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Sparge Water temps

brandon_oh

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Heya all,

Question.  I have brewing for a few years now and love me some Beersmith. I have been a bit puzzled with the sparge water temp though when doing Single Infusion Batch Sparge.

The Mash Profile, for example, says to sparge with 168 degree water. However when I add 168 degree water and give it a good stir, the temp is in the mid 150s. Should I be adding hotter water so the temp is at 168 after the stir?
 
I think so.  My friend that batch sparges heats the HLT to boiling and then uses it when he's ready, so it's often 180-190F.  I've started doing the same (175/180f) on a fly sparge since it takes a while to move from the HLT to MLT, thru a hose, drip onto grains, and finally reach grain bed. 

As long as the grains don't exceed 168/170F with the hot water on them it should be fine, as far as extracting tannins would go.

You may see slightly better extraction doing it that way since the hotter water presumably rinses sugars better.
 
Thanks, That is exactly what I was thinking. I run at about 70% efficiency now and was hoping to get closer to 75%. Assumed this would be a great place to look at my process and where I am losing sugars.
 
I agree with the responses.  It is confusing, since the strike temperature is given and the mash temperature that you are striving to achieve are given.  Then you get the sparge temperature at 168 degrees F.  I realized right away that it couldn't be correct, since all of the books I've read say that you should aim to bring the temperature of your grain up to 168 degrees F. with the sparge water.

I tried doing the calculations, based on the grain bed temp at the time I added the sparge water to try and figure out what temp the sparge water had to be to reach 168 degrees F.  However, I soon realized that my grain bed temp tended to fall to rapidly after collecting my first runnings, so that by the time I zeroed in on my sparge water temp, it needed to be near boiling.

I've since started heating my sparge water up to boiling while my mash is occurring.  I then using a big pitcher and ladle about half of my sparge water into my HLT to preheat it.  The other half of my sparge water is still being heated in my boil pot.  I'll then drain some of the HLT back down into my boiling sparge water in the boil pot and ladle more up into the HLT, until it holds a temperature at right where I want it to hold at (say 185 degrees F. for my most recent recipe).  I repeat this until I hit my target sparge water temperature. 

I tried figuring out what my HLT heat loss was, so that I could just heat to a certain temperature, add it to the HLT and have it settle at the proper temp (once again, say 185 degrees F.), but I found that my heat loss was too great if the temperature (of the plastic) was too low in the HLT (I use a coleman cooler) and it wouldn't even get up to my sparge water temp, even if the water was boiling.  I've since went to the preheating routine.  If I overshoot my sparge water temperature, I just stir it until it gets to about 2 degrees above my sparge water temp and shut the lid.  It will usually settle at my sparge water temp and hold there until I need it.

As soon as I'm finished draining my first runnings, I open the valve on my HLT and quickly drain it into my Mash Tun.  Stir well, take a temperature reading and close it up to retain the heat.  Usually I'm right about 165 to 168 degrees F. now, which is plenty close enough for me.

One thing that is important, is to have a pretty good idea of what your grain temperature is after you've drained your first runnings, so that you can run the calculations as to what your sparge water needs to be at.  If you're off on what your grain bed temperature is right after your done draining your first runnings, you'll miss your sparge water temperature.  I've learned that if I am on the ball, my grain bed has usually dropped about 5 degrees (your system may be quite different than mine).  So, if I'm mashing at 152 degrees F., I know if I immediately add my sparge water, my grain bed will be at 147 degrees F. usually.  If I delay to long (wife came out just then and asked a question, or the phone rang, or the neighbor stopped by to drink a homebrew), I'm screwed.  I usually tell them I'm at a critical stage right now and I'll get their beer in a minute, or invite them to get it themselves (they know where everything is (beer, beer glass and bottle opener).

Okay, I've rambled on long enough.  This is what I do.  **Your results may vary.**
 
Thanks for the reply guys. What harm would it be to just add 185 degree sparge water to my grain bed after my first runnings? I can adjust the sparge water temp each session until I find the right temp to get my grains to rest at 168 degrees?
 
That will work fine.  As you tweak your system, you'll zero in on it.  Just remember, it's just as important to understand where your grain bed temperature is at when you add your sparge water, as it is to know the strike temperature of your sparge water.

I was surprised to find out (it took me a while to figure this one out!) that my grain bed temperature would drop an extra 5 degrees if I left the lid up on my mash tun while it was draining, as compared with when the lid was closed.  I'd have the sparge water at the correct temperature, add it and be at 163F.  Aaaargggghhhhh.  I wasn't extracting tannins from the husks, but that 5 degrees does lower my efficiency enough to slightly miss my OG before boil by a few points.

The secret is to find out what works best for you and your equipment.  The goal is to hit two things:  Your Mash Temperature and your Sparge Temperature. 

As you make more and more batches, you'll eventually zero it in.  The way to make consistently good beer, is to dial in each part of your process on both the cold and hot side of your beer making process.  Temperature control of the hot side (mash/sparge/boil/chilling) and the cold side (fermentation/aging/conditioning) is the key! 

A so-so recipe can make good or even nearly great beer, when the process is spot on.  A great recipe can result in below average or even undrinkable beer when the process is not consistent!

Oh...and great sanitation practices are a must, but that isn't what this thread is about.

 
Another option would be to bring the entire mash up to sparge temp before adding the water. 

For example you could remove a third or so of the mash, bring it to a boil, and mix it back in (single step decoction). That should raise the entire thing to the mid to high 160s. That's what I do anyway.

It adds a bit more time and cleaning, but I think it improves efficiency a bit.
 
Thanks all for the great feedback! I will take all of your suggestions and implement them next brewday!
 
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