Quick sparge / Low OG

[Steven Thompson]

I brewed a beer using David Heath's APA grist this weekend, which should have come out at 1.050, but was 1.032 in the end. I suspect this was due to a quick sparge.

My question is, would the sparge have this much impact or might there have been more wrong?

Using Brewzilla 35, 65 degrees for an hour 75 for a further 10.

I take the water volumes for the mash and sparge from the brewfather receipe and always feel there is a little too much. More often than not it seems like Im not hitting my numbers and not sure how to correct it. Inexperience, i suppose.

Any thoughts welcome, TIA.

Steve

 

[Caramel Ox]

That’s more than just a sparge issue. Something you might find interesting is this table of approximate pre sparge gravity here:

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/images/3/3c/First_wort_gravity.gif
If you test that before you move to mash out temperature you still have options eg extra time.

 

[jof]

Testing doesn't need to be complicated.
My biab easy test method is to taste the grain to see if it's still.sweet

 

[Steven Thompson]

That’s more than just a sparge issue. Something you might find interesting is this table of approximate pre sparge gravity here:

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/images/3/3c/First_wort_gravity.gif

That’s more than just a sparge issue. Something you might find interesting is this table of approximate pre sparge gravity here:

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/images/3/3c/First_wort_gravity.gif
If you test that before you move to mash out temperature you still have options eg extra time.

If you test that before you move to mash out temperature you still have options eg extra time.

Brilliant, thank you

 

[Steven Thompson]

I'm not actually sure how to read this chart, tbh. But, I'd never thought to check SG before moving to mash out.

 

[Steven Thompson]

Testing doesn't need to be complicated.
My biab easy test method is to taste the grain to see if it's still.sweet

Makes sense!

 

[Rodcx500z]

I have a BZ35 which i use with brewfather you can download and use for free then decide if you want to but it, are you calculating the dead space right on the bz35 it is 6.75ltr, that is water under the grain basket here is an example Brewfather

 

[Steven Thompson]

I just transfer from buckets as I pre-treat the water with Campden. I just use the markings on the bucket to see how much goes in.

 

[peebee]

I'm currently in the middle of a brew:

SG 1.043 post-mash. Expected 1.041, seems I've overshot the mark? It's one of my "emulated BIAB" brews (in a Grainfather). The important bit ... NO SPARGE! As the others have been saying, the low OG will most likely have nothing to do with sparging!

 

[Steven Thompson]

I'm currently in the middle of a brew:

SG 1.043 post-mash. Expected 1.041, seems I've overshot the mark? It's one of my "emulated BIAB" brews (in a Grainfather). The important bit ... NO SPARGE! As the others have been saying, the low OG will most likely have nothing to do with sparging!

So, do you go for a fine crush, no sparge brew in the Grainfather. Never thought about trying that with the BZ35.

 

[Caramel Ox]

I'm not actually sure how to read this chart, tbh. But, I'd never thought to check SG before moving to mash out.

Take your mash water total from Brewfather and divide by your grain bill. Eg the recipe I am working on has 20.5 litres in the mash and 5.7kg grain. This gives 3.6 as a thickness, read across the chart and the mash should be 1.072 at completion.

I have only used this chart once, but when you start recording this sort of information you can understand what’s going on better.

 

[peebee]

So, do you go for a fine crush, no sparge brew in the Grainfather. Never thought about trying that with the BZ35.

Oh aye ... the BIAB crew do go in for "fine crush". But no. Crush is "normal". The One-Pot setup is the usual "bucket" arrangement, and you haven't the option to "squeeze" the bag like real BIAB. Though you can push down on the (otherwise redundant) top plate (I did this time). I think a One-Pot is still not immune to stuck mashes. So, "normal crush", unless any suggest different? But I see no gain in "fine crush" but do see reason to avoid it.

 

[aolcot]

How did you take the measurement, hydrometer/refractometer? was it calibrated ok, sample reading taken at room temperature (or adjusted for temp) etc.

 

[peebee]

How did you take the measurement, hydrometer/refractometer? ...

You've got me on the thread, and you didn't include "pyknometer"? Tch, tch.

 

[Steven Thompson]

You've got me on the thread, and you didn't include "pyknometer"? Tch, tch.

Hydrometer, seemed OK when in water, sadly :)

How did you take the measurement, hydrometer/refractometer? was it calibrated ok, sample reading taken at room temperature (or adjusted for temp) etc.

Hydrometer. Seemed OK, sadly, in water.

I had hydrated the wort, now that I think about it - with the drill add on. Might that have had an effect?

 

[Sadfield]

How fast a sparge are we talking about? How are you sparging? What were your mash and sparge volumes?

Sparging in a traditional sense is replacing the sugary wort within the grain with fresh liqour, by keeping the grist wet. With AIO systems where the grist is physically removed from the wort before sparging, creating a dry mash, there's a considerably risk that sparge water just flushes over the grains creating, like water through gravel. This would dilute the first running considerably.

"Successful sparging requires a careful matching of inflow and outflow as too fast or too slow a sparge will result in an overflow or a dry mash. In either of these circumstances, lautering can be inefficient or cease entirely."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/amp/Yibra5GU76

 

[Steven Thompson]

How fast a sparge are we talking about? How are you sparging? What were your mash and sparge volumes?

Sparging in a traditional sense is replacing the sugary wort within the grain with fresh liqour, by keeping the grist wet. With AIO systems where the grist is physically removed from the wort before sparging, creating a dry mash, there's a considerably risk that sparge water just flushes over the grains creating, like water through gravel. This would dilute the first running considerably.

"Successful sparging requires a careful matching of inflow and outflow as too fast or too slow a sparge will result in an overflow or a dry mash. In either of these circumstances, lautering can be inefficient or cease entirely."

https://www.google.com/amp/s/beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/amp/Yibra5GU76

 

[Steven Thompson]

This does sound like this has happened. About 5kg of grist, 23lt mash, 12lt sparge. I used using a jug from a pan but then dumped a large amount direct from the pan at the end so it just sat on top and filtered through to the kettle.

Lesson learned.

 

[Sadfield]

I suspect so.

23L - c5L grain absorption = 18L first runnings at a gravity of 1.058 (23÷5=4.6 as per table from post#2) in the kettle.

To dilute that to a gravity of 1.035 would require 11.83L of water. Pretty much your sparge volume.

 

[Sadfield]

Dunk sparging might be a better option if lifting 10kg of wet grain is manageable.

https://www.morebeer.com/questions/214