Fixing A Stuck Sparge (how Not To)

[Ash in Perth]

Acording to my refract it was looking good on about 80% efficiency in my Aussie sparkling ale mash.

Ive gone off using rice hulls because if you wash some in water (even when clean already) and taste the water its pretty strong.

because of this my sparge speeds sometimes get really slow. I was being impatient and thought i'd use the handle of my spoon to stir the grain bed a little on the mesh at the bottom. Sped it up really well and soon the runnings were comming though quite light colored and not sweet so i stopped them to avoid tannins. Started the boil as usual with a little top up water and began to clean up. poured what i thoguht was just sparge water out of the bottom of the lauter tun into the garden. It was darker and very sweet. Turns out i must have made a channel for the sparge water on top to run straight through the grain for me to add to the boil. Ended up with 60% effieciency.

OG was 1.040 rather than the 1.050-1.055 i expected.

 

[vlbaby]

i've been having similar problems lately with stuck mashes. I've been using a copper manifold. What have you been using?


vl.

 

[Ash in Perth]

Been mashin in a small SS pot and then pouring into this for the lauter.

its fine SS mash supported by a courser mesh to keep shape. quite small at the bottom.

 

[tangent]

just batch sparge
give it a stir between batches

 

[Ash in Perth]

its only a temporary problem considering whats nearly built.

i cant batch sparge becasue it isnt big enough. it just holds a mash from a 16L batch right now

 

[matti]

let the final wort drain out it should take 10-15 min per kg of grain faster for poorly crushed grains
Matti

 

[Batz]

let the final wort drain out it should take 10-15 min per kg of grain faster for poorly crushed grains
Matti

That would be around 2.75 hours for may double batch....bet I'll love that :blink:

Batz

 

[Peter Wadey]

Hi Ash,
Be prepared to recirculate after disturbing the bed too.

IMHO swapping methodology over some channeling would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Pete

 

[Rocket]

I would visit TWOC and get a large stainless steel false bottom and adapt it to a mash tun. Then also take note of your grind. To much powder can result in a run stuck. Whole husk is always best.