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I recently got into brewing (well, extract brewing) and all the kits I use come with a grain bag. I've since learned that it is perfectly fine to reuse these bags, so long as you clean + dry them properly.

The problem is, every time I use them, they have hundreds/thousands of tiny seeds/husks/"stuffs" caked onto them. Even after meticulously washing and cleaning them, I still end up with a clean + dry grain bag that has hundreds of seeds/husks/stuffs tangled up with the bag (which is made of cotton).

So I ask: are there any known tricks to getting these hundreds of "stuffs" dislodged from the cotton bag prior to cleaning it, or do I really have to sit there with a pair of tweezers and pick them out one-by-one (because if that's the case I'll just buy a new grain bag each time - they're only a few bucks).

But, I don't like to be wasteful, so I'd like to reuse if possible. Thanks in advance!

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  • Are you using them for steeping?
    – Mołot
    Commented Aug 8, 2016 at 20:21

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+50

For the sake of convenience I would replace them with nylon bags either from your LHBS or nylon paint strainer bags from your hardware store.

The nylon bags clean very easily and have a very fine mesh so husk doesn't get stuck in them.

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  • Thanks @Evil (+1)...dumb question but I have to ask: is nylon "food grade" and/or safe to come into contact with water at steeping temperatures (less than 170 degress)?
    – smeeb
    Commented Aug 6, 2016 at 12:57
  • Your brew shop should have them, and they're often sold for use with hops rather than grains. I did that in the boil once (with hops) and decided it wasn't worth the effort, but found them useful in my recent first attempt at dry hopping.
    – winwaed
    Commented Aug 8, 2016 at 13:29
  • @smeeb the bags from the homebrew shop will for sure be food grade, I can't say with certainty that paint strainer bags are, but I've used them a lot even in boil with no off flavors etc. They say 100% nylon as do the bags made for Homebrewing. Nylon will melt if allowed to touch the bottom of the kettle and scorch quickly from direct flame. Commented Aug 8, 2016 at 13:52

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