I know it’s come up a thousand times, but I want to improve my sparging procedure for a brew session this weekend.
If you have built one and have a parts list/instructions or have a link, please post it.
Currently, I am holding a high temp hose over a strainer. My effeciency is not that great, but mostly I want a more hands off approach. I don’t care if it rotates or not, but I am looking for a long term solution.
My HLT and MLT are round 5 gallon coolers with ball valves. Thanks
Use tin foil. The only purpose for a sparge arm is to keep the water/wort from driving holes into the bed of the mash. The tin foil prevents this and “its cheap and easy”.
Thanks for the reply, but I’m looking for a long term solution. Meaning, I don’t want to build a sparge arm everytime I brew. I doubt you can reuse a piece of foil for multiple batches.
As with my other equipment, I want to get out my sparge arm, set it up and brew. Then put it back up for next time.
I just used some cpvc pipe and drilled holes on top of the pipes.
Everything is just pressed together and I placed it on the opposite end from the mash tun drain.
John
Similar to John, I also use a piece of CPVC. As shown in the photo, it is shaped like an “L”. The bottom of the “L” has holes drilled on either side so sparge water flows out parallel to the top of the mash. You will want to keep about an inch of water or so on top of your mash while you are sparging.
You either have a well polished MT, or some funky plumbing. 
Mine is similar to John’s, only copper. I use a 1/2" union to connect to my HLT.
I went with a cheap and easy plan.
The sparge are will fit my 5 & 10 gallon mash tuns, and 7.5 & 15.5 gallon kettles with no mods.
The wire hooks on the sparge arm have two different catchs to allow it to fit multiple size containers.
3-4’ of 3/8" copper tubing
12" of solid copper ground wire
High temp 3/8" ID tubing
[attachment=2]Sparge Arm - 5 Gallon Mash Tun.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=1]Sparge Arm - 10 Gallon Mash Tun.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=0]Sparge Arm Hooks.JPG[/attachment]
I sure is easier to batch sparge. My 2 cents.
this^^^.
:cheers:
I had made a crazy sparge arm similar to previously posted designs until I saw my friend’s blichmann autosparge in action. I didn’t care about the float switch, but the flexible tubing with a float on it is awesome! Makes a great whirlpooling action. So, my current sparge arm is a length of silicone tubing (heat resistant and flexible) with a piece of foam pipe insulation around the end of it to act as the float. Works great and cost me less than $5. Enjoy.
A pie tin with holes drilled in it resting on the mash tun or since I started I took a camping sauce pot and drilled a star formation in the bottom and just hold it over the grain when I need to sparge. Ghetto? Yes Works? Yes!
I see a lot of neat designs, but the one thing that I always came back to was the amount of stuff that comes thru when you recirculate. How do you people not plug up your sparge arms with bits of the mash? And also how do you clean them out afterwards?
Nothing bigger than the holes in my manifold in the mash tun can get into the system and usually it is just a dust size that gets in there for a minute till it runs clear.
I just take mine apart and rinse with hot water.
John
Mash paddle, colander and pitcher.
I just made a copper “H” shaped thing that I sit on top of the grain bed. Works great and easy to clean by just rinsing it with hot water when I’m done.
This isn’t mine, just a picture I found on the web that is similar-
this^^^.
:cheers: [/quote]
I’ve done it both ways and I can say without a doubt that my fly sparge method is easier. It cost a lot more to build and was more complicated to set up initially, but actually brewing with it couldn’t be easier.
The little plastic piece that NB sells in their kit is what I use, it spreads the water out well and works great. The only thing I wish was there was a good way to mount it in a static position.
