batch vs fly

[Brett]

I know the basic principle for both, but what are the pros + cons - of each?

 

[pittsy]

I batch , pro's are quicker and can walk away and do something else . Also i don't have to worry about over sparging as i've already measured my amounts ( in hlt) and no equipment to sparge is needed .
con's apparently less efficiency although i get between 78 and 80% .
Never wanted to change to fly as batch is so easy .

 

[Hawks]

I batch , pro's are quicker and can walk away and do something else . Also i don't have to worry about over sparging as i've already measured my amounts ( in hlt) and no equipment to sparge is needed .
con's apparently less efficiency although i get between 78 and 80% .
Never wanted to change to fly as batch is so easy .

Same here, and I also get around 80% efficiency so never felt the urge to try fly sparging :thumb:

 

[Brett]

SO just to make sure I have this right, with batch you add your liquor and mash, once mash time is up you add the rest of your liquor to make up volume (e.g 22/23L) then drain into fermenter? jobs a guid aine.

 

[Aleman]

You need a bigger mash tun to batch sparge

You have to leave space for your 1st batch top up . . in a fly sparge you can use practically all of the space for the mash

You have to recirculate each batch to remove the big chunks of grain debris.

If you go for more batches because you mash tun is too small then the time is pretty much the same as fly.

 

[NickW]

I fly sparge because that's what I've always done and it works for me.

Disadvantage is it takes a little more time but I dont mind.

I have no issue with water volumes as I calculate exactly the amount of water I need to fly sparge with.

Apparently slightly higher efficiency, but I've never batch sparged so I can't compare

 

[marksa222]

Another option is brew in a bag. I don't mean to hijack the thread, but if you could get a good efficiency from this, is there any other draw backs?

Easy to do step mashes, less to clean, quicker... The aussies swear by it.

 

[Brett]

i decided against biab as i dont have gas and had an image in my head of a burnt / melted bag in the bottom of my electric boiler.

 

[marksa222]

You can use a little cake stand or something in the bottom of the boiler i'm told. Unless you're doing a step mash, you shouldn't need the bag in at the same time that the element is on anyway...

 

[joe1002]

I prefer to fly sparge. Once it up and running I can leave it to do its thing until close to the end.

 

[dennisking]

I fly sparge because that's what I've always done and it works for me.

And me, I love the way the spinny thing works. But I don't blame people for batch sparging as it's probably easier. Just wasn't invented in my early days.

 

[NickW]

I fly sparge because that's what I've always done and it works for me.

And me, I love the way the spinny thing works. But I don't blame people for batch sparging as it's probably easier. Just wasn't invented in my early days.

Ah yes, the spinny sparge arm! I've always used tin foil dotted with holes

 

[barry44]

Re batch sparging. I have done three brews now with batch sparging using a top up and a second run. My efficiency is 65%, any ideas on how I can boost it?

 

[NickW]

Try fly sparging, it increases efficiency. Worth a try :thumb:

 

[peelman]

SO just to make sure I have this right, with batch you add your liquor and mash, once mash time is up you add the rest of your liquor to make up volume (e.g 22/23L) then drain into fermenter? jobs a guid aine.

Not quite....
You drain the first lot first before you batch sparge... And You don't drain into the FV. You're missing a full step out. The Boil... Where you add hops and stuff? :thumb:

 

[DethApostle]

Re batch sparging. I have done three brews now with batch sparging using a top up and a second run. My efficiency is 65%, any ideas on how I can boost it?

Your efficiency is more likely affected by your mash than your choice sparge choice i'd have thought. Pre-heat your mash tun with some boiling water, ensure the mash is stirred a little so there are no doughballs, and make sure you hit your temperatures during the mash.
I used to get around 70% efficiency but with a few tweaks to process now regulary get 78%+

DA

 

[jonnymorris]

I prefer to fly sparge. Once it up and running I can leave it to do its thing until close to the end.

Me too. Not as complicated as it sounds.

 

[Fil]

im a batch sparger too .. I take the approach of adding an extra handfull or 2 of grain to accommodate any efficiency loss, and have met my targets..

@Barry44, what is the start and end temps you have recorded for your mash, Im sure your covering all this but just in case..

A poor mix/dough in can leave dry pockets especially if u add the grain to the water when mixing?

if your loosing temp and starting below 67C your mash isnt sitting in optimum conditions, try an extra kettle of boiling water to preheat the tun, and when set cover the tun with old sleeping bags, coats, luandry, anything to add more insulation and help retain the heat.
2 full kettles of just off the boil water poured into my tun about 20 minutes before the hlt hits my strike temp of 72C prewarmed my coldbox tun a treat.

Also If your heating up your liquor with a controller, pid or stc1000 type box, there is a gotcha which caught me out till i caught on.
- With a static temp probe and being left a while once the strike temp is hit the water in the hlt can 'stratify' (dunno if thats the right word, but u get layers of colder water at the bottom and warmner at the top and spot on at the probe level.. many people now recirculate the hlt liquor with a small solar pump or give it a damn good stir cos of this..

Underletting (posh for filling the tun via its drain) with the grain in the tun allows the liquor to soak up evenly thru the grain helping avoid dry pockets and requiring much less effort to dough it all in


hope thats useful..

 

[barry44]

It is, thanks.

I must say that I never appeared to lose any temperature during the mash, I'm using the maltmiller 45 gallon converted coolbox.

I added mash water at 80 degrees to the tun and let it drop to my strike temp before doughing in but I will make sure I stir up prior to adding it to the mash.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Asalpaws]

Just to add, I fly sparge and was getting pretty poor efficiency until I started adding acidulated malt to my grist. We moved from Manchester which has very soft water to Staffordshire which is very hard water. The acidulated malt seems to help with the harder water. T