Am I doing this wrong

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bxtzd3

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JIM THORPE
So i have my tun all set. But I can't get it to flow water. Is the braid to long? At first if I tilted it it would go then stop. This stinks.

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The bulkhead inlet needs to be under water. The braid is "open" and not a hose. The inlet needs to be submerged for water to flow.

To reduce the bottom deadspace, install an airtight assembly from the bulkhead inlet to the lower lying braid (or manifold), such as a bend pipe, tubing, or a hose.
 
Fill it up with more water, put a hose/tube on your hose barb to create a siphon....She will only drain as high as the ball valve without a hose/tube on the end of your ball valve barb (the hose is needed to creat the siphon effect)
 
You do have holes cut in your tubing right? If not, that is your problem IMO. I have a brass square head plug (Watts #737) in the end of my tubing with a SS clamp to keep anything out.
 
You do have holes cut in your tubing right? If not, that is your problem IMO. I have a brass square head plug (Watts #737) in the end of my tubing with a SS clamp to keep anything out.
its stainless steel braid. holes already there. i know its ugly but it was a test run.
 
its stainless steel braid. holes already there. i know its ugly but it was a test run.

It is just a braid with no tubing inside? Wouldn't that collapse under the weight of the grist anyhow?

I buy my SS braid in 12" sections, cut the fittings off, push the braid off of the tubing, cut staggered holes into a 12" piece of 3/8" tubing, and then run that through the stainless braid and I have never had any issues outside of one stuck sparge when my plug came out the back of the tubing.
 
ok, i took my 50 qt cooler back and got a 70 with the outlet in the right spot. i also picked up a 18" braided hose 3/4" wide and cooper wire for bracing inside the hose. i think this will be better. yes/no?
 
It is just a braid with no tubing inside? Wouldn't that collapse under the weight of the grist anyhow?

Hi, Guys.

Quality stainless braiding should hold up to the weight with out collapsing. If it collapses it is most likely that faux SS plastic crap.

I'm very much a noob, but it seems the problem with the lack of internal tubing and such a long braid will be the tendancy for the braid to flex downward rather than collapse. Since the braid is an open filtration system and not a sealed hose, only the length of the braid that is level to the valve inlet will be effective. I think this will result in less area to filter the wort and more possibility for a stuck sparge.

I'm not sure what cooper wire is, but if it holds the braid level with the valve, it should be okay in my inexperienced opinion.
 
I put coiled(around pencil) 16 gauge wire in my braid to prevent the braid from possibly collapsing.
 
Hi, Guys.

Quality stainless braiding should hold up to the weight with out collapsing. If it collapses it is most likely that faux SS plastic crap.

I'm very much a noob, but it seems the problem with the lack of internal tubing and such a long braid will be the tendancy for the braid to flex downward rather than collapse. Since the braid is an open filtration system and not a sealed hose, only the length of the braid that is level to the valve inlet will be effective. I think this will result in less area to filter the wort and more possibility for a stuck sparge.

I'm not sure what cooper wire is, but if it holds the braid level with the valve, it should be okay in my inexperienced opinion.

True this. Just shorten your SS braid to about 12'' and you'll be golden. Never had my SS braid collapse, on my MT or BK. Only stuck sparge I have ever had was when I used about a half pound of zest trying to cool from the boil kettle. But I guess that wouldn't make it a stuck SPARGE now would it....
 
well i used my first braid with a copper coil in and it worked. of course how well i will know in 4 weeks, when this b*tch is bottled and ready
 
That looks like it would be a PITA. Too long, too flexible, too wimpy. I used a 12 inch water heater supply line. It would go over the outside of you fittings. I can beat the s*#t out of it when stirring with no problems.

I think I used this one. http://www.homedepot.com/p/3-4-in-x-3-4-in-x-12-in-Braided-Stainless-Steel-Water-Heater-Supply-Line-FIP-x-FIP-Lead-Free-LFBK-LBF-12/203789991#.Udt1LfmW-So

That's the same one I used. Works awesome and doesn't require any reinforcement. It was a bit of ***** to slip the braid off the rubber hose inside though. I believe I used a 3/4" brass nut to cap it and married the other end to my existing 1/4" barb connector.
 
I too tried that once and that was enough, I went to Depot and got pvc (the type that takes hot water) and built a manifold and drilled 1/16" hole all over it and have never had another problem.
 
That's the same one I used. Works awesome and doesn't require any reinforcement. It was a bit of ***** to slip the braid off the rubber hose inside though. I believe I used a 3/4" brass nut to cap it and married the other end to my existing 1/4" barb connector.

Think of it as the old Chinese fingercuffs trick. Push each end of the braid in towrds the center. The braid will expand and you can pull out the tubing.
 
Think of it as the old Chinese fingercuffs trick. Push each end of the braid in towrds the center. The braid will expand and you can pull out the tubing.

That's what I did. The rubber inside was just so 'sticky' that it was difficult to do properly. Not terribly difficult, but required more effort than the narrower toilet supply lines.
 
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