Mash disaster

[Starderup]

Well, not really, but kinda a screw up. I mashed in at 8:10, and everything looked good. 152. Went inside to brew some coffee and came back out - the hose had dropped down, and I was lautering on the garage floor. I lost about a gallon. It wasn't really sticky, so I think a lot of the conversion had not happened. I had my sparge water heating, so it only took a couple of minutes to replace that and then I mopped up the mess.
I know it is going to lower the gravity and I'm not going to get the color I usually get, but I'm going to press on.
I think it is time to install a real valve on my mash tun. Crap.

 

[OLDBREW]

cheap and effective

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/search.aspx?search=Dura-Clamp Registered Tubing Control&page=1

 

[Starderup]

cheap and effective

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/search.aspx?search=Dura-Clamp Registered Tubing Control&page=1

Thanks. I'll look at my LHBS for something like that. I am too cheap to pay $4.99 shipping on a .51 part.

Edit: At least the sparge is going well! I fashioned a clip so I am sure the hose won't go anywhere on me again.

 

[jgourd]

Well, not really, but kinda a screw up. I mashed in at 8:10, and everything looked good. 152. Went inside to brew some coffee and came back out - the hose had dropped down, and I was lautering on the garage floor. I lost about a gallon. It wasn't really sticky, so I think a lot of the conversion had not happened. I had my sparge water heating, so it only took a couple of minutes to replace that and then I mopped up the mess.
I know it is going to lower the gravity and I'm not going to get the color I usually get, but I'm going to press on.
I think it is time to install a real valve on my mash tun. Crap.

+1. Ummm, yeah. That's pretty "standard." Nothing worse than having to clean a sticky mess.

 

[OLDBREW]

most lhbs have them in stock. I was just showing you the clamp type

 

[Starderup]

+1. Ummm, yeah. That's pretty "standard." Nothing worse than having to clean a sticky mess.

I spent about two hours looking for all the right parts at Home Depot. I have a valve, but couldn't find everything else I needed. I'm probably going to just go with the cheap clamp in the link above.

I can think of something worse than having to clean a sticky mess. Having to clean a sticky mess and no wort to show for it. I can't really see any difference between this batch and other batches, so I may have not lost so much.

 

[Starderup]

SG turned out out to be 1.054, so not too bad. Should have been 1.059, but still looks good.
Got bubbles already.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Not pretty...but pretty foolproof, works for me.

 

[jgourd]

Doesn't the "uncapped" or "unvalved" spigot act as a point of heat loss during the mash? I would think a valve, although not necessarily insulated, would better insulate than an open hose.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Doesn't the "uncapped" or "unvalved" spigot act as a point of heat loss during the mash? I would think a valve, although not necessarily insulated, would better insulate than an open hose.

Huh? No, not IME. A big metal valve would actually draw more heat out of the tun, but insignificant IMO either way.

 

[Starderup]

Not pretty...but pretty foolproof, works for me.

That looks like it will do the job.
I might end up getting the rest of the hardware and doing it right anyway. I just had trouble finding SS parts.
In the meantime, I fashioned a holder that will prevent future mishaps.
You are right about the heat loss, too. My mashtun doesn't cool down at all on me, or at least it is not measurable over a one hour span.

 

[jgourd]

Huh? No, not IME. A big metal valve would actually draw more heat out of the tun, but insignificant IMO either way.

I see your point, but in my case I have all plastic on the inside of the tun and brass on the outside. Although, yes, the wort does go partly into the brass inside part of the valve.

 

[OLDBREW]

A ball valve setup for a cooler is a waste of time and money IMHO

If you use the SS braid inside, a piece of racking cane about 2.5 in., then hose clamp the braid to that, you then use teflon tape to wrap the fray end of the braid on the tubing. then stick a 3/8" ID tubing on the other end of the cane piece. You can pull the tubing through the existing drain port and it will self seal itself when the tubing gets to the drain fitting. Then you slide the dura clamp on from the outside, and you are ready to brew using the batch sparge method.

You can use the braid setup with different size coolers without altering the coolers drains. Then if you need to use one for a picnic or outing, you just pull out the tubing and put the plug in.

 

[Starderup]

A ball valve setup for a cooler is a waste of time and money IMHO

If you use the SS braid inside, a piece of racking cane about 2.5 in., then hose clamp the braid to that, you then use teflon tape to wrap the fray end of the braid on the tubing. then stick a 3/8" ID tubing on the other end of the cane piece. You can pull the tubing through the existing drain port and it will self seal itself when the tubing gets to the drain fitting. Then you slide the dura clamp on from the outside, and you are ready to brew using the batch sparge method.

You can use the braid setup with different size coolers without altering the coolers drains. Then if you need to use one for a picnic or outing, you just pull out the tubing and put the plug in.

The hole in my cooler is way too big for this to work. I finally found a combination of washers, o-rings and brass fittings to make it watertight. Next brew will be idiot proof, unless I become a better idiot.