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Rookie Question about sparging

Mashing
#1

I feel a little ashamed asking this, but that’s what we come here for right?

I have always fly sparged, ALWAYS, no exceptions, but now I would like to batch sparge for time reasons and for technique perfection. Plus my Macgyver gravity set-up is getting a little iffy especially with a little apprentice brewer wanting to help her father out.

With that said, I have read and watched and even listened to Denny’s youtube segment on Batch Sparging, and I feel pretty good with the concept.

Now, onto my question:

Assuming that I did all my calculations for temp and need to strike at 170 to achieve 156 deg F for my mash, would my sparge water need to be the same temp, i.e., 170 deg F? Or would I have my sparge water at 156, the temp of my mash? Also, I am not planning on mashing out. Just a single infusion mash with a batch sparge.

Thank you

#2

Since you are just rinsing the grains for sugars that have already been converted with the sparge, temperature really isn’t that critical (whereas with the mash you are actually trying to activate certain enzymes). I have heard fabled stories of people sparging with room temp water!

I typically do 170* for batch sparges though. You should be fine with that, or maybe even your calculated strike temp.

#3

Thank you Pietro. That sums it up nicely.

#4

one last question…

With the Fly Sparge technique I typically take 60+ minutes to collect my pre-boil volume of wort. In the batch case, do I let er rip (open the ball valve all the way) on the first running then let it slowly trickle on the second collection? Or let it rip (without collapsing the grain bed) both times of collection.

Thanks

#5

[quote=“andymag”]one last question…

With the Fly Sparge technique I typically take 60+ minutes to collect my pre-boil volume of wort. In the batch case, do I let er rip (open the ball valve all the way) on the first running then let it slowly trickle on the second collection? Or let it rip (without collapsing the grain bed) both times of collection.

Thanks[/quote]

After you vorlauf to set the grain bed, let 'er rip. Both with the first and second runnings. A second vorlauf will be needed after you add the sparge water and stir well. There is no value in a slow extraction when you are batch sparging. As you implied, the only risk is a stuck sparge due to overly rapid drain rate.

#6

I voluff with the valve 1/4 or so open. After collecting the last quart (usually recirculate 3qts) I place the drain hose in the boil kettle. With out shutting the valve. After .5 - 1g of wort is in the kettle I open the valve all the way.

I add boiling, or near boiling, water to the grain. Never had the temp raise above 170*.

#7

First, check out dennybrew.com. I always sparge with 180-190F water. I vorlauf the mash runoff until clear of chunks (1-2 qt.) with the valve slightly open. Then I open it up all the way. I stir in the sparge water and do the vorlauf and run off again. The entire process takes me maybe 15 min.

#8

Anything against sparging with even hotter water, as in 211-212?

#9

Anything against sparging with even hotter water, as in 211-212?[/quote]

As long as the pH is OK, that’s fine. I’ve ended p doing it accidentally when I wasn’t paying attention to my sparge water temp. as it heated.

#10

how long do you sparge for and does length of sparge time matter? i switched from a 15 min batch sparge to 30 min.and my mash time from 60 to 90.my numbers were low.but since ive changed my times they have gotten better.my last brew had a 1.072 sg on the recipe and i ended with 1.080.guess i did something right!! :cheers:

#11

how long do you sparge for and does length of sparge time matter? i switched from a 15 min batch sparge to 30 min.and my mash time from 60 to 90.my numbers were low.but since ive changed my times they have gotten better.my last brew had a 1.072 sg on the recipe and i ended with 1.080.guess i did something right!! :cheers: [/quote]

Reading Denny’s post, he take about 15 minutes to do a batch sparge to get his boil volume. :wink:

As far as your OG statement, we would need to know what the recipe is, what it’s efficiency was set to, and what your actual volumes were.

Example, a recipe was 18lb set to 70% efficiency and 6g volume would yield 1.073. Same grain with a 5g volume at 70% efficiency would yield a gravity of 1.088.

Numbers don’t mean much with out the contexts.

#12

how long do you sparge for and does length of sparge time matter? i switched from a 15 min batch sparge to 30 min.and my mash time from 60 to 90.my numbers were low.but since ive changed my times they have gotten better.my last brew had a 1.072 sg on the recipe and i ended with 1.080.guess i did something right!! :cheers: [/quote]

Reading Denny’s post, he take about 15 minutes to do a batch sparge to get his boil volume. :wink:

As far as your OG statement, we would need to know what the recipe is, what it’s efficiency was set to, and what your actual volumes were.

Example, a recipe was 18lb set to 70% efficiency and 6g volume would yield 1.073. Same grain with a 5g volume at 70% efficiency would yield a gravity of 1.088.

Numbers don’t mean much with out the contexts.[/quote]
it was a recipe i found,i set nothing just copied what was on the recipe.but it seems to me if the SG of a recipe was a certain number and you came out higher than that ,your efficincy would be higher than 70%.thats all i was asking.

#13

OK, yes you did something right! :cheers:

I guess, but with out knowing what the recipe is it can’t be confirmed. :oops:

#14

[quote=“Nighthawk”]OK, yes you did something right! :cheers:

I guess, but with out knowing what the recipe is it can’t be confirmed. :oops: [/quote]
imperial maple bacon porter 5gal
8lbs 2 row
4lbs smoked malt
1lb flake barley
1lb crystal 60
1lb chocolate malt
1lb munich malt 10l
8oz carapils
4oz black pat
10z challenger
.5oz goldings
english ale
did a 90 min mash,30 min sparge.estimated SG1.072,my SG 1.080 started 8/9,took a reading 8/22 and gravity read 1.020

#15

[quote=“jrflowers2”]
imperial maple bacon porter 5gal
8lbs 2 row
4lbs smoked malt
1lb flake barley
1lb crystal 60
1lb chocolate malt
1lb munich malt 10l
8oz carapils
4oz black pat
10z challenger
.5oz goldings
english ale
did a 90 min mash,30 min sparge.estimated SG1.072,my SG 1.080 started 8/9,took a reading 8/22 and gravity read 1.020[/quote]

In my recipe calculator, those ingredients in a 5 gallon batch @ 1.072, the efficiency is 60%. A realistic number for a bigger beer.

With an OG of 1.080, the efficiency is 67%. Also a realistic number for a bigger beer. Your milage may very based on actual volumes.

Good work.

I know I could not drink more than 2oz of a beer with that much smoked malt. :oops:

#16

Definitely do that…Denny provides great, crystal clear instructions.
I switched to this method a few years ago… after more than 25 years of doing it the other way.

I was stubbornly skeptical at first but after trying it, I haven’t looked back since.
Along with shaving some time off the brew day, my efficiency improved by a pretty good margin too!

#17

In batch sparging, run off time doesn’t matter. It takes me a total of 15 to run off the mash, stir in the sparge water and run that off. That’s for 8 gal. in the kettle. Unlike fly sparging, you don’t gain anything by going more slowly. Your gain must be due to somehting else, like a longer mash. Also, when you saw the gain, was it on a recipe you’ve brewed before, using the same grain and crush? If not, there’s no way to compare.

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