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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Brewing Discussion --> Mashing Methods and Opinions

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Matt
Charter Member
Normal, IL
341 Posts


So I'm having this discussion right now on Reddit with /u/nextzero182. 

I don't think he/she likes me much. 

Anyways, I was wondering how you all sparge and what your opinions are on the various sparging methods? Are you adamantly pro/anti any of them? 




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


I posted this at reddit, but here's my method:

I batch sparge, can almost count on 74%-76% efficiency from my setup (Coleman cooler with braid).

Mash, vorlauf, drain. Dump in all the sparge water. Stir it like it owes you money. Vorlauf, drain, done.

I would think that you'd get lower efficiency by draining once, but I have no scientific basis to back that up.  Why would I be adamantly against any method?  If it works for you, it works.




Posted 34 days ago.

tracebusta
Charter Member
Somerville, MA
155 Posts


5 gallon batch - mash, vorlauf, drain. Batch sparge x2. Typically get 70% efficiency (before changing mash pH).

Small batch Biab - near full volume mash, mash out temp, then rinse with mash out temp water until I reach full volume. 63% efficiency before changing mash pH, 70% after adjusting it.

Trying on my next small batch Biab - use my large kettle and no sparge/rinse. Full volume mash, then squeeze the bag.

As you can see, I do a mixture of methods (except fly sparge); I'm not pro or anti any of them.




Posted 34 days ago.

chino_brews
Charter Member
Eden Prairie, MN
301 Posts


Single batch sparge: calculate strike and sparge so both runnings end up equal. No mashout. Run all wort off as fast as 1/2" (truly 3/8" ID) hose barb allows. Stir like crazy when I dump in sparge water. Wait 3-5 min. Vorlaufing: little to none.

Small batch BIAB (only two brews under my belt): No mashout. Lift bag. Move bag to second kettle with metal colander as soon as dripping has slowed enough to not make a mess. With 15 min. left in boil, pour drippings in second kettle into boil. Tried squeezing, but only got tiny amount (< 8 oz. for 6-8 lb. mash) of low-SG (<1.020) wort. The dripping seems as effective as squeezing, and I am all about low effort.




Posted 34 days ago.
Edited 34 days ago by chino_brews

brewcrewkevin
Charter Member
Appleton, WI
66 Posts


Batch sparger here. 

I'm actually set up to fly sparge. I have a manifold built into the top of my cooler mash tun to distribute and "rain" water onto the grain bed evenly. But I don't use it because batch sparging gets me 80% efficiency and I can just dump it all and not worry about running rates.

Often times I actually double batch sparge, since I have a higher boil-off rate than most. I typically start my boil around 9 gallons, so double batch makes sense for me. I acidify the second sparge.




Posted 34 days ago.

vinpaysdoc
Charter Member
High Point, NC
321 Posts


Batch sparge as well. 

All grain, 10 gallon cylindrical mash tun.

At the end of the mash I open, stir, vorlauf, and drain. I usually sparge twice with lots of stirring. I get close to 80% efficiency with normal gravity beers. 




Posted 34 days ago.

blur_yo_face
Houston, Tx
161 Posts


Without trying to sound high and mighty, I fly sparge.. only because I have the setup for it and find it easier.. I have a 10 gallon Home Depot cooler mash tun, and a 5 gallon Home Depot cooler HLT.. I also have a aerating sparge arm that connects directly to the HLT (www.amazon.com/Fermentap-FMT_SAA-Stai...).. usually get efficiency in the 70's.. although I am wary of some of my gravity readings since the runnings start off a lot darker and continually get lighter during the sparge..



Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Darker to lighter is par for the course.  My mash runnings are always much darker than my sparge runnings (I batch sparge).  Fewer sugars in the sparge, obviously.




Posted 34 days ago.

blur_yo_face
Houston, Tx
161 Posts


I saw this recently posted in a Q&A thread, but what is the best time/sample to take for gravity reading to calculate efficiency? first runnings? once everything is collected in the kettle and hopefully mixed together?



Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Which efficiency do you want to measure?

I have a confession to make - I seldom measure anything but the wort as it's going into the fermentor, post boil.  This gives me my total efficiency, which is all I really care about. 






Posted 34 days ago.

blur_yo_face
Houston, Tx
161 Posts


ah, I was thinking the efficiency of the pre-boil was the efficiency people looked for.. maybe I'm wrong..



Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Some people really do care about pre boil efficiency.  For instance, if you're way short, you can make it up with extract.

I'm just horrible that way; I don't bother.  OG, FG, I call it a day. 




Posted 34 days ago.

brewcrewkevin
Charter Member
Appleton, WI
66 Posts


Totally agree. Sometimes I use the refractometer for first runnings pre boil etc. But i never do anything about it. OG FG is good enough for me.



Posted 34 days ago.

vinpaysdoc
Charter Member
High Point, NC
321 Posts


But, but, but......GUYZZZZZZZZ?????

You're really geeky about some aspects of brewing, right? I mean, REALLY OLAN, you take freaking pH readings and all that. 

I could never have figured out my grain bills if I didn't start to get a handle on what kind of mash efficiency I could expect. And pre-boil is the damned EASIEST value to get because you simple dump the stuff back in after you take the sample. Then you've got numbers to help you determine whether you need to lengthen the boil to get to your projected OG. Yeah, I can see a day when I've made enough of a given recipe that I decide it'll work without me taking the pre-boil, but, that day is yet to come.......




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


I know, I know.  It runs counter to so much else that I do.  I just know that I'm going to get 74%-76% on pretty much any given brew with my system.  I set Beersmith up to 74%, I design my recipes around that, and it almost always works out.




Posted 34 days ago.

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