Cold Sparging

[shepp]

Does anybody else here cold sparge?
I have done four AG brews in my Grainfather and so far have been too tight to buy a boiler, so have been sparging at room temperature. I'm not very happy with my efficiency, so wondered if others have done hot and cold sparge and been able to compare?

 

[MickDundee]

Brulosophy did this about a year ago, but didn't see a significant difference in their efficiency (0.002 points and 0.26% ABV)
http://brulosophy.com/2016/04/11/sparge-temperature-pt-1-standard-vs-cool-exbeeriment-results/

 

[MyQul]

Does anybody else here cold sparge?
I have done four AG brews in my Grainfather and so far have been too tight to buy a boiler, so have been sparging at room temperature. I'm not very happy with my efficiency, so wondered if others have done hot and cold sparge and been able to compare?

What efficiencies are you getting? Most reports I've read on the forum state excellent efficiency with the GF

 

[BeerCat]

Check out David Heaths video's on youtube about grainfather efficiency.

 

[shepp]

What efficiencies are you getting? Most reports I've read on the forum state excellent efficiency with the GF

Around 70%
I had 4 kits made up and there may be a possibility that the grain crush is not correct.
I stirred the mash last time half way through and it was better than the others. Still not as good as I hoped for as it is 2 points down and I have my efficiency set for 75% on Brewers Friend when I calculated my grain bill.
Maybe hot sparge would have made it come out spot on :hmm:

 

[MyQul]

Around 70%
I had 4 kits made up and there may be a possibility that the grain crush is not correct.
I stirred the mash last time half way through and it was better than the others. Still not as good as I hoped for as it is 2 points down and I have my efficiency set for 75% on Brewers Friend when I calculated my grain bill.
Maybe hot sparge would have made it come out spot on :hmm:

I was under the impression that hot sparge would be better as the viscosity would be less so more sugars would wash off. May be I'm wrong though.
When I first started AG my efficiency was terrible so I did a bit of googling and one of the suggested solutions was do a mash out as, as well as denaturing the enzymes the increased heat helps with efficiency.

 

[Gunge]

Around 70%
I had 4 kits made up and there may be a possibility that the grain crush is not correct.
I stirred the mash last time half way through and it was better than the others. Still not as good as I hoped for as it is 2 points down and I have my efficiency set for 75% on Brewers Friend when I calculated my grain bill.
Maybe hot sparge would have made it come out spot on :hmm:

I usually give the mash a good ol' stir halfway thru', and have always suspected that this maybe the cause of never getting a clear run - off. I did not touch the mash on my last brew ( other than the initial stirring in of the grain,obviously !), and I got a magnificently clear run - off after recirculating the first few litres. But.... efficiency was down a few points for sure. Don't care much about that, I think the beer will benefit. Been in FV 13 days now....

 

[shepp]

I usually give the mash a good ol' stir halfway thru', and have always suspected that this maybe the cause of never getting a clear run - off. I did not touch the mash on my last brew ( other than the initial stirring in of the grain,obviously !), and I got a magnificently clear run - off after recirculating the first few litres. But.... efficiency was down a few points for sure. Don't care much about that, I think the beer will benefit. Been in FV 13 days now....

My run off was definitely more cloudy this time, visibly had particles in it, hope it doesn't cause tannins during the boil.

 

[Simonh82]

If your efficiency is poor, and for a Grainfather I'd suggest that 70% isn't great, then I'd look at your grain crush and mash pH.

Grain crush can have a huge effect so I'd either look at getting a grain mill or using a supplier like the Malt Miller who will crush to order depending on your requirements.

If your mash pH is too high the you may suffer from poor efficiency as the enzymes in the mash aren't working effectively.

 

[Alan_H]

I watched a video of an Aussie doing a cold sparge and I thought I'll save some time - bad idea, I came out round 10 gravity points less than estimated - never again.

 

[DoctorMick]

I had shocking efficiency with my Grainfather for a fair few brews, I changed grain suppliers and the problem disappeared so it was definitely down to the crush of the grain in my case. Who are you ordering yours from?

 

[shepp]

I had shocking efficiency with my Grainfather for a fair few brews, I changed grain suppliers and the problem disappeared so it was definitely down to the crush of the grain in my case. Who are you ordering yours from?

I would rather not say on the forum because he is a very popular and respected supplier who gives a great service and deserves not to get bad reviews.
I am sure next time I can tell him what it's for and he will crush to suit.
I think the crush is a bit too fine because I used rice hulls last time and the flow was much better as was the OG.

 

[DoctorMick]

I would rather not say on the forum because he is a very popular and respected supplier who gives a great service and deserves not to get bad reviews.
I am sure next time I can tell him what it's for and he will crush to suit.
I think the crush is a bit too fine because I used rice hulls last time and the flow was much better as was the OG.

That's fair enough, I've never named the suppplier I've used either for the same reasons and the crush of the grain is the only problem I've ever had with them. Unfortunately, they weren't able to provide a specific crush for me so I had to use someone else.