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BYO Sparging Article

BlueWingPig

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What is the purpose of the equal volumes of sparge water?  It seems counterintuitive that one would leave some liquid in the initial sparge to keep the volumes the same as the example stated.
 
Not a BYO subscriber; can you summarize it?

Here's Denny Conn's guidance on batch sparging:  dennybrew.com
 
http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/03/09/how-to-batch-sparge-a-guide-for-batch-sparging-and-no-sparge/

This explains it.
 
Basically if you wanted to collect about 6 gallons in three steps, you would only collect 2 gallons from the initial runoff, even if you could have collected more. Then you would add enough sparge water to collect another 2 gallons, then repeat a third time.  What is hard for me to understand is not collecting the entire first runnings before adding the sparge water.
 
I used to add some sparge water to the tun before first runnings, but it seemed like a waste as I was not significantly changing the temperature, and the added water (only a couple of gallons) was not really having a significant effect on efficiency.

So I scrapped that method and just recirculated until clear, ran the first runnings into the kettle, then added all the sparge water at once (at around 200+ F), which brought the mash right up to 170-ish F. Got improved efficiency, saved time - win-win.

It comes down to what works best for you and your system. Not everyone's methods and systems are the same, and there are plenty of ways to sparge a batch.
 
durrettd said:
Not a BYO subscriber; can you summarize it?

Here's Denny Conn's guidance on batch sparging:  dennybrew.com

Here's another resource that explains it well:  http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/lets-brew/advanced/start-brewing/

Second sentence: For more detailed information read How-To: All-Grain (Batch Sparging) Brewing will lead you to a 6 page or 7 page PDF that takes you through the process and calculations. Even has a recipe for an amber ale that is used to show you the steps and calculations.


 
BlueWingPig said:
Basically if you wanted to collect about 6 gallons in three steps, you would only collect 2 gallons from the initial runoff, even if you could have collected more. Then you would add enough sparge water to collect another 2 gallons, then repeat a third time.  What is hard for me to understand is not collecting the entire first runnings before adding the sparge water.

I add a volume of mash water that, when drained completely, will deliver half the intended boil volume. The only wort I leave in the mash tun after my first runnings is in the dead space and absorbed in the grain. Because the grain has already absorbed as much water as possible, and because the dead space is already filled, my sparge delivers a volume equal to the volume I pour into the mash tun. I drain all the wort I can in my first runnings.

Because my volume measurements are imperfect and the exact tilt of the mash tun is not always identical, my first runnings don't always deliver exactly one half the desired pre-boil volume; but they're close. To allow for the (minor) lack of precision I intentionally shoot for slightly less than my calculated pre-boil volume. It's easy to add a bit of water to adjust the volume either before or near the end of the boil. If you prefer, you can deliver slightly more wort than desired and boil longer to hit your desired original gravity. That's probably slightly more efficient.

The article fails to mention - or I missed it - that you can recirculate to clear the wort after stirring in the sparge water. Simply draining a couple of quarts into a pitcher and pouring it back into the mash tun is typically sufficient. Denny Conn's discussion at        dennybrew.com      explains the process very well.

Finally, my efficiencies typically run between 75 and 80% with batch sparging and an aggressive crush.
 
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