What happened to my mash tun manifold??

[dierythmus]

After several all grain batches without a stuck mash/sparge, I had had a VERY stuck mash.

I was able to save it, but after inspection, it looks like my SS manifold shrunk significantly. See the picture below. New one for comparison.

At first I thought it could be the heavy grain bed that crushed it, but it's an even shrink around. Like the heat shrunk it. I replaced it very easily, but I want to avoid this from happening again. I haven't seen any threads with similar issues. Thoughts?

 

[RM-MN]

I think you hooked it when you were stirring the mash and stretched it out. Since the amount of material hasn't changed, stretching it out requires that it reduces diameter. Hence the longer, smaller braid. Make a spring out of stainless steel wire and slide it inside the braid to keep it from getting smaller diameter.

 

[SnakeRidge]

That's what it looks like to me. If you had crushed it, it would have flattened not stretched out.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Thread #422 on "hey, this braided hose for a manifold isn't working too well..."

My thought is to not use a braided hose anymore. Many people use them with success, but many people do not. The stuck sparge rate for a manifold other than a braided hose is much lower in my observations and personal experience. CPVC manifolds can be made really cheaply.

 

[Jeffinn]

If you buy a pre-made screen (bazook tube etc), the screen material is much heavier and doesn't stretch.

 

[kh54s10]

I used this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-3-4-in-x-3-4-in-x-12-in-Braided-Stainless-Steel-Water-Heater-Supply-Line-FIP-x-FIP-Lead-Free-LFBK-LBF-12/203789991

I think it is heavier than what most people use. I have beat it up, done all sorts of recipes and have never experienced a stuck sparge. Just in case, I have used rice hulls a few times.

To the OP, I agree with others, it looks like it was stretched out, not crushed.

 

[brick_haus]

Looks like you got a stuck mash and the pump/gravity collapsed the tubing.