Hi folks,
Well, the day finally dawned on Saturday - my first all-grain batch! However, it all got a bit stressful and didn't work out all that well. To cut a long story short (the unexpurgated version (with photos) is on my
blog) I had problems getting the wort out of the mash tun. I'm using a braided hose in my converted chilly bin and I could only get a couple of litres out before the flow rate slowed to a trickle then stopped entirely. I could get a trickle out by stroking the hose with my stirring paddle, but that's not a viable option for the whole batch. I ended up ladelling the mash out into a sieve and sparging it through that. Calculations were all out of whack though.
I can only think that the holes in the braided hose were too small and were blocking up. Other braided screen users - how did you find it?
I need to come up with a revised design and fast - my in-laws arrive in 3 weeks and I'll be unable to brew for the three weeks they're here so I need to get another batch going soon!
Cheers,
Martin