So I am making the switch from BIAB to a cooler MLT. Considering a diy bazooka screen but my LHS has a built one for $18 ish, one inch diameter screen about 12-15" long. Any reason to go with the store bought over the converted water supply line?
It’s a preference thing. I have two tuns, one with each type. Both work fine.
damn! I thought this post was going to be more along the line of potato gun bazooka stuff… 
thought the brew forum was finally going to get interesting.
Both work, but I find that using a hose braid lets through fewer fines than a Bazooka does, resulting in faster wort clearing. Not a huge deal, though.
Denny, do you get clear wort from your cooler MT? Or just cloudy with no grain particles?
My wort always runs off cloudy.
That depends on a lot of other things besides the lautering system. If I nail my pH and the stars are aligned, I get crystal clear runoff that you could read a newspaper through. That’s about 90% of the time. The rest of the time it may be cloudy, but there are no grain particles. That’s the real objective.
And do you really notice any difference in the final product either way?
Nope…not at all.
Same here.
I’ve yet to get clear runoff from my cooler. I’m thinking the braid I used is “looser” than usual, takes forever for the grain bits to stop.
May not make a difference in the long run, but if another $10 hose makes my brew day go easier…
It wont.
Don’t know why you say that…try this…Lasco brand (part number 10-0121 or 10-0321)
I will confirm that the braid on that brand is of a higher quality than what I use currently. Flexible, tight weave, less crush prone than mine
The PIA process of removing the fittings and tube have deterred me from switching.
If I can do it, anyone can! Chop off the ends with a hatchet. Push each end of the braid toward the center to expand it. Pull out the inner tube. Fold one end of the braid over. Attach the other end to your cooler drain. That’s it. Less than 10 min.
I’m in an apartment, no stump to hatchet on.
Last time I used a hacksaw. That resulted in many stainless steel slivers. Bolt cutters would work nicely, but I don’t have those.
Understood
I’ve already been through two stainless braids.
First one I wrapped in tape and cut with a death wheel, ala how they tell you to cut braided steel for AN fittings on cars…worked great till I removed the tape. Without a solid core the whole thing expanded and made a mess.
Second time around I just use a pair of wire cutters. One cut from each side was enough.
And yes, getting a better braided line would make my brewday easier…nobody wants to vorlauf forever…
I’ve used both and find I like the bazooka screen best. The braid worked alright but I found it difficult to clean and get all the little pieces out and I didn’t like it falling out and getting caught in the grain when I tipped it to empty. Just a couple convenience things.
I usually only have to run off two half gallon pitchers of wort before it clears and sometimes its just one pitchers worth. My efficiency seems to improve with the bazooka screen also…a few points. Not huge and not really sure why.
If you are getting particles when using hose braid, it sounds like there is a gap somewhere. You can ‘realign’ the wires by stretching and compressing the braid a few times. That should help.
YOu gys with the hose braid, what is your drain diameter? If I use 1/2" with bazooka, it gets stuck, so I stick to 3/8" but 'tis slow. Curious if hose braid might work. Trying to speed things up.