Mash tun shape

I just read Denny’s description of batch vs fly sparging and how for batch sparging a rectangular cooler with a braid is ok. However that set up doesn’t work for fly sparging. Does a round cooler with false bottom work for both though, or only fly? Seems like it should do both. Thanks.

z

My rectangular cooler works for either batch or fly as I choose… all depends on the manifold setup. I do choose to batch sparge all the time.

John

I prefer the round igloo type and a SS false bottom. I do both fly and batch sparging. PS the yellow coolers work the best vs the red. =0

I’m sure you could rig up something to do a fly sparge in a rectangular cooler if you wanted to. That said, I use a 10g rubbermaid cooler and do batch sparging which is super easy and requires one less piece of equipment.

The reason lauter piping or false bottom & tun geometry(more specifically grain bed depth as many fly sparge with rectangular coolers but real low SG beers tend to create a thin bed depth is all. Assuming 5 gallon batches as 10+G dont have this light grain bed then ) makes a great difference is because you are slowly rinsing the grain with fly sparging, so John
Palmers charts and diagrams show you will have better flow dynamics depending on conditions given to better rinse the grain instead of channeling through the grain bed. Whereas with batch sparging you are running off the initial water amount rapidly thus pulling a good amount of sugar. Then you add a good amount of sparge water mix well and run off quickly again. So flow dynamics are not a factor. As you are diluting by large percentages every sparge instead of 1 liter per minute average sparge experienced during continuous or fly sparge. A braid or manifold will work best with a batch sparge in either cooler. A false bottom will tend to create stuck mashes during batch sparging a greater percentage of the time as you will have higher rates of compacting during the fast runoff.