Tired of stainless braid problems....

[Lando]

After having trouble with two batches of beer involving stuck sparges, collapsed braids...etc I am looking for a better way.
I am not worth a damn at sweating copper and would rather drop a few bucks for a piece I can simply install and have work than spend time trying to hunt down everything and assemble it.
Does anyone make anything like that? I prebuilt false bottom or tube screen that works with rectangle coolers?
I am debating on simply dropping the cash on a 10 gallon pre built igloo with false bottom, but would rather keep what I have for much cheaper if possible.

 

[TheAleMaster]

What about CPVC for a manifold?

 

[hoplobster]

I assume you're batch sparging since you're using a braid? You could just use a length of copper tubing or CPVC, drill small holes in the bottom and attach it to the outlet of cooler. This will act like a SS braid, but wont be as prone to collapse.

If you're looking a making a copper manifold, I don't think you would have to sweat it. The wort in the mash won't be under pressure and if you just push the tubing into the fittings, I doubt that they would come loose. CPVC would be just as good, and again, you wouldnt have to glue it together since it wont be under pressure.

 

[FlyGuy]

Most people that use copper manifolds DON'T sweat the copper fittings. Crimp them so that they fit tightly and then you can pull them apart to clean them after use.

If you are batch sparging, you can also just insert a slotted piece of copper pipe or CPVC into your braid to prevent it from collapsing. Or just use the pipe (if you can work out a connection).

 

[JVD_X]

There are screens that fit the bottom of coolers very well. I use a 9" in my boil kettle but they are designed for MLT's.

FYI - just because they are round, does not mean that the screens won't work very well in a square/rectangle cooler.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Might your braid be plastic and not SS? Or try a heavier, sturdier braid like a water heater supply, they seem very sturdy!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/imposter-plastic-braids-122648/

 

[Shaggyt]

I made my cpvc manifold to John Palmer's recommended specs (per cooler size) in less than an hour...cheaper than the price of copper...though I did sweat bit sawing the cpvc.

 

[s3n8]

Might your braid be plastic and not SS? Or try a heavier, sturdier braid like a water heater supply, they seem very sturdy!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/imposter-plastic-braids-122648/

I have 20 batched in on my water heater braid. It looks like brand new, no crush problems, no stuck sparges, even with 66% wheat and rye.

 

[bendavanza]

If your braid did not poke you in the fingers repeatedly when you were building your MLT then it's not stainless. I made a ss spring to go inside my braid which helps it keep it's shape. The bigger washing machine supply hose braid is much beefier, I used a sink supply hose.

 

[malkore]

Another option is some copper wire coiled inside the braid to hold it open.

Mine's never tried to collapse. I have the feeling that not all SS braids are created equally. I got mine at Lowe's and they are good...stood up to a fair amount of abuse with my metal spoon.

 

[weirdboy]

I have 20 batched in on my water heater braid. It looks like brand new, no crush problems, no stuck sparges, even with 66% wheat and rye.

+1 my SS braid is solid as a rock.

 

[boogyman]

Another option is some copper wire coiled inside the braid to hold it open.

+1. I bought a strand of copper picture hanging wire, wound it up around a pen, and put it into the ss braid. holds up pretty well.

 

[Sawdustguy]

There are screens that fit the bottom of coolers very well. I use a 9" in my boil kettle but they are designed for MLT's.

FYI - just because they are round, does not mean that the screens won't work very well in a square/rectangle cooler.

+1 I have seen flase bottoms made for both round and rectangular coolers and my gut tells me they would out perform a braid.

 

[trailblazer]

i use a stainless braid, its never colapsed and ive never had a stuck sparge. ive batch sparged at full speed and semi-fly sparged without any problems. you need to get a better braid or get a false bottom.

 

[Bobby_M]

If you think false bottoms are the cure for stuck sparges, you're mistaken. They are not without their issues. Grain is roundish, the holes are round. At least half of the holes in my FB end up plugged.

 

[AnOldUR]

If you think false bottoms are the cure for stuck sparges, you're mistaken.

+1

Went back to a braid for batch sparging after too many stuck sparges with a false bottom. I only swithed because I thought the FB might increase efficiency, but it didn't. Perfectly happy with the braid, so now I have a 9" FB that I'll probably never use again.

 

[Coastarine]

I recently got fed up like you so I upgraded my braid, however I decided that if the upgrade didn't do better I was going with a preassembled igloo with a slotted false bottom. My old braid was 12" with a plug in the end and sliced up vinyl tube inside to support it. I noticed how soft vinyl tube got when I ran hot wort through it and I realized that the tube in the braid was getting just as soft and probably not supporting the braid at all. My new braid has one brew under its belt and it drained faster than I have ever seen before.

Mcmaster carr parts:
9663K27 SS spring for inside the braid................................$3.60
5346K38 barbed hose fittings (yeah, brass. No, I don't care)..$9.38
50785K23 threaded plugs for hose fittings...........................$2.36
91355K49 Tee...............................................................$8.84
5011T141 SS Hose Clamps...............................................$9.47
2857K14 12" Braided hose................................................$4.90
2857K15 20" Braided hose................................................$6.54

Total...........................................................................$45.09

Not the cheapest method, but I had already tried the cheap method. I wanted a solid method. Picture shows zip ties which weren't secure enough for me in the end, hence the hose clamps, but you get the idea. Also, those hose barbs come with different size threads. I wanted to reuse my ball valve so I got the ones with 3/8" pipe threads, but you could get whatever works for you while still keeping the barb 1/2":

 

[mb2696]

yea i'm getting tired of mine as well. it took me 2 hours to collect the wort because of a kinked braid. it ususally takes me about 30 mins.

i was thinking of getting a new one and inserting a long spring inside of it to hold it open. although depending on the coil density and wire thickness, it may not be strong enough.

 

[BargainFittings]

For those of you who are having trouble, what sort of braid are you using? Toilet hose braid or what?

 

[kaiser423]

Maybe I'm confused, but my SS hot water heater braid came with a thick, plastic, stiff food-safe hose already in it. I took it out, made it look like swiss cheese and put it back in my braid. The thing is stiff as can be, and non-collapsable.

I really can't imagine a stuck sparge too much with my braid (~12 batches), and I never even had a remotely slow drain. I used maybe a handful of rice hulls per batch.

 

[Beavdowg]

I have not had any problems at all with my braid either. I think the key is that it has to be stainless steel. Having said that I might rig up something inside it just to keep it from collapsing. I have no reason to think mine has never collapsed but I'm sure now that I've said this it'll get stuck on my next batch!

Good luck!

 

[malkore]

Yeah i don't even open my ball valve more than 75% or the runnings are so fast I get some bits of grain even after vorlaufing.

 

[mb2696]

stainless or not, the braid is delicate with nothing inside it. it's a hollow braid of thin wire, how strong could it be? maybe you are all very gentle when stirring, or maybe i'm just too careless, but from what i've seen, it doesn't take much to smash/mangle it.

either way, i just did my first batch with a stainless spring (mcmaster part# 9663K25) inside for support, and it works GREAT. it's now hard as a rock, and i didn't lose any on efficiency.

 

[arturo7]

I made a manifold out of reinforced plastic tubing. Picked up the tubing at the Despot, they have it at MMC as well. It is pretty easy to bend but very difficult to crush. I plan on using it for 10 gallon batches.

Plugged one end and cut slots in it, just as you would with copper tubing. Tried it last weekend on a 5 gallon batch and it worked just fine.

EDIT: After a couple uses, the steel reinforcing wire collected some funk where it was exposed. I would not recommend this.

 

[springer]

^ I like it thinking outside the box

I used a water heater hose it very thick walled SS and is about an inch wide has done about 30 batches without a hitch.

 

[Synovia]

stainless or not, the braid is delicate with nothing inside it. it's a hollow braid of thin wire, how strong could it be? maybe you are all very gentle when stirring, or maybe i'm just too careless, but from what i've seen, it doesn't take much to smash/mangle it.

Mine isn't delicate at all, and it does take much to smash/mangle it. I think you guys are buying crappy braid.

 

[david_42]

Bazooka! I can practically stand on mine.

 

[mb2696]

Mine isn't delicate at all, and it does take much to smash/mangle it. I think you guys are buying crappy braid.

this is what i have:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=25234-104-LBLK SPC20-88CP&lpage=none