problems with draining mash

[ffemt1974]

I recently purchased the false bottom screen for a 5 gallon cooler. I connected it to my valve in the bottom with a piece of tubing. I recently did a brew and after my mash time was up I went to drain the wort off and only a few ounces came out. What went wrong here? Do I need to place a grain bag in the bottom to keep any grain from getting through. I'm wondering if my valve got clogged with grain. I didn't waste time figuring it out I just dumped it into a grain bag and sparged over the grain bag. Any ideas here? Has anyone had this problem before?

 

[rambler]

Well it could be a lot of things. Could you give us a for more details about how you sparged, what you equipment is and how much grain you were using?

 

[bruin_ale]

you say you connected the valve to the false bottom with a piece of tubing, can you be more specific?

I bought my cooler mash tun used from another brewer and he was using some type of vinyl tubing to go from false bottom to the ball valve. It worked fine for awhile, until I did a particularly large grain bill and the tubing collapsed under the weight of the grain. I replaced the tubing with copper and used compression fittings between the false bottom and ball valve and haven't had any trouble since.

 

[ffemt1974]

Now that I think about it that could be the problem. The tubing may have been colapsed. I will try using stainless tubing next time and see how that works. I was using vinyl tubing to connect the two.

 

[bruin_ale]

yeah, between the heat and the weight a vinyl tube isn't a great choice for that connection. It may work 4 times out of 5 but a stuck mash is one of the most frustrating experiences you can have while brewing. That and hops clogging up the boil kettle drain process - I've had both and they go into my list of worst brew sessions ever.

 

[Yooper]

Did you have a tube on the outside of the ballvalve? The reason I ask is that having a tube on the ballvalve that goes lower, to the boil kettle, can work as a siphon and pull the wort out. That won't fix a collapsing braid, of course, but can help with a mash that doesn't seem to drain.

 

[ffemt1974]

Yes I had a tube running to my kettle. I'm pretty sure that was the problem. I will know for sure on my next batch. This was my first all grain attempt and it was a nightmare scrambling to get the grain into a bag out of the cooler. Luckily I had my sidekick son to help me.

 

[bandt9299]

I just use a small length of 1/2 inch thermoplastic tubing with my false bottom, the same stuff I use with my march pump, I always had the same problems as you did with regular racking tubing, I would always knock it off while stirring the mash (makes me mad thinking about it), easy to take apart for cleaning too.