Sharing my ******* mess up

[EMH5]

Well… I messed up but I’m pretty sure my beer is okay. I did a full mashed and when I was cleaning the grain from my tun, I found a rag under my mash tun! Ugh!

Here is what happened: When I brew, I always clean immediately. I just have too. I don’t like leaving things around and my wife wouldn’t like it either. So when I clean, I use PBW (1 tsp for a 10 gal) even on my mash tun to help clean out bits of left over grain, run it through the spigot, and then I wipe it dry as best I can… In this instance I wiped it dry and then put a clean, dry rag on the bottom over my braid, under my false bottom (I use two defenses to make sure I don’t get a stuck mash) to catch any miscellaneous drips from my false bottom – I do this to prevent any mold from moisture. It’s all overkill but I like to be sure. So once all that is done, and dry, I store these in my basement til the next brew. So a month later ready to brew again (I had a few beers too so my process wasn’t as careful as it normally is) , I PBW the tun again (1 tsp - overkill, I know) just for a short time and then rinse with hot boiling water to raise the wall temp of the tun.

All, in all, I’m pretty sure the beer is fine. My efficiency suffered but that was due to strike water measurement (beer) I think. Any impurities would’ve been killed through the 60 min boil and 45 min hop stand anyway. I’m baffled at my idiocy. I know from now on I’ll check under the false bottom but damn – what an idiot!

The wort tasted fine, both pre-boil and post. No hint of off-tastes.

I thought I’d share my ******* move.

 

[agrazela]

What style? Surely all us smartasses around here can come up with a name for your batch that includes "rag" or "ragged" or "ragtime" or something.

 

[EMH5]

Ipa

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

sub, I want to hear the name of this IPA lol.

 

[stella_tigre]

"Ragtime" makes me think of the old camp song "Ragtime Cowboy Joe". Don't suppose you live in the western US?

 

[kh54s10]

Maybe this will teach you not to be so obsessed with cleaning the mash tun. I just rinse mine out, then wipe out the last bits. I leave it upright with whatever moisture that is still in it. It dries out in less than a day. I do not put the lid on. Since nothing but water is used I don't need to think of things like PBW rags contaminating my beer.

BTW if you are going to get a stuck sparge it will happen above the false bottom, the braid underneath is doing nothing but possibly filtering out a few particles that make it past the false bottom. And having the braid there will not prevent a stuck sparge.

 

[EMH5]

Maybe this will teach you not to be so obsessed with cleaning the mash tun. I just rinse mine out, then wipe out the last bits. I leave it upright with whatever moisture that is still in it. It dries out in less than a day. I do not put the lid on. Since nothing but water is used I don't need to think of things like PBW rags contaminating my beer.

BTW if you are going to get a stuck sparge it will happen above the false bottom, the braid underneath is doing nothing but possibly filtering out a few particles that make it past the false bottom. And having the braid there will not prevent a stuck sparge.

I throw other equip in at the same time so the PBW isn't just for the tun... the tubing used, chiller and other small items I use.

The braid and the false bottom was meant to keep as much of the grain particles from getting into my boil. The false bottom to keep the grain off the braid. My thought was by having both, grain wouldn't clog my braid by the false bottom and the braid would prevent any small bits from getting into the boil.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I throw other equip in at the same time so the PBW isn't just for the tun... the tubing used, chiller and other small items I use.



The braid and the false bottom was meant to keep as much of the grain particles from getting into my boil. The false bottom to keep the grain off the braid. My thought was by having both, grain wouldn't clog my braid by the false bottom and the braid would prevent any small bits from getting into the boil.

Jmo, your trying hard to make homebrewing as difficult as possible. Sorry just trying to help.

If you put your equipment away clean, it should be ready to go for your next brew day.

Mash tun cooler holds a mash PRE BOIL, a mash is not sanitary and the wort will be boiled. Your chiller will also go into the boil, so as long as it's reasonably clean your fine.
Your tubing just needs to be sanitized if you put it away clean.

I know Auggie uses a FB and a braid, but I also recall a poster who had stuck sparges caused by using both. The braid works best when surrounded by both large and small pieces of grain and husk. With the FB installed, IMO there is a potential for an amount of grain dust to pass the FB and clog the braid.

Try a batch with just the braid, you may be amazed how well it works and how easy it is.

Ok, I'm done "ragging" on you now....j/k

Cheers good luck with this batch, as long as the rag wasn't soaked in PBW and was reasonably sort of clean i think you will be fine!

 

[SGTSparty]

Really? 8 comments in and no one has suggested that his IPA was.... On the rag? Sorry. Had to.

If its not an overly complicated recipe you should go w/ Threadbare IPA

 

[bucketnative]

Really? 8 comments in and no one has suggested that his IPA was.... On the rag? Sorry. Had to.

If its not an overly complicated recipe you should go w/ Threadbare IPA

I was going to suggest this, along with "dry-hopped" hibiscus flowers to give a pinkish hue...

 

[skraeling]

On the Rag IPA

Really? 8 comments in and no one has suggested that his IPA was.... On the rag? Sorry. Had to.

If its not an overly complicated recipe you should go w/ Threadbare IPA

AS i was typing it lol you beat me.

 

[Limbrizik]

Pragmatic IPA

 

[wysiwyg]

Really? 8 comments in and no one has suggested that his IPA was.... On the rag? Sorry. Had to.

If its not an overly complicated recipe you should go w/ Threadbare IPA

For SURE! If it was a Red IPA...

 

[EMH5]

I know Auggie uses a FB and a braid, but I also recall a poster who had stuck sparges caused by using both. The braid works best when surrounded by both large and small pieces of grain and husk. With the FB installed, IMO there is a potential for an amount of grain dust to pass the FB and clog the braid.

Try a batch with just the braid, you may be amazed how well it works and how easy it is.

Hmmmm. Interesting. I never thought of that. Maybe I'll give it a try.

 

[agrazela]

Hop Jammer IPA

 

[November]

What style? Surely all us smartasses around here can come up with a name for your batch that includes "rag" or "ragged" or "ragtime" or something.

I'm sure the pun-name guys will wring this out for all it's worth.

 

[RuffRider]

Might I suggest you lower your stress level and try one of these for your mash lauter tun: http://www.brewinabag.com

It changed my brew day. No vorlauf. No grain in the wort. No stuck mash. Just crystal clear wort comes out as soon as you begin.

 

[Horseshoot]

Being someone who enjoys most music, and really enjoys blues/ jazz, I propose the name: Brewhouse Rag.

Mike

 

[rattletrap1970]

I have to agree. I don't get too serious about sanitation pre-boil. Everything gets rinsed (maybe a splash of StarSan once in a while). The carboy and transfer equipment to get it there gets cleaned and sanitized as well as the flask I make my starter. That's it.

 

[mongoose33]

Might I suggest you lower your stress level and try one of these for your mash lauter tun: http://www.brewinabag.com

It changed my brew day. No vorlauf. No grain in the wort. No stuck mash. Just crystal clear wort comes out as soon as you begin.

I have a braid in my mash tun. I tie a hop sock over the braid using a twist-tie, and voila! Lautering is a breeze, as I don't have to fool with setting the grain bed and slowly trickling off the wort. And I don't have a large bag in my mash tun to wash. All I do is rinse off the mash tun, let it dry, and good to go for next time.

That's shaved 15 minutes off my brew day at least.

 

[kh54s10]

I have a braid in my mash tun. I tie a hop sock over the braid using a twist-tie, and voila! Lautering is a breeze, as I don't have to fool with setting the grain bed and slowly trickling off the wort. And I don't have a large bag in my mash tun to wash. All I do is rinse off the mash tun, let it dry, and good to go for next time.

That's shaved 15 minutes off my brew day at least.

Save yourself even more time. Get rid of the hop sock and bag. I vorlauf for a maximum of 2 minutes. I have no bag to clean. Dump the tun, lay it on it's side and hose it out. Another 2-3 minutes.

 

[mongoose33]

Save yourself even more time. Get rid of the hop sock and bag. I vorlauf for a maximum of 2 minutes. I have no bag to clean. Dump the tun, lay it on it's side and hose it out. Another 2-3 minutes.

Do you just accept all the grain particles in your wort? I only put the hop sock over the torpedo braid and it's straining out all those particles. Takes a minute to put it on, less to remove it. Then I just spray out the mash tun, as you do.

 

[kh54s10]

Do you just accept all the grain particles in your wort? I only put the hop sock over the torpedo braid and it's straining out all those particles. Takes a minute to put it on, less to remove it. Then I just spray out the mash tun, as you do.

What do you do with the bag that you put the grain in?

I don't get any particles in the wort. 2 minutes of vorlauf and the wort runs clear, less than 2 quarts.

If there are any particles they settle to the bottom of the fermenter in the 2 weeks primary.

If you reuse the hops sock, you are taking more time to clean that alone.
If you throw it away you are adding that as an ingredient cost.

 

[soccerdad]

Forget a clever beer name. Change your name to Alexandre ******* and tell people you wrote The Three Musketeers.

 

[user 224599]

Forget a clever beer name. Change your name to Alexandre ******* and tell people you wrote The Three Musketeers.

Alexanders' Ragtime Beer?

 

[mongoose33]

What do you do with the bag that you put the grain in?

I don't get any particles in the wort. 2 minutes of vorlauf and the wort runs clear, less than 2 quarts.

If there are any particles they settle to the bottom of the fermenter in the 2 weeks primary.

If you reuse the hops sock, you are taking more time to clean that alone.
If you throw it away you are adding that as an ingredient cost.

I think there's a misunderstanding as to what I do. I have a torpedo braid/screen at the bottom of my mash tun. I pull a hop sock on it, tie it off w/ a twist-tie, and now I am filtering my wort as it comes from the mash tun into the grant I use to collect it before pouring it in the boil kettle.

That hop sock is essentially the same as what happens during vorlauf when the grain bed is set and thus acts as its own filter...except I don't have to slowly drain the wort to set the grain bed as a filter. I can't open the ball valve all the way with a standard vorlauf, as I start getting lots of grain particles in the wort.

 

[RuffRider]

What do you do with the bag that you put the grain in?

I don't get any particles in the wort. 2 minutes of vorlauf and the wort runs clear, less than 2 quarts.

If there are any particles they settle to the bottom of the fermenter in the 2 weeks primary.

If you reuse the hops sock, you are taking more time to clean that alone.
If you throw it away you are adding that as an ingredient cost.

The bag I referenced earlier with the website is super easy to use and clean. When I'm done, I literally pull it out of my mash tun and dump the grains. A 3 minute rinse of the bag and it's done. Super easy to use and clean. Very durable bag. They have some videos on the website I believe if you want to check it out.

 

[kh54s10]

I think there's a misunderstanding as to what I do. I have a torpedo braid/screen at the bottom of my mash tun. I pull a hop sock on it, tie it off w/ a twist-tie, and now I am filtering my wort as it comes from the mash tun into the grant I use to collect it before pouring it in the boil kettle.

That hop sock is essentially the same as what happens during vorlauf when the grain bed is set and thus acts as its own filter...except I don't have to slowly drain the wort to set the grain bed as a filter. I can't open the ball valve all the way with a standard vorlauf, as I start getting lots of grain particles in the wort.

I guess I got lucky with my setup. Braid from a 3/4 inch water heater supply line. I vorlauf less than 2 quarts til the wort runs clear, then I can open the valve all the way.

The bag I referenced earlier with the website is super easy to use and clean. When I'm done, I literally pull it out of my mash tun and dump the grains. A 3 minute rinse of the bag and it's done. Super easy to use and clean. Very durable bag. They have some videos on the website I believe if you want to check it out.

Maybe some day I will try a purpose built BIAB bag. I use 5 gallon paint strainer bags and they are a PITA to clean. I suppose I could add the cost of them to the recipe and just throw them out with the spent grain.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I guess I got lucky with my setup. Braid from a 3/4 inch water heater supply line. I vorlauf less than 2 quarts til the wort runs clear, then I can open the valve all the way.







Maybe some day I will try a purpose built BIAB bag. I use 5 gallon paint strainer bags and they are a PITA to clean. I suppose I could add the cost of them to the recipe and just throw them out with the spent grain.

Yea the 5 gallon paint strainer bags are cheap, that's about all they have going for them.

A purpose built BIAB bag made with polyester voile works far better and easily rinses clean with little effort, and will last almost forever with a little care, they're that durable.

Spend a couple dollars many times for marginal performance and aggravation, or spend $27 once for something that works very well for the intended purpose.

Most common comment I hear, "I can't believe I didn't buy one sooner"

Ok I'll get off the stump now lol

 

[kh54s10]

Yea the 5 gallon paint strainer bags are cheap, that's about all they have going for them.

A purpose built BIAB bag made with polyester voile works far better and easily rinses clean with little effort, and will last almost forever with a little care, they're that durable.

Spend a couple dollars many times for marginal performance and aggravation, or spend $27 once for something that works very well for the intended purpose.

Most common comment I hear, "I can't believe I didn't buy one sooner"

Ok I'll get off the stump now lol

So far, I much prefer brewing in my 3 tier gravity sculpture.

If I go with bigger batch BIAB I will be giving you an order.

For now it will be either the 3 tier or small batch BIAB in the paint strainer bags. I only do a few BIAB a year right now.

 

[mrveeno]

I have this at the bottom of my 60 Qt Ice Cube cooler. It is PEX tubing and a large grain bag zip ties over the nipple. I get no grain at all, and it would be pretty much impossible to stop up. I put a plastic cutting board on top of it so the mash paddle doesn't grab anything. I also drilled holes in the lid bottom for sparging and run the sparge water into the top. When I had a round cooler for 5 gallon batches, I had a 6' coil of hard vinyl tubing with holes drilled in it.

 

[MagicMatt]

Well… I messed up but I’m pretty sure my beer is okay. I did a full mashed and when I was cleaning the grain from my tun, I found a rag under my mash tun! Ugh!

At this point I'm thinking, "So what? What does a rag being underneath your MLT have to do with anything?" It wasn't until I kept reading that I realized you mean IN your tun, not under it, lol.

So when I clean, I use PBW (1 tsp for a 10 gal)...

...I PBW the tun again (1 tsp - overkill, I know)...

I'm not sure if this is sarcasm, but 1 tsp of PBW in 10 gallons of water is far from the manufacturer's recommendations. They recommend 1/2-1 oz per gallon for cleaning brewday equipment. Now while their numbers are likely a bit excessive, I would think that only 1 tsp in 10 gallons would do absolutely nothing at all. It's still essentially plain water.

I also noticed you said you use the PBW solution and then wipe dry. You should definitely be rinsing with plain water after using PBW, and then drying it.

 

[EMH5]

At this point I'm thinking, "So what? What does a rag being underneath your MLT have to do with anything?" It wasn't until I kept reading that I realized you mean IN your tun, not under it, lol.



I'm not sure if this is sarcasm, but 1 tsp of PBW in 10 gallons of water is far from the manufacturer's recommendations. They recommend 1/2-1 oz per gallon for cleaning brewday equipment. Now while their numbers are likely a bit excessive, I would think that only 1 tsp in 10 gallons would do absolutely nothing at all. It's still essentially plain water.

I also noticed you said you use the PBW solution and then wipe dry. You should definitely be rinsing with plain water after using PBW, and then drying it.

Sorry I was unclear - yeah, I use 1-2 tsp of PBW in the tun with about 5 gallons of water to clean. not much, definitely not to PBW recommendations but the solution still works and makes the inside spotless. I do rinse with water after.

Other than a horrible efficiency, the beer tasted fine from the bucket, 5.9% Citra Centennial IPA. It's kegged now and will be ready in about 10 days.

 

[MagicMatt]

If that's the case then I'd say you have nothing to worry about from a contamination standpoint. That small amount of PBW in that much water should essentially be undetectable in the water itself, much less as residue on a rag.

 

[EMH5]

Just to update- this beer turned out great!
Thanks for all the advice and help.