Stuck vorlauf
- Thread starter kevy
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Durso81
Active Member
If you ever get a stuck runoff you can always try underletting. I have done this when I have gotten a stuck runoff when I was making a oatmeal stout. I have a pump but as described below you can do it with using another bucket. Got this from a byo article. http://byo.com/hops/item/1529-troubleshooting-a-stuck-sparge
Another good way of dealing with jammed spigots is underletting. Underletting is the practice of introducing hot water from beneath the false bottom. It is also a good way to float the grain bed off of the perforated plates when they clog or stick.
Homebrewers can underlet using a bucket with a plastic spigot on the bottom. Secure a plastic hose so that it connects the spigots of the lauter tun and the plastic bucket. Pour hot water (168° F) into the plastic bucket and open the spigots. When you lift the plastic bucket above the mash tun, gravity will force the hot water under the plates in the lauter tun, clearing out any clogs and resuspending the grain bed.
Another good way of dealing with jammed spigots is underletting. Underletting is the practice of introducing hot water from beneath the false bottom. It is also a good way to float the grain bed off of the perforated plates when they clog or stick.
Homebrewers can underlet using a bucket with a plastic spigot on the bottom. Secure a plastic hose so that it connects the spigots of the lauter tun and the plastic bucket. Pour hot water (168° F) into the plastic bucket and open the spigots. When you lift the plastic bucket above the mash tun, gravity will force the hot water under the plates in the lauter tun, clearing out any clogs and resuspending the grain bed.
christyle
Well-Known Member
What would be the benefits of this over just re-stirring the grain bed to get things in suspension? I understand the purpose, but seems like more work than just giving a little stir.
Auger
Well-Known Member
Another thing I had issues with at first was compacting the grain bed over the false bottom. When I was starting to vorlauf, I was just cranking the valve wide open and letting wort drain off as fast as it could. This was sucking the grain bed down against the false bottom and compacting it to the point where no liquid could filter through it. Now, I open it gently, about 1/4 - 1/2 way to vorlauf and sparge and haven't had any problems.
Durso81
Active Member
I agree it's not like a vacuum suck but if he got just enough under the false bottom it wouldn't take much to clog the opening under the false bottom or the barb on the false bottom there not very big openings. And since he added water first then grain the only way I see grain getting under to clog is the false bottom got raised a little by hitting the hose with what ever he uses to stir which would move the false bottom a little.
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Durso81
Active Member
I agree it's not like a vacuum suck but if he got just enough under the false bottom it wouldn't take much to clog the opening under the false bottom or the barb on the false bottom there not very big openings. And since he added water first then grain the only way I see grain getting under to clog is the false bottom got raised a little by hitting the hose with what ever he uses to stir which would move the false bottom a little. Agree the chance of this is low but I can't think of how grain would get under another way.
christyle
Well-Known Member
Agreed, that's why it seems like it has to be something else...
How much water did you mash with @kevy?
How much water did you mash with @kevy?
Hey Kevy,
Have you checked your ball valve? Once I had a single grain lodge inside the ball valve. I could not drain well with it in there. I had to get a toothpick and poke it around until if came out.
Don't get discouraged. It happens. I am sure you will get it next time.
Cheers.
Have you checked your ball valve? Once I had a single grain lodge inside the ball valve. I could not drain well with it in there. I had to get a toothpick and poke it around until if came out.
Don't get discouraged. It happens. I am sure you will get it next time.
Cheers.
Durso81
Active Member
If stirring does not work to unclog, this can be a route to go before emptying the mash tun. Or if the clog is past the false bottom you won't get it with stirring. Agree it's more work if you don't have a pump.
If I'm on my first running and get a stuck runoff I can just connect my pump to my hlt that has my sparge water in it and run it back through the ball valve of my mash tun which takes little work or effort.
christyle
Well-Known Member
True, I haven't had the issue, but it very well could be downstream of the false bottom, which stirring wouldn't do anything for. Mine have always cleared with a little stir and a re-vorlauf.
I don't want to add a pump into my simple system, but I sure can see their usefulness at times!
I don't want to add a pump into my simple system, but I sure can see their usefulness at times!
I notice you said you didn't have any clamps did you maybe......knock the hose off and not notice when you dumped all the grain out?
Firewalker11
Brewer
This may be stupid but I once had a ball valve that the ball would stay in the closed position when the handle was turned if the pressure was too great against the valve. All sorts of schmidt can happen with moving parts, a slow/meticulous exploration of the possibilities is a must.
Hose knocked off is a possibility but at the end I said to heck with it and sucked the stuck lose then just drained everything in the kettle and continue once I did that the grain stopped coming through so I had minimal grain in the boil.
So toward the end the sparge acted as normal. And seemed to drain through the grain bed as should. Would it have done that with the tube not on?
So toward the end the sparge acted as normal. And seemed to drain through the grain bed as should. Would it have done that with the tube not on?
christyle
Well-Known Member
So wait, you couldn't get a vorlauf started, but then you somehow got it going by sucking on it, and it worked fine?
It would only work if I sucked the stuck out and left the valve wide open. So ended up having to do that and leave the mash tun and hlt valves wide open. Very fast fly sparge I still had to suck the stuck sparge out a hand full of times doing that.
christyle
Well-Known Member
I feel like this thread could have gone a lot smoother if a few things had been explained up front, but...it is what it is. Your initial post made it sound like you couldn't get a vorlauf started, and you were never able to sparge at all. I just assumed you were batch sparging, but that was my mistake in assuming.
You had a bit of grain get under your false bottom and clog, but you were able to suck start it (that must have burned your mouth btw), then you essentially batch sparged. Why did you have to keep the valve all the way open, did the flow stop when you turned the valve down, or did you just worry that it might?
What happened on the actual sparge? Did that drain just fine, or did you just do a very fast fly sparge with no interruption between mash and sparge?
You had a bit of grain get under your false bottom and clog, but you were able to suck start it (that must have burned your mouth btw), then you essentially batch sparged. Why did you have to keep the valve all the way open, did the flow stop when you turned the valve down, or did you just worry that it might?
What happened on the actual sparge? Did that drain just fine, or did you just do a very fast fly sparge with no interruption between mash and sparge?
I apologize for the lack of information.
I could not get a vorlauf started Every time I tried to open the valve 1/4 way it had nothing come out so I would slowly open it until fully open and still nothing
So with the valve partially open or full open I would try to blow or suck. I tried all combinations and nothing
This continued for an hour just trying to start a vorlauf until I finally suck started it enough to get a wide open flow into the kettle(this is when I wide opened the hlt tank as well) and then repeatedly had to keep suck starting it causing some grain to end up in the kettle It was a mess. Never had a nice slow vorlauf and clean sparge
Never burnt my mouth either
I could not get a vorlauf started Every time I tried to open the valve 1/4 way it had nothing come out so I would slowly open it until fully open and still nothing
So with the valve partially open or full open I would try to blow or suck. I tried all combinations and nothing
This continued for an hour just trying to start a vorlauf until I finally suck started it enough to get a wide open flow into the kettle(this is when I wide opened the hlt tank as well) and then repeatedly had to keep suck starting it causing some grain to end up in the kettle It was a mess. Never had a nice slow vorlauf and clean sparge
Never burnt my mouth either
christyle
Well-Known Member
Sounds like your false bottom isnt sitting right and allowing grains past. Double check that it sits properly in there, isn't warped or bent or something. I would use some clamps on the hose to help prevent the bottom from moving around much. make sure the grain crush isn't too fine too, but it should have been ok. Make sure the intake on the false bottom isn't getting obstructed...not sure where else it could be going wrong
Wow. It turned out great. Even being very young it's delicious. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1457121115.219967.jpg
I'm surprised it wasn't mentioned, but it could be the grian crush. I have a similar setup to you and have never had a stuck sparge. I did a kolsch with 100% pilsner malt and it stuck early and often, even with just a trickle coming out the ball valve. I probably stirred it 50 times over the course of an hours to get the wort into the kettle. When I finally drained all of the wort off, there was a 3/4" solid "cap" on top of the grain bed. That was the one time that I didn't check the mill gap to make sure it was what I wanted. BIAB brewers often set the gap small to improve their efficiency, and if you immediately followed one, I can see how this could easily happen. Something to check for next time.
IchLiebeBier
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Maybe I missed it but did you say what your water to grain ratio was?
