SS braided hose length in MLT

i read an article in Zymurgy magazine about batch sparging. The author denny conn made the following statement concerning length of SS braided hose lengths in a homemade MLT when doing batch sparging:

The length of the braid doesn't made a great deal of difference. All the draining happens in the last few inches of braid, so 6 inches works as well as 6 feet. As a matter of fact, I've heard from people who have made elaborate patterns with long pieces of braid that their system actually functioned better by reducing the amount of braid used. This is the one case where more is not necessarily better. (zymurgy sep/oct 2010 issue "batch sparging")

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right now my braid stretches the entire length of the bottom of my MLT (i used the step-by-step guide posted on these forums on how to build a MLT using the home depot cooler). after my first mash, i noticed my braid got a little dented probably as a result of me thoroughly stirring the mash. i can easily reshape the braid after reach mash, but i have also been considering shortening the length of the braid to maybe stretch only half the length of the bottom of my MLT, just so i hit it less often as i stir. reducing it would take 2 minutes tops, and i'm a tinkerer anyway.

anybody have any thoughts or real life experience that can relate to the article's comments? thanks.

It's correct that the draining all happens right near the valve end. I don't know if shorter really makes that much of a difference unless you happen to beat the crap out of a longer braid and put some bigger holes in it....then it wouldn't filter so well.

As far as mashing down the braid while stirring, I have read that some have made a coil of copper wire and inserted it inside the braid to hold its shape.

Making holes in the braid would be more of a problem.

maybe i'm just to agressive a stirrer.

My original braid was quite long (18" maybe?) and recently it finally gave up the ghost. It would get caught up and beaten around when I stirred my mash. 2 brews ago, it won't let a drop of wort out (admittedly, this is after probably 20+ brews with it working fine). I just replaced it with something around 8" and it works as well as the longer one did when it was new. I'm also going to look into a SS spring to put inside to help it keep its shape.