WOULD THIS WORK IN a MASH TUN?

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finsfan

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So heres what I was just thinking about and am not sure if it would work. I plan to make a mash tun soon using Don Osborn's design http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/mashtun.htm

I was wondering if it would be possible to put 2 more stainless braids in there to help drainage and maybe prevent channeling. I would find an "X" fitting that would work and use that as the first fitting inside the cooler attaching the to the hose, the middle braid, and 2 extensions that lead to the other 2 braids. I was also thinking i may need to design something to keep their spacing and place in the cooler but wasnt sure if that would work or be practical to come up with.

Maybe i was just over thinkging this but i have never seen anyone do this, maybe there is a good reason. All advice and information is helpful and appreciated, Thanks! :D

Here is a quick mock up of what i am thinking, the green is the X fitting and extensions, the gray is the braids

mashtun07-completed.jpg
 
would this help with not getting a stuck sparge since there are 3 channels to filter or would this increase a chance of stuck sparge?
 
My totally uneducated opinion is that 3 braided tubes wont help you much, as they're all still feeding into one hose. You can only push so much wort through it at a time. If you're really in a hurry, you could have three hoses coming off I suppose, but what's the rush! As far as stuck sparges....love the rice hulls my friend!
 
It wouldn't help with a stuck mash, but it should speed up a slow runoff. Most likely if it clogs one braid, the others will follow suit.
 
Looks pointless. Great thing about braid is how simple it it. I average about 72% with a braid in a cooler. Only reason mash would get stuck is user error. If you run off slowly at first to set the grain bed, you won't stick the mash. I don't even have a valve, just a white hose clip. I've recently done brews with 40-50% raw wheat with no problem. The turbid mash I did did get stuck during the sparge, probably because my corona mill makes a lot of flour. I just scraped the gummy junk off the top without disturbing grain bed and finished lautering, no problem.
 
thanks for the advice. I guess the idea wasnt really to speed things up but get as much out of possible. It probably is overkill which is why i havent seen one done like this yet haha. I had the idea so i thought id ask, thanks for the help
 
From my experience, I have had nothing but problems with those flimsy braids. They are so hard to work with after you do your first batch because they bend and torque all around and can't get them to go back to their original form.

IMO, the better route to go would be the CPVC/PVC manifold with slits cut in them or buy one of the stronger grade braids at the homebrew store.

I'm assuming since you have such a large cooler for your mash tun, that you'll be doing 10+ gal batches. I would not want to get a stuck sparge doing those size batches.
 
From my experience, I have had nothing but problems with those flimsy braids. They are so hard to work with after you do your first batch because they bend and torque all around and can't get them to go back to their original form.

IMO, the better route to go would be the CPVC/PVC manifold with slits cut in them or buy one of the stronger grade braids at the homebrew store.

I'm assuming since you have such a large cooler for your mash tun, that you'll be doing 10+ gal batches. I would not want to get a stuck sparge doing those size batches.

yeah ill be getting a 70 or 100 qt cooler so i can do high gravity 10 gal batches. Im thinking i may just get a bazooka screen instead of the braid. I also thought about a CPVC manifold but that might be an upgrade i do in the future. Why are slits made instead of holes on the manifolds? would it make a difference if you drilled a lot of tiny holes instead of slits?
 
I wouldn't bother.

If you're batch sparging, channeling shouldn't matter; you should be stirring in that sparge water well beyond the point where no first-runnings-strength wort could possibly be trapped anywhere in the mash.

If you're fly sparging, you're still gonna channel even with three braids, because the "close" side of the braids will offer a much shorter route to the exit than the "far" side.

There are probably sparges right in the "sweet spot" where they would stick with one braid but not with three, but I imagine it's far more likely to have no issues at all, or to be so thoroughly stuck that even a pile of braids lining your tun like snakes in a pit in an Indiana Jones movie wouldn't be enough to keep it flowing freely.
 
finsfan said:
yeah ill be getting a 70 or 100 qt cooler so i can do high gravity 10 gal batches. Im thinking i may just get a bazooka screen instead of the braid. I also thought about a CPVC manifold but that might be an upgrade i do in the future. Why are slits made instead of holes on the manifolds? would it make a difference if you drilled a lot of tiny holes instead of slits?

If you have a dremel it's so much quicker than drilling a million holes. Doesn't matter really, do a mixture of both if you'd like or one of the two.
 
I would pony up the extra couple bucks and get a bazooka tube or if you want to stay cheap make a cpvc manifold, you can get 10' for $2. Either way, I wouldn't use that cheap braid its going to cause you nothing but frustration and problems.
 
I would pony up the extra couple bucks and get a bazooka tube or if you want to stay cheap make a cpvc manifold, you can get 10' for $2. Either way, I wouldn't use that cheap braid its going to cause you nothing but frustration and problems.

I've heard that a lot, but 60+ batches including a recent 1.100 OG brew with 24 lbs of grain and I've had zero issues with my cheap braid.
 
Only issues I've had with my braid were from a 40% rye malt, 30% flaked rye mash. I used rice hulls, but they can only do so much with glue.

Most people who have used braids love them.
 
Only issues I've had with my braid were from a 40% rye malt, 30% flaked rye mash. I used rice hulls, but they can only do so much with glue.

A manifold would not have done any better, that would need a lot of rice hulls.
 
So ive heard of stainless things that people stick inside their braid to prevent crushing? anything to recommend along those lines?
 
So ive heard of stainless things that people stick inside their braid to prevent crushing? anything to recommend along those lines?

I used solid copper wire that I wrapped around a pencil, then stretched it so it it was small enough to fit inside. But it really shouldn't matter if it collapses, the braid will channel the wort to the outlet.
 
The issue I've run into with a CPVC manifold is it floating up as I stir my mash to break up clumps. I use a non-glued design to avoid adding any possible toxins and fear that if I stir too hard I may release a joint.
 
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