I quit!

[Whattawort]

It's quite awesome to see you thinking it through and finding the roots of the issues I'll only say one thing in jest, until the temps drop below 50 degrees I do most of my brews wearing flip flops I really do, never burned a toe! haha. Making sure you don't get blasted with hot wort should be your #1 priority simply due to the harm it can inflict, plus you also lose some of your beer as well :smack:

All the best man, I'm sure you'll work it all out and have far better brew days in the upcoming future!


Rev.

You're living on the edge man. I won't even let someone in my garage when I'm brewing if they don't have closed-toe shoes on. I'm the perfect example of how important it is.

Do you carry a full carboy up the stairs too?

 

[Rev2010]

Do you carry a full carboy up the stairs too?

Ha!, nah I'll never touch glass carboy's, I've seen the injury thread on here and nooo thank you I'd been beer connoisseuring for 11 years prior to my brewing - the wife got me a Cooper's brewing kit for Christmas. I only made the one included can then went to extract for a year then to AG. Along the way I bought additional Cooper's kits just for the fermenters (have 3 now) since I liked them so much. So that's what I ferment in - plastic Copper's fermenters. The only complaint I have about them, and there's only this one, is that God DAMN they can be hard to open!!!! If I had another male available it would be a lot easier since I'd have one person to hold the fermenter against my turning the lid. But alas, the wife isn't strong enough and I do it myself pressing down on it sitting on a rubber mat for resistance LOL. Still is a PITA!


Rev.

 

[WissaBrewGuy]

I'm sorry about your brew day! I have had a rough weekend myself! I brewed two beers; one on Saturday and one on Sunday. On Saturday I missed all of my temperatures, then on mash out I tried to pump the wort to the liquor tank and the pump failed for who-knows-why. The next day, the brew went well and as I'm bringing the MT inside to keep warm I heard a loud water pipe. Yeah, my basement flooded because my connection to my washer rusted out. I had about 3" at the lowest point. Oh yeah I should mention that when I heard the noise I put the hot mash tun inside, on a carpet, which is plastic, leaving a giant burn ring in my apartment, so thats cool. Well by midnight I had a nice batch of breakfast stout clone, a semi-cleaned post-flood basement, and a big ol' burn ring in the carpet. But there is only one thing to do! Move on and keep brewing!!

 

[insanim8er]

If grain gets under it most commonly clogs the spout. When I had my false bottom experience nothing I did would clear the valve, I had to dump the entire mash tun contents into a grain bag in a bucket - pretty much was a BIAB experience at that point. For $50 the false bottom should be level and mine was clearly uneven enough to easily let grain under.

Could be the tubing you're using, but the vinyl tubing compression is quite commonly reported.

Honestly, I can't see how in any way clearing a stuck sparge would be any more difficult for a bazooka tube, quite the opposite. If grain gets under a false bottom you have to clear the valve, and if blowing air in the opposite way doesn't work, well then you have to dump the mash tun contents. Not so with a tube since a tube can't ever get a stuck valve. Typically with stuck runoff/sparge using a tube you simply close the valve and stir the mash again to redistribute the grains.

Another thing I really can't see. I've done a tremendous amount of different beers with my bazooka tube and never have any issues. For pumpkin ales I use rice hulls because of all the pumpkin puree - it's the only beer I use rice hulls with.


Rev.

I'm sure it's a highly debated topic that I'm not going to get caught up into. Like i've said before...

Those who love it, sear by it. Those who hate it, swear by it. And those who don't care, swear at those who debate it...

It's just a wonder how commercial breweries don't use bazooka tubes. Being superior and all.

Seriously thought... To each their own, but you won't convince me a tube is better than a false bottom. Moving on now...

 

[Rev2010]

It's just a wonder how commercial breweries don't use bazooka tubes. Being superior and all.

Commercial breweries brew on a far far larger scale and don't use equipment anywhere near equivalent to homebrewers, just as their mash tuns and fermenters look quite different than what we have at home. I get you know that, just would've been nice if you included some type of sarcasm smiley

Seriously thought... To each their own, but you won't convince me a tube is better than a false bottom. Moving on now...

I wasn't trying to convince you, honestly I wasn't and never would because I've learned oh so many years back to never try to sway an opinion unless it's at the very least asked for. I was only pointing out opposing points of views to your points.


Rev.

 

[unionrdr]

Ha!, nah I'll never touch glass carboy's, I've seen the injury thread on here and nooo thank you I'd been beer connoisseuring for 11 years prior to my brewing - the wife got me a Cooper's brewing kit for Christmas. I only made the one included can then went to extract for a year then to AG. Along the way I bought additional Cooper's kits just for the fermenters (have 3 now) since I liked them so much. So that's what I ferment in - plastic Copper's fermenters. The only complaint I have about them, and there's only this one, is that God DAMN they can be hard to open!!!! If I had another male available it would be a lot easier since I'd have one person to hold the fermenter against my turning the lid. But alas, the wife isn't strong enough and I do it myself pressing down on it sitting on a rubber mat for resistance LOL. Still is a PITA!


Rev.

Yeah,I won't go near glass carboys at my age. I have one 6G BB,a new 7.9G shorty bucket,dito for bottling bucket & one Cooper's Microbrew fermenter. I started with the Microbrew FV & that lid gets pretty darn tight by bottling day when it's time to clean & soak it in PBW. It takes a bear hug around the FV to unscrew that lid. but at least it fits tight & doesn't leak,now that I've trimmed the molding flash off the seal area on top.