Toilet braid for keggle mash tun

[doublehaul]

I currently have a 10 gallon round cooler with a toilet braid for the filter for my mash tun. It has worked fine for ~25 lb batches. I would like to switch to a keggle setup so I can do big 11 gallon batches, and I'm gonna be switching from batch sparging to herms. Will the toilet braid handle these bigger batches?

This should have been in the equipment forum could anyone move?

 

[ChocolateMaltyBalls]

May want to consider a false bottom if you're going to fly sparge. It's more expensive, but will probably work better.


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[plinythebadass]

My answer is defined in two parts but...albeit, the answer is simple. Yes and no.

Yes, kind of: If you plan on using rice hulls every batch (probably two-three pounds for an 11 gal batch) then it should work fine-ish.

No: If you don't use the rice hulls, the surface area of the toilet braid won't be an effective porous medium for the wort to flow through. You'll get a stuck sparge and with a pump driving the RIMS system, that could be serious a problem.

I'd say get the false bottom, if everyone else is doing it-there's probably a reason. (OK I know that sounds superficial, but hear me out). I too looked at every possible solution to the grain filter problem in a mash tun. I didn't want to fork over the cash for a false bottom but alas, all my research showed it was the most effective. Happy brewing!

 

[doublehaul]

Thanks for the responses. I have a 12" false bottom with a center dip tube in my boil keggle. I could use that for the mash tun and get a new boil kettle. I was just thinking all that weight on the dip tube could be trouble. I don't plan on fly sparging, just planning on HERMS and then a 15 batch sparge, so would that work OK? People post you need a 15" false bottom for fly sparging - why is that?