Temperature and times between sparge and boil

I may have missed or not understood previous posts but I can't locate information on time and temperatures between sparge and boil.

How important is the time and temperature between sparge and boil? I see various setups appearing to keep temperature up before the boil but don't know if that is a requirement or an energy efficiency consideration. It really gets down to whether to insulate the boil pot or let it lose a few degrees over the course of sparging.

I have never been concerned about the temp.  I just want the boil to start sooner so I add some fire to keep the first running hot but well below a boil.  Somewhere around 180 to 190.

Thanks jomebrew, that works for me.

I don't do it with mine, but I read that silicone tubing is "melt proof" up to way higher than boiling, so if you had silicone tubing from HLT to boiler (I do) you could start boiling at whatever time you thought best.  I like silicone because it's much more pliable and I think looks cleaner. 

The only reason I can think of to care is that the faster you get from X to boiling, the better the hot break is supposed to be.  I think having enough calcium in the boil addresses that easily enough. 

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is another material with surprising properties; temperatures up to 248°F 120°C. (PP is good for 320°F 160°C if I am to believe what I read.) That allows the use of my 36 quart stainless spigot pot for mashing and sparging into a polyethylene bucket and then returning it to the cleaned SS pot for boiling. Polyethylene will hold the heat better and allows for a much larger mash capacity than otherwise available with my equipment. Or that's what my complete lack of experience would have me believe.

I'm also wondering if a carefully-placed, nylon bag of cleaned and sterilized gravel would serve a similar purpose as a false bottom in the spigot pot...but maybe I should see if there is a problem before setting about trying to solve it.

Thanks for the silicone tip. I didn't know there is such a thing.

I have been using silicone tubing on the hot, hot side for a while.  I just wish it was clear.  I like my wort.  I want to see it. 

I sparge using clear tubing from the Mash tun to the kettle so I can see the clarity of the mash during the vorlauf cycle.

Now I am looking at no tubing, just using various flow rates from the spigot into a bucket directly under it. If that causes a problem I might try catching it with a funnel and run it the rest of the way in a tube. If I don't get beer I am pretty certain it will be good for the tomatoes.

Thanks

I would recommend against that if it's splashy.  Splashing introduces oxygen, and while the wort is warm (> 80F) splashing introduces "staling compounds" that may go bad later. 

The only time you want to splash wort around is after it's fully cooled down post-boil, ideally at your yeast pitching temp.

That's good to know, thanks MaltLicker. I will connect a pipe directly to the spigot running to the bottom of the bucket. Getting from grain to wort is very interesting.

I remember a story of beer being the motivation behind settlement (grain stored in special areas took on remarkable qualities after a rain) but it probably also drove a lot of interest in chemistry and science in general over the years. Civilization owes a lot to beer...but I guess everyone here knew that.

I purchased 20 feet of 3/16" I.D. Silicone Tubing (temperature rated to 500 F) to allow for a thin steady stream from the boiler to the primary fermenter and will use it as well from sparge to boil. Now I am wondering if the tube, capable of very low temperatures as well, will have problems starting with a liquid at 190 to 212 F, passing through a cold water bath resulting in a drop of ~130 F in 20 feet. I trust having up to 14-16 feet of thin tubing in cold or ice water will reduce the heat substantially.

Can I have the benefit of your expertise again? Will it put too much stress on the tubing? Will it drop sufficiently or will I need to stop and start the flow regularly? If not can I try connecting a copper heat dissipating device in the center?

Thanks for your help.

I use silicone tubing in various lengths for the vorlauf/recycling, to transfer warm wort from MLT to the boiler, and then cooled wort from boiler to the carboy. 

If you're asking whether silicone tubing would substitute as a wort chiller, I don't know.  Given that people use 25 or 50 feet of copper to chill wort, I am not sure ~15 feet of chilled tubing would do the job.  I'd think copper is the right choice for speedy chilling. 

Thanks MaltLicker.