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Did you go for the Brewly in the end? I bought one at the start of the year and wish I hadn't! The lid doesn't even seal. :( I contacted the company I bought it from and they sent me a couple of replacement seals, neither of which work. I think it's just quite poorly manufactured, unfortunately...

I'm relativlely new to squeezing down on the sparge plate, but I've had no astringency from doing it. Maybe this is more of a risk with a finer crush?

I have tried no sparge a few times. I reckon it maxes out on my system at about 1.036, which made a really nice session IPA. For that, I used 3.85kg and 32L of strike water. I subsequently tried making the same beer with a modification to the grain bill, bringing it up to 4.3kg, and holding back...

Yeah, I think milling may make a difference. I used to live in the US, which was where I got started brewing, and my efficiency jumped and was much more consistent when I started using just a basic Corona mill. Think I've still got it somewhere so I will try and dig it out to see if it makes any...

Or.... How about this? Let's say I have 6.5kg grain bill and want to collect 22L in the FV. I could mash 2kg in my HLT with false bottom using approx 6L liquor. In my kettle, I would *simultaneously* mash the remaining 4.5kg in about 14L. I could then reunite the grains in the malt pipe, and...

Yeah, I think the easiest thing to do is accept that if I'm brewing anything higher than 1.048, then I need to cut the post boil volume by a litre or two.

When you say 3L/kg, I'm assuming that's just the total amount of strike water, not the liquor: grist ratio inside the malt pipe?

Interesting. I press down on the sparge plate before and after sparging to try and squeeze it all out. What is your typical batch size?

Thanks, this is great info. I'm wondering whether it's wort investing in a mill just to be able to eliminate crush as a factor, if nothing else...

No, I'm not, actually. But I never have done, really. Can't hurt, though, I guess.

I think the thing that is bothering me is that it seems I won't be able to get above 5% ABV with the volumes I shoot for (and that's if I'm lucky!) I had another thought, similar to the reiterated mash - I could try "batch sparging" with my HLT. I have a false bottom for it. So I could mash in...

One thing I haven't considered is that I recently have found it much easier when using the all-in-one system to pour the grain into the basket and then lower that into the strike water. It's just easier in terms of dust off the grain. Could it be possible that when I do this with lower OG brews...

I'm not, no. Just my own spreadsheet that I've kind of added to over the years! That is quite some drop in efficiency,, though, right?

Hi all, I used to brew with separate vessels - a HLT, mash tun and separate kettle. I would batch sparge and achieve around 80% efficiency fairly consistently. In the interests of space, I moved to an all-in-one system - a Klarstein Brauheld Pro. I have been having wildy varying efficiency...

Thanks, folks. I reckon it probably was the whisky after all. I think I've a tendency to get a bit paranoid about CO2. I mean, it has a "Food Grade" sticker on it, but how do I really know that? I'm just taking the vendors word for it.

No, no exposure to any chemicals/solvents that I'm aware of. I'll try an antihistamine. Cheers.

I certainly hope not! Perhaps it's the whiskey that's done me in, though.

I do keep the sachets in the fridge, but I take it out first thing on brew day. Am I right in assuming that 4 pints of sub 5% beer and a double scotch wouldn't give most a hangover headache?

I had thought about that, but it seems this comes about from higher fermentation temps than I typically use. It's a real pain the neck (/head)!

Wort is typically chilled to 18 degrees for pitching. I mostly use Safale/Saflager dry yeast, and rarely rehydrate it, but it's the same either way. Temp is held pretty steady, whatever the style calls for, but typically 16-17C.