fly sparging

[Mark1964]

can you use the forum calculators to calculate a fly sparge or are they just for batch sparging. :

 

[robsan77]

should be the same amount of water :thumb: I just guess it and sparge to however much wort I want tho.

 

[Mark1964]

what if you dont get the gravity reading you want when you have reached your boil volume ie 25 litres for example

 

[paulpj26]

If you don't have the correct gravity by the time you have collected enough wort then there would be probably other issues - like the amount of grain you used or the temperature of the mash or the way you do your sparging (which would probably down to sparging to fast).

However, I would have thought the amount of water used for batch sparging and fly sparging would be pretty much the same.
:

 

[Sean_Mc]

I know I'll lose around 5ltrs for a 90min boil, so to end up with 25ltr I sparge to collect 31ltrs, but I also check the SG readings when draining the tun.

I stop sparging when I have enough liquid or the SG comes to 1008.

If you've worked out your efficiency, the recipe calculators should be very close

 

[paulpj26]

I always find trying to test gravity with my hydrometer whilst sparging a ball ache considering you have to take into account temperature corrections (I know thats lazy :lol: ). I use the old method of sticking my finger into the run-off and tasting it, if it's sweet I know sugar is still been taken from the grain if it tastes like water it's water lol and if starts to tastes like tea bags then I've sparged too much! (or I just drink too much tea :lol: ). Perhaps not the best way of doing it but it's worked for me so far.

 

[Sean_Mc]

Have you boiled that probing finger Paul

 

[paulpj26]

Depends where's it been Sean :rofl:

Obviously I don't touch it once it's been through the boiling process :lol: thats the wort not my finger :rofl:

 

[robsan77]

what if you dont get the gravity reading you want when you have reached your boil volume ie 25 litres for example

Not much you can do about that. I find that is usually down to the batch of malt or missed mash ph. Only way to be consistent is to mill your own grain and check ph every mash. Not every batch of milled malt is the same efficiency.

 

[Mark1964]

Ok thanks everyone sorted now