Suthrncomfrt1884
Well-Known Member
I've been having problems lately with stuck sparges on my small scale system. I'm not in a huge rush to fix it since I mostly brew on the RIMS, but for smaller experimental batches, I use my old HD 10gallon cooler for a MLT. When I first started brewing AG with the cooler, it was great. The last 4 or 5 batches I've done on it have had stuck sparges though. I've been able to blow into the tubing in order to get it flowing again, but I'd prefer to not have to do this.
I use a homemade copper manifold that's just a circle that sits about 2" above the bottom of the cooler and an 1" or so away from the sides. I have slits cut in it about every 1/4" or so. It doesn't have anything to rest on the one side, so when grains are loaded in, it sits on the bottom of the cooler. It's also not sweat into the ball valve because I wanted it to be easily removable for cleaning. I do protein rests on most of my beers, so can anyone see another reason why this is constantly becoming stuck?
I did notice that the cooler walls have become fairly warped in one spot over the years.... could this be causing issues?
I use a homemade copper manifold that's just a circle that sits about 2" above the bottom of the cooler and an 1" or so away from the sides. I have slits cut in it about every 1/4" or so. It doesn't have anything to rest on the one side, so when grains are loaded in, it sits on the bottom of the cooler. It's also not sweat into the ball valve because I wanted it to be easily removable for cleaning. I do protein rests on most of my beers, so can anyone see another reason why this is constantly becoming stuck?
I did notice that the cooler walls have become fairly warped in one spot over the years.... could this be causing issues?