Grain Blocking Ball Valves

I brew on a herms system and my mlt has a sabco false bottom.
I use one pump to add sparge water and another to pump wort
to the bk. No matter how I crush my malt small pieces get through
and block the ball valve controlling the wort to bk. Has anybody had success
using a grain bag or paint strainer in a recirculating herms system. The ball
valves are 1/2 in. During mashing it seems fine untill I slow it all down to fly sparge. I dont batch sparge but I will try it if all else fails.

Are you recirculating (vorlauf) prior to running off? Seems to me that you could do this with the valve all the way open, pumping until wort runs clear, then fly sparge and your grainbed should filter the mash, no?

I batch sparge and don't have a pump, but my $0.02...

Have you tried adding foundation water before you add the grist?

Assuming you go water to grain,

- Fill the kettle with strike water til it just covers the FB
- Add grist
- Add strike water

If you go grain to water, well, that's odd. (odd that your valve plugs) UNLESS you are crushing too finely for your FB. .045" is as small as I would go with a Sabco FB. (I have a Sabco RIMS).

I usually add all my strike water then add the grain a bit at a time while stirring. I guess
I could be crushing to fine for this false bottom. Does it make a difference for you adding water to cover FB first? Then grist, then strike water?

2bluewagons said:

Are you recirculating (vorlauf) prior to running off? Seems to me that you could do this with the valve all the way open, pumping until wort runs clear, then fly sparge and your grainbed should filter the mash, no?

I batch sparge and don't have a pump, but my $0.02...

Click to expand...

I recirculate the whole time through my herms coil. The wort
is clear as hell untill I slow down to sparge. Its still clear just with chunks.

shutupjojo said:

I recirculate the whole time through my herms coil. The wort
is clear as hell untill I slow down to sparge. Its still clear just with chunks.

Click to expand...

It is interesting that it works fine at a quicker speed. I would say this means either its getting around or through the false bottom though, and I would see if it happens with a coarser crush, especially if Gila has the same false bottom and warns about fine crushes.

The only thing I have seen with my cheapo false bottom is stuck sparges from compacted or mucky grain beds, never through the bottom though.

DKershner said:

It is interesting that it works fine at a quicker speed. I would say this means either its getting around or through the false bottom though, and I would see if it happens with a coarser crush, especially if Gila has the same false bottom and warns about fine crushes.

The only thing I have seen with my cheapo false bottom is stuck sparges from compacted or mucky grain beds, never through the bottom though.

Click to expand...

I think you are right. I have been using the same crush for 23 years now.
I just switched over to the Sabco a few batches ago . I guess I thought the
hole spacing was universal. I will try a little coarser.
Just seems wierd chunks only flow at sparge time.
Thanks everyone for your input.