So I Officially Have A Stuck Sparge

[gibbocore]

Hiya,

Brewing a brown ale today and the sachh temps were going along swimingly in what was to hopefully be the last mash in the ol' esky n braid, and i had used 400g of quick oats, no BG rest but forgot my rice hulls as i havent needed to use them in the last 20 or so brews, now my sparge is stuck good. Question, i have a march pump, do they suck or blow (lol)? I mean will it help me at all suck the wort out of the esky? Or is there anything else i can do?

Cheers.

 

[Stuster]

Blow back through the tap (use some hose to avoid burns). Stir well. Try again. If no luck, try adding a few litres of boiling water to raise the temp.

 

[schooey]

You could still add the rice hulls, blow back through it as Stuster said and stir well to mix the rice hulls and have another crack. If its not too late for all that, that is...

 

[bouncingcastle]

I had this prob on the weekend... *shakes fist*

My problem ended up being that the weight of the grain had crushed the braid :angry: - Manifold being constructed for this weekend.

You can stir and let the mash settle again, or try what stuster has suggested and blow back up the tube...

Cheers,

Chris.

 

[gibbocore]

Thanks for the replies guys, i gave it a few blasts of lung and its still pouring uber slow, there's no where nearby to get rice hulls from now so i'll just have to keep suckin and blowing i suppose.

 

[trevc]

so i'll just have to keep suckin and blowing i suppose.

Did you add some more hot water, mix it, and let it re-settle first? If it's truly stuck, blowing isn't going to help much.

 

[gibbocore]

i got it flowing by blowing, stirring then propping the esky up on the back side to promote most of the grainbed weight on the back of the braid.l

 

[Effect]

Get some hot water in there man! thin out that mash!

 

[Inge]

Get some hot water in there man! thin out that mash!

Last time I got a stuck sparge with my braid, I fixed it by doing an impromptu mash out and then lautering SLOWLY.

With a heavy grainbed, I found fast lautering will cause a vaccum to suck the grain even further in.

Now I use rice hulls, for great victory!

 

[gibbocore]

just added my 13L of sparge water and its running like a dream, annoying the first sparge wasnt so successful, but glad its saving me another hour. Still might be finished before dark.

 

[Inge]

Beautiful

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

My problem ended up being that the weight of the grain had crushed the braid :angry: - Manifold being constructed for this weekend.

That is why god invented the false bottom...

 

[Offline]

That is why god invented the false bottom...

I thought it was for people who had lost their bottoms in some tragic (and unmentionable) accident.

 

[Stuster]

I thought it was for people who had lost their bottoms in some tragic (and unmentionable) accident.

Amazing how often that kind of accident happens to brewers. :lol:

 

[Tony]

That is why god invented the false bottom...

Didnt Ross invent them?

Either get a FB of put some pipe with lots of holes drilled of slots cut inside the braid to stop it crusging down

To test your system make a beer with over 40% rye in it.... throw in 20% wheat for some fun.

If it can handle that it will eat quich oats for breakfast

cheers

 

[AndrewQLD]

That is why god invented the false bottom...

Funny how each brewers systems differ. I've been using stainless braid for about 2 years now and I've never had the braid collapse, and that is even with the grain bed depth up to 45cm deep. I do use a cylindrical mash tun so perhaps that is the difference or maybe there is different quality braid available which could be contributing. I know the braid at Bunnings is a bit slimmer than the stuff I bought from the plumber.

Andrew

 

[Tony]

bunnings wouldnt sell an inferiour quality product would they........

Surely not, wouldnt suprise me though

 

[schooey]

:huh: