Getting the most out of your grain

[ohara1981]

I have been steeping my grain in jelly straining bags (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/3810/Replacement-Jelly-Bag) and its a ball ache. I dont think im getting as much from them as i should i think that the center is to condensed and when i attempt to sparge im using a number of seives and pouring luke warm water of it into the fermintation bin.
Does any one have any suggestions on how to improve my process on a budget?
Thanks again

 

[RM-MN]

I have been steeping my grain in jelly straining bags (http://www.lakeland.co.uk/3810/Replacement-Jelly-Bag) and its a ball ache. I dont think im getting as much from them as i should i think that the center is to condensed and when i attempt to sparge im using a number of seives and pouring luke warm water of it into the fermintation bin.
Does any one have any suggestions on how to improve my process on a budget?
Thanks again

I use paint strainer bags. A 5 gallon bag fits my 20 qt kettle perfectly and the pair of them (they come 2 in a package) were less than $5 here in the US. Stop by a big paint store or a building materials store and ask for them. I couldn't find them on the shelf myself but the associate at the counter walked right to them when I asked.

 

[ohara1981]

Top man thank you. Do you fill your big like a christmas pudding or do you let the hops move about like in a tea bag?

 

[ohara1981]

Also do you weight your bag to submerg it?

 

[PasbitinusBluinusRibbinus]

Also do you weight your bag to submerg it?

It will sink w/ grain in it.

Definitely don't keep tension on the bag and compress the grains - you want plenty of water to be able to flow through the grains for better efficiencies.

 

[RM-MN]

Top man thank you. Do you fill your big like a christmas pudding or do you let the hops move about like in a tea bag?

Hops won't normally go in until the start of the boil at which point if you don't have the bag removed the typical thing is for the bag to melt to the bottom of the pot. If you really meant grains, yes they have lots of room to move around.

 

[hou_me]

How much grain? When i do extract batches with specialty grains I put the grains in a pot with enough water to cover them and throw the whole thing in an oven. When I'm ready I pour the whole concoction through a colander to catch the grains an then sparge with a tea kettle by pouring through the colander an into the brew kettle. Seems to work well.