Batch or Fly Sparge

[Toot]

There are hundreds of threads on the net on this subject but out of curiosity....

Who batch sparges and who fly sparges and why?

Ive only ever batch sparged but with a new keg setup about to be debuted this weekend im thinking about new techniques.

[Barry]

back on topic - man I've missed a lot of threads on here of late...

Batch for me. Because that's what I've always done. It's batch sparging that turned me into an all grainer, back when I was reading about AG the idea of fly sparging - keeping one eye on temperature, one eye on gravity and another eye on ph it all sounded way too hard.

Plus if I wanted to start fly sparging now, with my single level setup I'd need a pump.

BTW, re: electric kettles, you'd need at least a 3KW element for a 23l batch (initial boil volume 30l) and even then I have to leave the lid on to get to the boil and then half on for a really vigorous boil.

[jt]

It's batch sparging that turned me into an all grainer,

Ditto, I just used the big poy I boiled extract & grains in to heat mash & sparge water. made the step easy

BTW, re: electric kettles, you'd need at least a 3KW element for a 23l batch

I use a 2.3kw which does a grand job for my 25l size boil - too vigorous really - in that still base, must be the dynamics of the shape / size

[MrC]

A question for all the batch spargers out there:

How many sparge batches do you do? I only ever did two but often wondered about a third.

[Barry]

2 for me. Something to do with the law of diminishing returns.

[jt]

I don't think it matters as long as they produce the same size run off ?

But once you get past two run offs wouldn't it get real painful - time & effort wise ?

[warra48]

I do a mash out, and then sparge twice to collect my required volume.
My extraction efficiency is around 90%+, and I have no trouble getting clear beers once bottled.
And I certainly don't think I pick up tannins etc etc.

[jt]

I add a mash out addition (which also brings my first draining upto the size of the second) and then the sparge water. I did try a 3rd addition once or twice when playing round with grain / water ratios but I thought I may as well be flying at that stage.

I have no trouble getting clear beers

Ha ha ha, you must have avoided the dodgy batch of US05 ....

cheers, jt

[studio1]

What temperature should the grain bed be during fly sparging? I performed a mashout today, recirc'd then starting sparging with 78 degree liquor. But with the MLT lid open the temp of the grain bed was only reading around 70. Is this ok?

[MrC]

That sounds normal to me. I don't mash out (yet), sparge at 77c and my runoff is usually around 65c. I've read that the temp of the grain is better above 65c to keep the everything fluid helping prevent a stuck sparge. The proteins start to gel below 65c I think. Having said that, I've never had a stuck sparge, even with 60% wheat.

[Tony]

Umm, I batch sparge, but it seems a little different to what I am reading, please correct me? I have a 3L plastic jug, I mash out into, through a hose from the MT. I drain 3L, put into kettle, put 3L of water back in, repeat, until I have my required amount in the kettle. My effciency is around 72-79% (depending on the grain and mash temp). My MT is a 27L plastic chllibin (warehouse model). I was told (by a professional brewer), to always have your grain bed in suspension, meaning never let it settle, until you have your required literage. Is this a lot differnet to what most of you batch spargers are doing? I have a very primitive set up, of chillibin MT, 50L SS pot kettle. I boil my water in 2 oher SS pots, all on gas. Outside, all weather, no frills. I haven't got around to putting a tap on my kettle.

[Barry]

WOW TONY.
That is some funky shit batch sparge brother. Most of us dump, stir, drain, repeat. 3l at a time? MASOCHIST

[MrC]

That sounds more like a stop/start fly sparge rather than a batch sparge. My technique is basically the same as yours except my process is continuous. Instead of adding 3L of water every so often I have a slow running syphon of sparge water into the mash tun and instead of running off 3L at a time I have a continuous runoff into the kettle. That way I can just let it run unattended. Just like HTB recommends I try to keep about 1 inch of water above the grain bed to keep it all fluid.