fly sparge help please

[shaunsbrew]

i think i have now got it through my head about AG brewin but just to clarify on the fly sparge bit if the grain requires 15L in the mash for 90 min (example ) before i sparge and im looking for 23L end length with 1L lost to hops. on starting the sparge i cover grain bed with foil run back the wort on top till clear then start to add it to next barrel etc turn on tap from boiler and allow to run boiling water on to foil which in turn runs through grain bed and i maintain this till i run out of water from boiler or SG gets to 1010 is this correct :wha:

 

[Frisp]

When I fly sparge Its as simple as Mash at the required ratio, recirculate the first runnings till its clear ish, and then just sparge from my HLT until I have the required volume in my boiler. If your recipe has been calculated correctly and I find beersmith isnt bad for this, you will be pretty close to the required OG going into the boiler.

Top tip - when you are sparging do it nice and slow you want the grain bed to filter the chunks and crud, just slowly open your tap for your first runnings dribble before you run. First time I did it I just whacked the tap open and ended up recirculating a mudlike wort for about an hour. Second time I opened nice and slow and only recirculated about 3 L before the grain bed did its thing and I had clearish wort.

Sparging onto tinfoil as as good as anything you just want to diffuse the spray from your sparge to ensure that the goodness is sucked from your mash nice and even like. I made a diffuser by taking an old plastic lid from a 7L mayonnaise tup and drilling a shedload of 1mm holes in it.

I usually have way more liquor in my HLT that I need , I dont calculate this. When I did try to calculate what I needed I ran out before I had the required volume in teh boiler.

If you were batch sparging you need the precision in your volumes

If you want to get real technical Wez does something with Sugar points which he will probably pop up and explain , this is where you need to stop your sparge at a particular gravity. I personally have never felt the urge to get that technical.

 

[Moley]

Sounds like you've got it sussed shaunsbrew :thumb:

Just remember that ‘stop sparge’ finishing SG of 1.010ish is temperature corrected, your hydrometer is actually going to be reading in the low .990s, take the reading, take the temperature and then use the calculator, top left in the forum banner.

 

[Frisp]

Moley Thanks for reminding me where the calculators were. :thumb: I was trawling looking round trying to find them without sucess ....... Doh.... talk about not seeing the wood for the trees...

 

[shaunsbrew]

cheers guys, i get me cornies at the weekend then just got to make me mash tun then im going for some buzzbee beer as my first AG will try and take some pics if i dont get to flustered with it all, but will be on my batch of TC when brewing so things could get interesting :rofl:

 

[Frisp]

Wish you all the success with your first AG , dont get too hung up on the process, the mash temp etc that will come with experience. the golden thing to remember on Brew no 1 is. remember to close your taps. Almost everyone sets off a re-enactment of noah's boat on AG 1.
PS wear wellies just in case, that wort is hot enough to peel skin, I started wearing wellies after seeing some pics of a brewer who did just that

 

[shaunsbrew]

the only thing i will say about the sparge is why dont you put all water needed plus losses in mash tun for 90 mins rather than recomended amout for your grain(i.e 27L as oppose to 14L) is it somthing to do with grain taking in all the liquid or diluting it to much etc or maybe the beer god just dont like that much

 

[Frisp]

Tell the truth. I used to get all clinical about getting a ratio of 2:1 or whatever now I just slosh Liquor until It looks about right. Im sure there is something about the ratio of liquid to grain ensures that the correct amount of fermentables come out. Also if the mash is too stiff Its hard for your sparge liquid to start flowing and you run the risk of the stuck mash.
IMHO I would say its probably best to go with using a measured amount until you know what your mash should look like?

Im sure Someone will be along in a mo with the science bit