Fly sparge or Batch sparge

[corby_brewer]

Evening all

This weekend should see the completion of my mash-tun , so I’m keen to get a brew on the go to test it out. But I’m undecided whether to fly sparge or batch sparge. So a couple of question.

1 - Batch spargeing requires emptying the contents of the tun, then refilling and emptying again, so what temperature should the water be that you refill the tun with?

2 - How long should the water be keep in the tun before it is emptied again?

3 - I’ve read the extract efficiency is only 80% compared to the 85% if you fly sparge, so is there any way to compensate for this. Beside adding more grain to the tun at the start of the mash?

Thanks in advance

DS

 

[ni9e]

Evening all

This weekend should see the completion of my mash-tun , so I’m keen to get a brew on the go to test it out. But I’m undecided whether to fly sparge or batch sparge. So a couple of question.

1 - Batch spargeing requires emptying the contents of the tun, then refilling and emptying again, so what temperature should the water be that you refill the tun with?

2 - How long should the water be keep in the tun before it is emptied again?

3 - I’ve read the extract efficiency is only 80% compared to the 85% if you fly sparge, so is there any way to compensate for this. Beside adding more grain to the tun at the start of the mash?

Thanks in advance

DS

Q 1 about 76c

Q2 I leave mine for about 5 mins for everything to settle

Q3 I have no idea

 

[Parva]

I batch sparge and whilst I find my efficiency a little on the low side (around 70%) this isn't a problem for me, a bit of extra grain doesn't cost much. I work on 1 kilo of M.O. to 1% ABV and find I'm usually damned close (on a 23l brewlength). Therefore, 5Kg of grain usually gives me a brew at around 1.052 which when done generally ends up around 5%.

The beauty of batch sparging over fly sparging is that you don't have to worry about over sparging the grain and end up extracting tanins and other undesirables. I also find that the magic figure of 82c in my HLT works for every stage of the process for me. I don't pre-heat my mash tun (Thermos box), I just half fill with 82c water, dough in and hit 67c-68c everytime. Come sparging time, I top up to about an inch from the top with 82c water, this is usually sufficient to get the mash temperature upto 72c-74c, leave for 10 minutes then run off to the boiler. Batch #2 goes in at 82c to within an inch of the top again, this time I tend to hit around 78c, leave for 10 minutes, run off then boil.

You're aiming for 62c-68c on the mash and then 72c-80c when you come to sparging. I'm not saying my system is perfect or that it will work for you, it's just what works for me and I've stuck with it ever since. :)

 

[dennisking]

I`ve always fly sparged. Just love watching the spinny thing spin.

 

[corby_brewer]

Cheers ni9e and pavra.

Another question - Is there anything stopping me from doing multiple mashing once ive got my 25ltr for the first brew, i know the OG will be a lot lower on the second batch say about 1.016 or there abouts, but it not the ABV im interested in.

DS

 

[llannige]

I batch sparge and I think a lot of it is down to technique.I sparge VERY slowly.It's a very simple process.

My first effort produced 72% efficiency,now brews 12 & 13 resulted in 83% and 86% respectively.

 

[Parva]

Cheers ni9e and pavra.

Another question - Is there anything stopping me from doing multiple mashing once ive got my 25ltr for the first brew, i know the OG will be a lot lower on the second batch say about 1.016 or there abouts, but it not the ABV im interested in.

DS

Provided that the wort that's being extracted doesn't drop below 1.008 (or is it 1.006, I forget) then I see no reason why not but why would you want to? Last time I checked the final runnings of my batch sparge I was down around 1.016. Now assuming I could get 6-8 litres before I hit 1.008 (or 1.006) that would be 6 litres of gnats pi$$.

 

[ni9e]

Cheers ni9e and pavra.

Another question - Is there anything stopping me from doing multiple mashing once ive got my 25ltr for the first brew, i know the OG will be a lot lower on the second batch say about 1.016 or there abouts, but it not the ABV im interested in.

DS

If you carried on sparging after you've got the 25ltrs you should be ok as long as you stop sparging at 1005 as iirc you get tannins and other unwanted stuff but give it a go and see what happens

as what Parva said he beat me to it :lol:

 

[corby_brewer]

Provided that the wort that's being extracted doesn't drop below 1.008 (or is it 1.006, I forget) then I see no reason why not but why would you want to? Last time I checked the final runnings of my batch sparge I was down around 1.016. Now assuming I could get 6-8 litres before I hit 1.008 (or 1.006) that would be 6 litres of gnats pi$$.

thanks again Pavra. valid point.
but i could always call the second batch SKOL :rofl:

 

[Parva]

thanks again Pavra.

And please check your spelling. :rofl:

 

[corby_brewer]

opps sorry parva

 

[Parva]

Hehe, no worries. :)

 

[Oggys Bar]

I neither Batch nor Fly sparge....I mash in as normal, recirc the wort via HERMS, when the mash time is up, I top up the tun via sparge arm from the HLT/HERMS (at 75Cish) and pump to the boiler. Then I top the tun up again via the sparge arm, recirc the wort for 10 mins and drain again....So I guess ....I BA5TARD SPARGE. :shock:

I no longer stir up the mash when I add the second batch.. but as I haven't been bothered to work out the exact efficiency, I dont know how it compares to pure batch sparging where I consistently got 77-78%....It seems to be about the same, but I will check..I used to hate stirring up that mash and making the wort cloudy again :cry:

 

[Parva]

For all intents and purposes that's batch-sparging :) I know that Highwayman does a cross between fly and batch sparging and his beers are supurb. I't's a case of what works for you.

 

[ano]

A benefit of batch sparging appears to be that you don't oversparge, but if the recipe is correctly formulated (ie you have the right amount of grain in the tun), you hit your mash temperature +/- 3 degrees and your mash pH isn't way out of whack then you ought to be getting a decent extraction anyway so oversparging ought not to be too much of a problem whatever method you use. Another is that it's a bit more foolproof to hit your length. You mash, top up and drain to the boiler then then add to the tun however much more you need in the boiler. Simples. The advantage of fly sparging is that you can better use the available capacity of your mash tun.

Double mashes can be used successfully if you're making a big beer first, so you stop sparging fairly high. This can be done with old IPAs for example, mash and sparge to get your 1.090 monster then again to get a 1.035 small ale. This may mean you need two boilers.

 

[Nic_P]

Sorry to butt in on this but as somebody looking to move to AG quite soon, I'd like to ask a question.
Why don't you oversparge with Batch Sparging but you can with fly sparging?
: Nic

 

[ano]

You shouldn't with either it's just that when fly sparging you're meant to check you're not by testing the gravity of the runnings, which you don't do when batch sparging so it's simpler.

 

[corby_brewer]

Double mashes can be used successfully if you're making a big beer first, so you stop sparging fairly high. This can be done with old IPAs for example, mash and sparge to get your 1.090 monster then again to get a 1.035 small ale. This may mean you need two boilers.

Is it possible to boil the monster brew first. And the smaller one the next day?

 

[ano]

Is it possible to boil the monster brew first. And the smaller one the nest day?

Yeah but no but...

I'm not very learned on the subject but seem to have in the back of my mind that the wort needs to have risen to a certain temperature to stop the enzymes continuing their job (that's why sparge water is at a higher temperature I think). But with some doing overnight mashes I'm not sure if it's something to worry about or not. I'd say it's best avoided, particularly in that instance as the second brew's going to be a light pale ale, ie very transparent to brewing faults.

Perhaps best would be whilst the second load is resting in the tun, bring the monster to the boil and then dump it into an airtight vessel to finish the next day, then it leaves the boiler free to boil the smaller ale straight away.