I’ve got a solid 67 brewdays over 4 years in my current brewbag and it’s definitely got a few little tears (that was repaired once with some nylon thread). Just wondering what anyone’s thoughts on how often I should consider replacing it.
I use it on an Anvil Foundry more as a nice to have rather than a complete necissity if that makes a difference to your thoughts/discussion.
Maybe some integrity testing to answer the question as long as bags are not a sterilization issue (with boiling cant see how but maybe they can carry unwanted flavor influence?).
If a bag holds what it is supposed to I personally see no reason to replace.
Same set up here - 400 micron bag. I was wondering if anyone “cleans “ the bag with a PBW or Craftmeister soak? Mine looks a bit discolored, but otherwise good. I have not found any flavor issues….
I don’t worry much about sanitizing the bag since it’s upstream of the boil.
Edit: that is, I clean the gunk off but I don’t worry about discoloration.
My cleaning processes is to rinse it and hang it to dry. Seems like the consensus is I’m good for now. After making a rauch beer I always get a whiff of smoke in the mash of the following batch but I’ve never had that translate into actual flavor as far as I could tell.
Thanks for the responses everyone.
Yeah, I generally just rinse mine out and hang it to dry. Every once in awhile I’ll soak it in PBW and/or run it through the wash (no detergent, hot water), but that’s about it. I’m thinking about getting a new one at some point, because the fabric isn’t as flexible as it used to be and I’ve got a tiny hole or two. No rush, though…it’s still got some brews in it!
Andy, I think my consideration of a new one right now is purely as a backup for the day I go to use my old one and I find the small holes have turned into ones that can’t be ignored anymore.
I’m still using the same brew bag I started with 23 years ago. I brew small batches once a month
I just run the bag thru a COLD clothes washer cycle…
I run my bag through the normal laundry cycle with the towels and washrags I use on brew day. (No fabric softener, scent beads, or dryer sheets). Comes out perfectly clean. I’ll use it forever until it falls apart.
I’m 30+ brews in with current bag. I rinse it, stick it in my sani bucket for 10 minutes, and then let it dry.
I have two 400 micron bags that I use in my Anvil Foundry as well, one for dark beers and one for light. After rinsing them off I throw them in the washing machine with a little PBW instead of regular detergent and they have lasted for six years without issues. The dark beer one is stained dark and the light one still looks brand new. As long as you use it in the malt pipe you shouldn’t have any problems. Cheers!