Cheap fly sparge arm?

[jimpdx]

I am using a plastic bucket as my MLT and a rectangular cooler to hold hot sparge water (standard $12 lowes conversion and a $35 coleman extreme). In thinking about a basic sparge arm and being too lazy to drill holes and bend copper, or break out my PVC knife again, do you think this would work, suspended over the grain bed?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_59235-306-306GF_0__?productId=3104347

Having spent yesterday afternoon in the plumbing section at Lowes I am fairly certain I am get the water from my 1/2" brass barb into this hose fitting pretty easily.

 

[Shooter]

I'm not sure that thing is rated for 170 degree water or is food safe for that matter. You know, you could probably just lay a coiled length of tubing on top of the grain bed and just let the water slowly trickly out.

 

[BainbridgeBrewer]

It could work, I think you're have to get a graden hose to hose barb fitting for it.

You could also just take some clear transfer hose like you probably have laying around for syphons and racking, get a hose barb T, make a loop with the hose, cut slits in the loop, and just use that. might be cheaper and you might not even have to go back to Lowe's if you've got it all at home.

 

[Ramitt]

I would be concerned with how it did with hot water and what may leech from it.

 

[jimpdx]

All excellent points! I already bought high-temp hose (2 feet of it from Marine West) and could put slits or holes in that. I just found this thread which pretty much debunks any thoughts of using commercial sprinklers. If I am reading it right, with true fly sparging and 2" of sparge water above your grain bed, the only real concern is disrupting the grain bed so any basic method should work. I like the holes and slits in the hose, couldn't get any easier.

 

[Northcalais40]

I second the notion that a hose trickling on top of the grain bed is just fine. I made a pex drip ring and at the slow rate it runs, it tends to get air lock. You need a slow trickle, it won't channel.

 

[arch1tect]

That thing is made of plastic and should not be used. Like some people stated just get some tubing and let it sit on top.