False bottom conundrum

[crbice]

My friends and I are looking into creating a false bottom as cost effectively as possible. My buddy works at a hardware store and had some brewers come in and buy stainless steel braided hoses but never heard how well they worked. This method would be cheaper I'm just worried about the mash out flow with fly sparging. Any suggestions? My idea was to cut out a perforated stainless steel sheet and set it at the bottom of the keg. What's better?

 

[bethebrew]

My friends and I are looking into creating a false bottom as cost effectively as possible. My buddy works at a hardware store and had some brewers come in and buy stainless steel braided hoses but never heard how well they worked. This method would be cheaper I'm just worried about the mash out flow with fly sparging. Any suggestions? My idea was to cut out a perforated stainless steel sheet and set it at the bottom of the keg. What's better?

The stainless steel braided hoses work awesomely from my experience. Water flows downhill. But I do batch mashing as well. YMMV. Three runnings, always. No recirc. No pump. NO false bottom.

p.s. oh and "mash out" flow is more than enough. what i do is to start the boil after the first runnings, not crazy propane, but get going. then after second runnings crank up the heat and get it boiling good. third runnings can be left to fill things up as needed.

The braided hose is a much finer hole than some perforated SS sheet. They get clogged, and that sucks. Or the pump gets crap in it, or maybe suction clogged a bit, it cavitates, that really sucks. I just laugh (I know I am mean) when folks go through all this BS of recirculation and stuck mashes and clogged false bottoms and pumps when we do a group brew.

Well hope that helps. Best wishes.

 

[bottlebomber]

I've been using a braided hose for about 2 years now, and it works awesome. If you look for a "kettle tube" or "bazooka tube" type as opposed to an actual supply braid you will get better durability. But as far as function, I don't see how you could improve on it. Drainage is great, and I've only had a stuck sparge maybe once or twice and it was easy to fix.

 

[bethebrew]

I've been using a braided hose for about 2 years now, and it works awesome. If you look for a "kettle tube" or "bazooka tube" type as opposed to an actual supply braid you will get better durability. But as far as function, I don't see how you could improve on it. Drainage is great, and I've only had a stuck sparge maybe once or twice and it was easy to fix.

Here's an easy method to get super duper clean up in the brew kettle. For mash I like just a braided hose, 36" and it works great. For boil kettle, I took a bazooka tube, and shoved a finer SS braid inside of it. Man that is the ticket!!! Gets out the "cats and dogs" then takes out a lot of finer stuff too. Strain early not later!

 

[bottlebomber]

Here's an easy method to get super duper clean up in the brew kettle. For mash I like just a braided hose, 36" and it works great. For boil kettle, I took a bazooka tube, and shoved a finer SS braid inside of it. Man that is the ticket!!! Gets out the "cats and dogs" then takes out a lot of finer stuff too. Strain early not later!

I've got a kettle tube in the boil kettle as well, it's really only effective when using leaf hops though. Pellet hops will clog it immediately. But when using leaf hops, and throwing them right in the kettle, the break material seems to stick to the hops and I get SUPER clean wort to my fermenter, like maybe 1/2" of trub max. This has been working well for me, but it means I mostly can only use leaf hops.

 

[bethebrew]

I've got a kettle tube in the boil kettle as well, it's really only effective when using leaf hops though. Pellet hops will clog it immediately. But when using leaf hops, and throwing them right in the kettle, the break material seems to stick to the hops and I get SUPER clean wort to my fermenter, like maybe 1/2" of trub max. This has been working well for me, but it means I mostly can only use leaf hops.

And really bro, why would you ever want to use anything else besides leaf hops. Pellet hops are the green sludge and clogger from hell.

The loss of wort through a leaf hop bed and bazooka tube/ss braid is more than well worth it.

 

[bottlebomber]

And really bro, why would you ever want to use anything else besides leaf hops. Pellet hops are the green sludge and clogger from hell.

The loss of wort through a leaf hop bed and bazooka tube/ss braid is more than well worth it.

Right you are, except for a coupe of varieties that I enjoy working with that aren't available in leaf, such as galaxy.

 

[RM-MN]

Since your buddy works at a hardware store, ask him if people come in to buy paint strainer bags who don't look like painters. They are probably using the paint strainer bags to mash in ala BIAB, which is the most cost effective way to brew.

 

[bottlebomber]

Since your buddy works at a hardware store, ask him if people come in to buy paint strainer bags who don't look like painters. They are probably using the paint strainer bags to mash in ala BIAB, which is the most cost effective way to brew.

Either that or they are shaking the keef from ganja clippings to make hash. That's probably more likely, actually.