Solved: Bag Getting into Drain Valve

I use a 3 vessel setup for 10 gallon batches but use a brew bag as my mash filter. I can drain in a couple of minutes with the valve fully open but, like many others, the bag will get sucked into the valve and slow the flow dramatically. After working this a few different ways I finally solved this in my setup.
I tie a rope from the handle on one side, route it thru the pull handles of the bag and the handle on the other side of the cooler. The only exception is that I skip the two pull handles on the valve side of the cooler. I use a carabiner for those two handles. Any type could be used. I just happen to have two already that have the cleats on them.
The rope does two things. 1) it keeps the bag from getting pulled into the cooler when you pour the grains. 2) becomes a rail for the pull handles to slide on. I used a taught line knot to make the rope tight around the cooler. A bungee cord would probably work too, but like the carabiner, I had this rope sitting around already.
Mash as normal. Then, when running off the wort, I unhook the carabiners from the front and pull that part of the bag to the back of the cooler and hook to the back handle. The bag slides back as needed along the rope rail. You are only really pulling part of the mash back so it is not very heavy to pull. The clips hold it and it can drain without getting caught in the valve.
I batch sparge so I just ran the bag and clips back to the front each time. Took only seconds. After running what I could I put a block under the back end of the cooler while the wort was getting up to boil. I went back later and drained another gallon out of the cooler. I don't think I could have gotten much more if I squeezed the bag. It just took time instead of pressure to get more wort out.

lslbrew said:

I use a 3 vessel setup for 10 gallon batches but use a brew bag as my mash filter. I can drain in a couple of minutes with the valve fully open but, like many others, the bag will get sucked into the valve and slow the flow dramatically. After working this a few different ways I finally solved this in my setup.
I tie a rope from the handle on one side, route it thru the pull handles of the bag and the handle on the other side of the cooler. The only exception is that I skip the two pull handles on the valve side of the cooler. I use a carabiner for those two handles. Any type could be used. I just happen to have two already that have the cleats on them.
The rope does two things. 1) it keeps the bag from getting pulled into the cooler when you pour the grains. 2) becomes a rail for the pull handles to slide on. I used a taught line knot to make the rope tight around the cooler. A bungee cord would probably work too, but like the carabiner, I had this rope sitting around already.
Mash as normal. Then, when running off the wort, I unhook the carabiners from the front and pull that part of the bag to the back of the cooler and hook to the back handle. The bag slides back as needed along the rope rail. You are only really pulling part of the mash back so it is not very heavy to pull. The clips hold it and it can drain without getting caught in the valve.
I batch sparge so I just ran the bag and clips back to the front each time. Took only seconds. After running what I could I put a block under the back end of the cooler while the wort was getting up to boil. I went back later and drained another gallon out of the cooler. I don't think I could have gotten much more if I squeezed the bag. It just took time instead of pressure to get more wort out.

Click to expand...

What Bag is that?

Why not get a small sheet of aluminum. Drill a lot of holes in it and set it over the cutout for the drain.

Hwk-I-St8 said:

What Bag is that?

Click to expand...

That is a "Brew Bag" and sells for $43.50.

You can get a custom sized cooler BIAB Bag here
http://biabbags.webs.com/
for $28 that comes with a draw cord and cord lock for securing around the cooler outside rim, avoiding the menagerie of ropes and bungee cords shown in the photos....jmo and shameless plug pics http://i58.tinypic.com/10navef.jpg
https://mysticbrewing.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/2015-06-05-09-45-01.jpg


wilser

With regards to blocking the drain valve, one could easily slip a large slotted spoon down the side of the cooler and over the drain hole to provide a pocket in front of the valve to speed the drain.

kh54s10 said:

Why not get a small sheet of aluminum. Drill a lot of holes in it and set it over the cutout for the drain.

Click to expand...

You could. I have also used a slotted spoon in the past. However, by doing this I can also block up the other end and drain an additional gallon off the trains by getting them out of the way and off the wort. You can only do that if you get the bag to one end which can't be done if the bag is not free to move to one end.

I used a 2" tea ball. Cut a hole in one half of the ball big enough for the tube to for through. The nut just fits in it.

kh54s10 said:

Why not get a small sheet of aluminum. Drill a lot of holes in it and set it over the cutout for the drain.

Click to expand...

lslbrew said:

You could. I have also used a slotted spoon in the past. However, by doing this I can also block up the other end and drain an additional gallon off the trains by getting them out of the way and off the wort. You can only do that if you get the bag to one end which can't be done if the bag is not free to move to one end.

Click to expand...

I don't use a bag. I have a water heater braid in a round 10 gallon cooler. I just tip the cooler and drain. No pulling the bag and almost nothing left behind. Easy peasy!!

kh54s10 said:

I don't use a bag. I have a water heater braid in a round 10 gallon cooler. I just tip the cooler and drain. No pulling the bag and almost nothing left behind. Easy peasy!!

Click to expand...

I actually started down the road of a hose braid before I decided to use a bag as the filter. I didn't have enough experience with draining mash to know how the braid handled the common issues. From you experience:
1. How fast can you sparge?
2. Do you have to recirculate?
3. Do you ever get a stuck sparge with a braid?
I am not above changing my brew house and trying new things to see if one works better than another. I knew with a bag I could drain wide open and the sparge never sticks. I was not certain about a braid.

lslbrew said:

I actually started down the road of a hose braid before I decided to use a bag as the filter. I didn't have enough experience with draining mash to know how the braid handled the common issues. From you experience:
1. How fast can you sparge?
2. Do you have to recirculate?
3. Do you ever get a stuck sparge with a braid?
I am not above changing my brew house and trying new things to see if one works better than another. I knew with a bag I could drain wide open and the sparge never sticks. I was not certain about a braid.

Click to expand...

I read all the time about collapsing braids. Those are small supply lines. They are thin and wimpy. I used a 12" x 3/4" water heater supply line. It has never collapsed. I can beat it all I want with my mash paddle and not worry.

I can sparge as fast as the wort will pass through the 1/2" ball valve. I vorlauf start the drain maybe 1/3 open for at most 1 minute then open the valve all the way.

I don't recirculate.

I have never had a stuck sparge even with wheat, pumpkin, rye etc. I do use rice hulls when I get concerned.

When done with the mash I carry the tun to my compost pile, dump it, then spray out the rest with a hose. 3-5 minutes total and no bag to bother with....