Modifying a buffalo boiler

[BeerCat]

I put 300g of oat husks in the mash but they were very dusty and somewhat defeated the point. I sieved them but i don't think i got it all off.

I used a different bag this time, smaller but with larger holes but for some reason i decided to empty it halfway through and try it without as when i took a reading the efficiency was very low. To be honest this was a big mistake.
I was in a hurry so didn't want to step mash but i should of done and will next time. Not used to cloudy wort anymore and was horrified by the burned boiler. Wort was lovely and clear when i pitched though so fingers crossed its going to taste ok. I have ordered the bag you linked above so going to be giving that a go next time ( will try and steer clear of rice hulls) and will bungy it to the pan.

Thinking about it the flow is fine until there is a bag full of grain in there. I did consider disconnects but was unsure what i needed so have not bought any yet. Thanks for your help mate, i will let you know how i get on.

 

[AdeDunn]

If it helps any, I am developing a preference for camlocks over QDs, for the simple reason that they're easier to use when they're really hot. Also, wort doesn't gum them up like it does QDs. How I do it, I have a male fitting on my tap (male BSP to male QD or camlock) then the female fitting on my pump (usually with a 90 degree elbow) as I just found it seems to fit better that way around. I do however put a male fitting on the out of my pump though, so I can unhook the hose for cleaning etc. The hose barbs for the connects on my hose seem bigger than the ones you get that are BSP fittings oddly.

Good idea with the bungy, I kept trying to peg it and it never really worked. In the end I found a way to wrap the draw string around a handle. Problem was, the bag kept folding itself inside the pan though, you end up having to work around the folds. It's not that big a deal though, especially once the grain is holding it down. Oh and the damage wasn't anything major, it just made some of the holes a tiny bit larger.... It worked brilliantly for boiling my whole hops during my last brew! Been whole hops too I was able to squeeze them right out as well. So yeah, good open pored bag for sure, just not rigid enough for my liking.

It's a pain finding a balance isn't it? Between a good fairly rigid bag, but one that isn't too fine a pore structure? On the plus side, less flour got through my last brew, so barely any trub even though I tipped the entire pan contents into the FV....

Good luck bud!