I have a meshed basket bottom and sides from CBS. HATE IT... its just KILLS my efficiency, i bought some cheap SS and will TIG the sides closed. I am sure that wort is just flowing around the basket and not through it. I bought the SS manifold with 4 arms, didnt help much, i think because it just goes around it... so will fix that issue shortly. Ive tried agitating the mash etc... always super low efficiency.. where i never had any before...
Solid vs Mesh sided Biabasket
- Thread starter swimIan
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hafmpty
Well-Known Member
Link?
I'd have to search it... it was 24 x48...took to work to cut in half...Will TIG it together and to basket...need a smaller tungsten to weld it.
hafmpty
Well-Known Member
Thanks!
hafmpty
Well-Known Member
I wanted to come back with an update reporting my experiences with my version of a solid-side basket (in case anyone cares). 
Rather than buying a sheet of stainless or having my BIAB Mesh Basket permanently modified, I purchased a sheet of HDPE from Grainger (like McMaster-Carr). It cost me $10. The upper temp range on HDPE is high enough that there was no risk of melting or softening the plastic during the mash or mash-out.
Anyway, I cut it so that it would fit inside the basket. I warmed the edges to make the corners bend and its natural desire to expand outward made it fit snuggly inside.
I used it for 4 batches...and honestly, don't see much benefit to it. I actually got slightly lower efficiencies with it and was not able to run my recirculation as fast. One thing I did notice though was that the wort cleared up quite a bit faster during recirculation. That said, once the basket gets raised up out of the kettle during for draining/sparge to prepare for the boil...all bets are off. Both methods produce a cloudy wort. It was NOTHING like what I used to get with my pre-boil wort on my previous traditional 3V system. It's a sacrifice I have to make though for the ease & simplicity of BIAB.
Anyway, just wanted to let you all know that there's an uber-cheap way to try this out temporarily if you want. The HDPE sheet was easy to cut, didn't require welding, didn't require permanently modifying my BIAB basket, and made trying out a different method simple.
Rather than buying a sheet of stainless or having my BIAB Mesh Basket permanently modified, I purchased a sheet of HDPE from Grainger (like McMaster-Carr). It cost me $10. The upper temp range on HDPE is high enough that there was no risk of melting or softening the plastic during the mash or mash-out.
Anyway, I cut it so that it would fit inside the basket. I warmed the edges to make the corners bend and its natural desire to expand outward made it fit snuggly inside.
I used it for 4 batches...and honestly, don't see much benefit to it. I actually got slightly lower efficiencies with it and was not able to run my recirculation as fast. One thing I did notice though was that the wort cleared up quite a bit faster during recirculation. That said, once the basket gets raised up out of the kettle during for draining/sparge to prepare for the boil...all bets are off. Both methods produce a cloudy wort. It was NOTHING like what I used to get with my pre-boil wort on my previous traditional 3V system. It's a sacrifice I have to make though for the ease & simplicity of BIAB.
Anyway, just wanted to let you all know that there's an uber-cheap way to try this out temporarily if you want. The HDPE sheet was easy to cut, didn't require welding, didn't require permanently modifying my BIAB basket, and made trying out a different method simple.
ZmannR2
Well-Known Member
Ok awesome thanks for the report! Looks like I’ll stick with my full mesh basket!
hafmpty
Well-Known Member
Here’s a few pics of the HDPE liner I mentioned above for those interested.
