to sparge or not to sparge

[brydo]

hi guys, tomorrow is the big day, first all grain brew day, all be it via biab but none the less fresh hops and malt. ive divided an all grain recipe by 5 and im alll ready to go, just im not sure what would be best. sparge the grains, or just follow the biab standard recipe and not sparge. does it matter really ? cheers for any help guys

 

[brisboy]

You could try a mash out. At the end of the mash, heat the water to 75c and leave for 5 to 10 mins. I've done two biab so far and had pretty good efficiency so far, tried a mash out on the second. That said I'll probably pour a kettle full of water over the grains for my next brew. Maybe don't for your first brew and do for your second to compare efficiencies? I feel like i'm not actually helping, sorry. Hope you have fun.

 

[MyQul]

Maybe don't for your first brew and do for your second to compare efficiencies? I feel like i'm not actually helping, sorry. .

This ^^^

Sparging is just one more thing to do, so if your happy with your efficiency don't bother sparging.

I do two seperate dunk sparges, myself.

 

[Cwrw666]

I've only just started BIAB. Last brew I dunk sparged and got the efficiency the recipe called for so I'm happy with that. Don't just drain your BIAB bag over your boiler though - squeeze it out, you'll be amazed at how much wort you can squeeze out. It's a bit messy though, I had wort up to my elbows:lol:

 

[Covrich]

I've only just started BIAB. Last brew I dunk sparged and got the efficiency the recipe called for so I'm happy with that. Don't just drain your BIAB bag over your boiler though - squeeze it out, you'll be amazed at how much wort you can squeeze out. It's a bit messy though, I had wort up to my elbows:lol:

I tried doing that with my partial and I thought I was going to burn my hands.. did you wear gloves or should I man up

 

[MyQul]

Squeezing the bag can really up your efficiency but I found doing it really messy - wort running all down me forearms and onto the kitchen floor etc so I stopped doing it. You'll deffo need some marigolds as the bag is very hot

 

[brydo]

cheers for all the advice guys

 

[cheshirehomebrew]

I squeeze the bag (with marigolds) to extract as much as I can out, then sparge by dunking the grains in a pot of hot water and leave it there for 10- 15 minutes before draning and pouring back into my main wort.

Its up to you as it can be a bit of a ffaf but I dont mind (too much)

 

[Cwrw666]

You guys need to man up:lol:
I did however have to stop halfway through as my jumper was wet to the elbows, so hopefully next time I'll remember to strip off before starting...

 

[Covrich]

You guys need to man up:lol:
I did however have to stop halfway through as my jumper was wet to the elbows, so hopefully next time I'll remember to strip off before starting...

how about stripping off and then wearing marigolds.. does that make us more manly :-o.. ill get some blue ones "coz I'm a bloke"

 

[Chippy_Tea]

ill get some blue ones "coz I'm a bloke"

Turn the yellow ones inside out then they are white. :wink:

 

[CreweBrewer]

Tha's can get black'uns, tha knows!

 

[GHW]

This thread has gone weird.

And I'm going biab. Dunk sparging: I presume this is just reheating water to 80c then plonking the bag back in for a bit?

Then the semi naked rubber glove squeezing bit?

 

[Slid]

Pretty sure Dunk Sparging means dunking the grain bag back into some more water at a suitable temperature to extract sugars from the grain.

A google search for Images of Dunk Sparging shows no semi nakeds in marigolds.

 

[GHW]

I would advise great caution when googling 'dunk sparging'. Particularly if you are prone to spoonerisms.

 

[MyQul]

Dunk sparging, here's what I do:-

i) get a bucket and put the grain bag in it
ii) Heat required amount of water up to 168C
iii) open grain bag and pour water over grains
iv) Sans marigolds but with the rest of my clothes on grab bag and lift. Let the runnings drain into the bucket then dunk bag back into the bucket then lift bag out again. repeat one or two more times
v) open bag and stir grain with mash paddle
vi) repeat step iv
vii) repeat step iv and v until i reckon I can't wash any more sugars off the grains usually a total of about four or five times

 

[Covrich]

Dunk sparging, here's what I do:-

i) get a bucket and put the grain bag in it
ii) Heat required amount of water up to 168C
iii) open grain bag and pour water over grains
iv) Sans marigolds but with the rest of my clothes on grab bag and lift. Let the runnings drain into the bucket then dunk bag back into the bucket then lift bag out again. repeat one or two more times
v) open bag and stir grain with mash paddle
vi) repeat step iv
vii) repeat step iv and v until i reckon I can't wash any more sugars off the grains usually a total of about four or five times

That is good advice thanks, although I am sure there is a typo in the temp you specified!! :lol: unless you gas sparge:p. I think you mean 168F? which relates to what I did which was about 76c

 

[MyQul]

That is good advice thanks, although I am sure there is a typo in the temp you specified!! :lol: unless you gas sparge:p. I think you mean 168F? which relates to what I did which was about 76c

No typo, I have in fact invented a new method of sparging which needs extra special equiment - A cheque for £49.99 will get get you in on the ground floor when I float my newly formed company,Full of Hot Air- based on 'gas sparging' on the stock market :whistle: