Woo Hoo! just tested my new 70 quart Coleman Extreme mash tun. I ended up going super cheap and easy as the money never lasts as long as I would hope. So I took a 3 foot length of 5/8 OD plastic tubing and, after heating it up a little in hot water, forced it through the existing drain. Fits like it’s made for it! Hose clamp the 1 inch hot water heater SS braid to the inside bit and we are good to go. I just stick the outside end of the tube in the handle to hold it above the liquid level and viola. maybe someday I will get a valve or something. Just in time to mash 25 lbs of 2 row for my maple barley wine!
May not ever happen. I’ve been using the handle trick with mine for several years now.
I also did the “drain thang” but I fashioned a valve that just pops off the hose when done mashing. This way I can control the flow-rate if needed.
Additionally I also got the hot water heater braid, it works well but had to insert a coil of stiff copper wire down into it. This helps counteract the tendency of the braid to collapse under the weight of the mash- especially big thick ones. Not sure if it will be an issue for you or others with the smaller diameter braids.
I haven’t found anything to be gained by a larger diameter braid. Have you compared it to a smaller one?
well we will see. if it is collapsed should I expect a stuck runoff?
I agree that length or diameter has no bearing with a batch sparge.
My cooler/mash tun has a short length of plastic pipe where the valve was and braid clamped to it and it works fine. I wonder if you just clamped a SS scrubbie to the pipe it would work as well? Or maybe even stuff the pie with a piece of the scrubbie. After all, were just trying to keep the grain in the tun.
Maybe. Hard to say but it was something that was recommended to me during some runoff woes. Compacting the grain-bed is more of an issue IMO than a squished braid.
Bet it would get clogged. But then again I want to use one in the BK so who knows…?