Do You Batch Sparge Or Fly Sparge?

[user 384]

If I batch sparge and do a slow run-off I can squeeze out 75% efficiency. I had sparged this way for ages. Recently I just opened the tap and let rip I got 65% efficiency. With a 21ltr brew of my standard bitter I need 3.47kg if aiming for 75% efficiency and 4kg if aiming for 65%. Last bag of Maris Otter I bought was $60 (thanks Darren!), therefore the extra grain costs $1.20. So for a $1.20 I'm quite happy to only get 65% efficiency, but get back half an hour to an hour of my day.

As Pedro pointed out, it's not how high your efficiency is, it's how consistent you are. With a consistent efficiency you know that you're going to hit all your OG targets and have the right balance between malt and hops that you planned for during recipe formulation. Consistency also helps if you want to reproduce a great you've made before. Chiller is also a big advocate of aiming for consistency rather than high efficiency figures.



Hi everyone, my names Mark and I get low efficiency......

 

[sosman]

If people are interested, I wrote my own take on batch sparging at
brewiki: batch sparge.

As a relative newbie it might offend the purists but the grog tastes good. Runoff fast is what I say.

 

[Kai]

I found that just the other day while reading up on batch sparging, sosman. Good stuff.

 

[Linz]

Last brew, I used a combination of both(I think). I mashed as per normal conditions, then run off. Recharged the mash tun, stirred gently and left to settle for 15 mins. Then opened the tap slightly(after recirculating again) and then let the MLT run into the mash tun at a similar rate with the remain 1/3 of hot liquor.

Hit every gravity point along the way with the program set at 75% efficiency(?)

 

[wedge]

Yep i batch sparge. My slow run off is only about 20 minutes, refill let sit for another 20 min and then 20 min empty. Sometimes a little faster. It gives me about 70% efficiency.

But the hour i save is definetly worth the $1.20! You can't even buy a coke anymore for $1.20.

 

[Kai]

Can of coke from the laundromat round the corner - $1.00.

I keep telling myself that I should just buy a 30 pack for 15 when they're on special.

 

[SJW]

0.42c a can when there on special, now thats a deal. No wonder we don't try and make Coke!

 

[Murray]

I don't batch sparge slowly purely for efficiency. I've had problems with the sparge sticking and having to excessively recirculate. Sometimes i've been able to get away with a quick sparge, but other times the problems have made the process longer than a patient slow sparge.

 

[jayse]

I fly sparged for my first 40 odd brews but now always batch sparge.
I found with fly sparging in my first brews depending on how much grain was in the tun i would not get a consistent effiency everytime. ie more grain meant i got lower effiency, i put this down to the chanelling of the wort.
Anyway now with batch sparging i get 75% bang on every single time no matter what.
I do what you might have read about, the palmer book has a good explaination and that is no sparge.
ie my tun is 50 litres so all the water for the sparge goes into the tun after the mash has finished while all the first runnings are still in it also.
I mix it up very very well then open my 1/4 inch tap all the way and recycle then run to the kettle.
It takes around 15-20mins to drain with the tap 1/4 inch tap right open.
I find this method is a great way to brew and makes the sparge very very simple to do and my consistency is just that, very consistent.

Cheers Jayse

 

[dicko]

Hi Jayse,
What ratio of grain to water do you use for the mash when doing the above method, and on a batch of about 5 kilos of grain how full is your tun when you have flooded the grain?
Some say a mash out is not necessary - ?
Do you increase the temp of the mash with that infusion of water and if so, what temp do you increase to?

Cheers

 

[chiller]

I am a very strong advocate of batch sparging but for my last 3 beers [due to beta testing brewing software] I have been fly sparging to check water quantities and efficiencies.

Efficiency:

With fly sparging my efficiency increased to 86% from 80% with batch sparging.

Time:

Batch sparging takes me about 25 minutes all up.

Fly sparging for the extra 6% took me 90 minutes


Crush:

For the last beer I set the Barley crusher at .032" which is a "very" fine crush and even though the runoff was exceedingly slow there was no hint of a stuck sparge.

Taste results:

These are of course are subjective, no noticeable difference between batch or fly sparging for taste. Fly sparge runs more of a risk as the sparge nears the end of picking up husk tannins. This is less likely with batch sparging.

The single most important aspect of any sparge set up is a consistent result, repeatable not only next week but a year later if you want to brew that winning beer you put down at 104% efficiency

As Pedro and MAH [both experienced All grain brewers] have pointed out the time saving against grain is well worth it.

Will I batch or fly ...

Batch for me ... 500 gms of grain is not a drama.

Steve

 

[jayse]

Hi Jayse,
What ratio of grain to water do you use for the mash when doing the above method, and on a batch of about 5 kilos of grain how full is your tun when you have flooded the grain?
Some say a mash out is not necessary - ?
Do you increase the temp of the mash with that infusion of water and if so, what temp do you increase to?

Cheers

Hi Dicko,
I use the same ratio as you would normally ie 2.5-3 litres for each kilo of malt.
For a 5kg batch the tun volume is around 38-40 litres at the very end which gives me around 32 litres into the kettle.
All the calculations for water needed etc are all the same for whatever way i sparge ie for 5kg its ussually around 13-15litres for the mash then around 22-25litres for the sparge water.
Yeap the sparge water is fairly hot for infussing the mash up to mash out.
Ussually i have the sparge water around 90-95c which has been getting me to around 78c.
I have had no changes in effiency with the mash out at 72c and with it at 78c.
So i just go for anwhere in between and aren't to picky about exact temps but yes i do try for a higher mash out temp.
I hope that is what you where after.
The promash mash designer is a good place to go over your numbers for this stuff.

Cheers Jayse

 

[dicko]

Yes Jayse,
Thanks for that info. I am thinking of getting one of those 10gall water coolers from Goliath Dave so I can batch sparge or use your method. My tun is a tad small for batch or no-sparge methods.
I am waiting for some info back from Dave so i'll let you know.
Cheers