Can I use pillow casing as my brewing bag?

[amber-ale]

I can't get a brewing bag, cheese cloth or paint strainer in my town, can I use pillow casing? On a pillow casing the holes are way thinner than a brewing bag, how will that affect the wort?

If a pillow case is all you can get, it’s all you can get. But use an old one, preferably an old white one. And brew small batches. Start with light beers that have less grain per water.
If there is any way to get one with larger holes.
What about trying to use a smaller pot that just slides into your bigger pot. Drill some drainage holes and line the bottom with mesh, course cloth layers etc

How did brewers drain their wort before bags were invented? A lid that slips down into your pot to hold back grains? Then just ferment the cloudy wort?it doesn’t have to be perfect, just keep out most of the sludge

 

[hotbeer]

A lot of people are saying that a pillowcase will work. I wonder if anybody has actually tried it. I know it’s not the same thing, but I poured my post boil wart from a big stout through a paint strainer once. I wanted to get as much trub out as possible. it completely plug the paint strainer, and nothing would flow through it

The left over hop matter from a boil will plug most anything up. Even the coarse wire strainers I tried to use would plug up and restrict flow of wort from the boil kettle to the FV so much that I just started pouring it all in the FV except for any that did actually precipitate out to the bottom of the kettle in a tight mass.

The way I do BIAB, most of the liquid is outside the bag and I move the bag around to circulate water through it. I still get very good efficiencies. But I'm not dealing with a big bag with the weight of grain and water for 5 gallons either.

So mashes in BIAB are a little different than Pouring Through A Bag after boil.

 

[mac_1103]

The left over hop matter from a boil will plug most anything up.

+1; or maybe +100?

Even the coarse wire strainers I tried to use would plug up and restrict flow of wort from the boil kettle to the FV so much that I just started pouring it all in the FV except for any that did actually precipitate out to the bottom of the kettle in a tight mass.

I still strain, but I stir what's in the strainer to keep the hops from plugging up the mesh too fast. I doubt that it makes any difference to the beer, but I prefer to have a cleaner yeast cake at the end of fermentation if I'm going to save it for future use.

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Are paint strainers even food grade plastic? Do yourself and everyone who drinks your beer a favor and go buy a proper bag, please.

 

[mac_1103]

Serious question: Is "food grade" polyester voile even a thing?

Less serious comment: Lots of people have been brewing with paint strainers for a very long time. Anybody seen any reports of rampant polyester toxicity?