EMERGANCY!!! Stuck Sparge

[BillTheSlink]

Don't know what else to do. I have the 10 gallon rubbermaid mash tun with the toilet supply line braid. The first runnings were fine. I even used rice hulls. Poured in the sparge water. Over shot 168 by a few so I stirred a good 10 min. Let set for six min and opened the valve and all these grains came out, then nothing. Put on the hose and blew in it twice; same story. This is a high gravity brew and I am almost to the rim. The mash was supper thick and I had no problems. Somebody tell me what to do. I've worked so hard on this.

 

[Yooper]

The only thing I can think to do is to get out some buckets, clean them well, and pour your mash into them. Fix the problem (in my case, it's ALWAYS that the hose disconnects from between the false bottom and ballvalve because I hit it with my mash paddle-duh!), then put the grains/liquor back in and start again.

I assume your braid didn't collapse, since you've already done the mash so I'm assuming that something disconnected inside.

 

[Pappers_]

Have you tried opening the valve just a little bit and letting it run very slowly for a while?

 

[BillTheSlink]

Have you tried opening the valve just a little bit and letting it run very slowly for a while?

Yes

10 letters

 

[BillTheSlink]

The only thing I can think to do is to get out some buckets, clean them well, and pour your mash into them. Fix the problem (in my case, it's ALWAYS that the hose disconnects from between the false bottom and ballvalve because I hit it with my mash paddle-duh!), then put the grains/liquor back in and start again.

I assume your braid didn't collapse, since you've already done the mash so I'm assuming that something disconnected inside.

Ok,

I guess I'll have to press my swamp coolers into the process.

 

[dribble4all]

Yes

10 letters

OK, I know this is completely off-topic, and I apologize in advance. But what is the "10 letters" thing about? I've seen it several times on the boards, and haven't been able to find an explanation.

 

[FreakinA]

It wont let you post unless it is over 10 characters.

 

[dribble4all]

I should have known .

 

[BillTheSlink]

Ok,

I guess I'll have to press my swamp coolers into the process.

OK, That was the problem. I am letting the grain bed take a set now. I just hope I don't get off flavors since it set in hot water so long. I know my efficiency will suffer and I'll have to top off pre-boil, but I have DME on hand to make up any gravity loss.

Now i AM a mess, my swamp cooler is a mess, and my mash tun is a mess. My mistake was in using the wire tie on the valve. I know fly guy says the worm will rust, but you have to take it apart anyway each time to clean it and I can afford .89 a brew for a damn hose clamp. My bad.

 

[jds]

Bummer. Here's hoping for a great beer anyhow, and best luck for next time.

FWIW, I've had good luck with a heavy-duty cable tie, but I stir the mash pretty gently so I don't beat it up.

 

[gerbache]

I've had that happen before, where I hit the false bottom while stirring and knocked it enough to let grain underneath. I also had to just grab whatever pots I can scrounge up and dump the MLT out. I always have a tough time balancing between stirring enough to mix it all well and stirring too hard to where I have to dump.

 

[Yooper]

Well, if it helps- the beer will probably be higher efficiency that you expect. The same thing happened to me, and all of that pouring/stirring gave me the best (highest SG) sparge runnings I ever had! I guess it taught me that I don't stir up the grainbed enough when I batch sparge.

You shouldn't get any off-flavors at all, and you were at a high enough temperature to preserve your mash profile, so I suspect this beer will be absolutely fine!

 

[jescholler]

I bet it'll be your best batch yet. I get worried when nothing goes wrong on the brew day. For some reason those beers don't turn out as good.