, do a manifold. Can't go wrong with either one it seems.

Cheers.

Blender said:

If you are going to batch sparge then I would go with a stainless steel braid. I have never had a problem as have many others, just make sure it is actually stainless and not plastic.

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I second that.

If you are batch sparging, then I would recommend a SS braid. It is the cheapest and easiest to construct (see my sig for details).

Honestly, though -- I haven't tried this out my setup yet, so you will have to look to others to see what works best for them. But I did look around thoroughly, and it seems that the popular concensus is that for batch sparging, it doesn't really matter what you use. So I went with the cheap and easy solution.

What's wrong with copper tubing when batch sparging?



And what's the deal with PVC?

Toot said:

What's wrong with copper tubing when batch sparging?



And what's the deal with PVC?

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Nothing.

and...

dunno.

Toot said:

What's wrong with copper tubing when batch sparging?

And what's the deal with PVC?

Click to expand...

Copper is very popular for manifolds, but recently it has become expensive due to supply problems.

PVC is not recommended for use in hot liquids because it will leach nasty chemicals. Use chlorinated PVC (CPVC) instead -- cheap, easy to work with, and can withstand the higher temperatures of a mash without worry of toxins.