20 replies to this topic

[VolFan]

In 2005 I began brewing. First two batches I did were with the aid of Denny's & Kellermeister's website, both batched sparged. Then I switched to fly sparging because I was experimenting.Fast forward to 2011 and I've been looking at ways to shorten the brew day. With two kids and fishing season in full swing it's hard to budget time for a brew. I did a Pale a few weeks back and a Vienna this morning. Batch sparged them both and I'll have to say it knocks 30 minutes off my brew day. Truth be told it's probably closer to 40. On neither batch did I calculate volumes needed or anything like that. Mashed, added water, recirc'd about a gallon then dumped. Added more water, stirred, recirc'd about a gallon then dumped. On both batches I was within 1 point of OG.I was done in about 4 hours with a 12gl batch & this included loading up the water through a filter this morning. I could have done it last night but it tends to make a little rust form where the element is. I am now a little more enthused about brewing.

[djinkc]

I haven't batched for years. When I did I stood around waiting for the 4500 watts to get things boiling. I end up within 10 minutes flying vs. batching. Yesterday was about 4 hours. But hey, if it works and shortens your brew day - why not?

[positiveContact]

I haven't batched for years. When I did I stood around waiting for the 4500 watts to get things boiling. I end up within 10 minutes flying vs. batching. Yesterday was about 4 hours. But hey, if it works and shortens your brew day - why not?

were you heating up the first runnings while the second runnings were coming in? I have to think this would put you more than 10 mins ahead of fly sparging but that's pure speculation.

[djinkc]

were you heating up the first runnings while the second runnings were coming in? I have to think this would put you more than 10 mins ahead of fly sparging but that's pure speculation.

Yeah once the element is covered it's a go. Using propane or a bigger element would be different. I'd have to rewire everything and get a different GFI breaker and different SSR to bump up the wattage. Not worth it to me at this point. I'm usually doing other brewery stuff during the sparge anyway - usually kegging, yeast harvesting and then prepping the fermenter.

[HVB]

were you heating up the first runnings while the second runnings were coming in? I have to think this would put you more than 10 mins ahead of fly sparging but that's pure speculation.

That is how I do mine. I am usually boiling about 10 minutes after the second runnings are in there. I am using a 5500 watt element in mine kettle though.

[zymot]

I batch sparge. Lots of good reasons to batch sparge.The only reason, that I see, to fly sparge is the potential for increased efficiency.Me, I like to open up the spigot and let the wort drain out while I do other things. If there is an efficiency benefit, it is not worth it for me.

[positiveContact]

I batch sparge. Lots of good reasons to batch sparge.The only reason, that I see, to fly sparge is the potential for increased efficiency.Me, I like to open up the spigot and let the wort drain out while I do other things. If there is an efficiency benefit, it is not worth it for me.

that's basically how I view it. my system works well, is low cost, and is easy to maintain. if it aint broke...

[VolFan]

DJ I have 5500W elements so as soon as it was submerged I let her rip. After I did the second runnings I was able to get the MT cleaned out and hops weighed. It worked out real nicely. Lag time wasn't bad at all.I will admit that the runnings going into the BK aren't quite as clear as they are fly sparging, but what went into the fermenter was. Another added bonus was I didn't have to keep adding water to the fly sparge for an entire hour. Add all at once and I was off to the races.

[Big Nake]

Batch sparging FTW!I'm the same as Zymot. I mash, recirc, drain, add sparge water #1, stir, wait 10 mins, recirc, drain (then throw that amount of runnings on the burner), add sparge water #2, stir, wait 10 mins, recirc, add those last runnings to the brewpot that is now heating and then go from there. I call this method "brewing beer". YMMV.

[Deerslyr]

The save in time for me is negligible because I would allow the mash to sit for about 10 minutes to get the sparge water saturated with sugar. When doing two batches, with vorlaufing, it took about the same amount of time as it does for me to fly sparge. Plus, when I fly sparge I get the BK going a few minutes into it so that it doesn't take long to get the boil going once the sparge is done. Not a necessarily a time saver for me, but more of labor saver for me. With my pump and float switch, I can "set it and forget it". I think I'd save maybe 10 or 15 minutes on a brew day by batch sparging. If that's all the difference is, I'd stick with fly. When I brew, that's my main thing for that day/evening.

[No Party JKor]

Batch sparging doesn't lend itself to automation. Aside from the fact that I've always fly sparged, that would be the big thing keeping me from going batch. I'm continuously working for a more automated process. Once I went to the float switch/solenoid fly sparging became so easy I could never change to something that required more effort. I'm always doing other brew tasks while I'm brewing, so going to a method that would require more of my attention would just extend my brew day in the end due to stuff I missed while tending to the sparge.

[djinkc]

DJ I have 5500W elements so as soon as it was submerged I let her rip. After I did the second runnings I was able to get the MT cleaned out and hops weighed. It worked out real nicely. Lag time wasn't bad at all.I will admit that the runnings going into the BK aren't quite as clear as they are fly sparging, but what went into the fermenter was. Another added bonus was I didn't have to keep adding water to the fly sparge for an entire hour. Add all at once and I was off to the races.

There are a lot of ways to get it to the kettle. I don't think one is better than the other. I know my system well enough that I just tweak the valves a couple times durinhg the sparge - flying- and it gets done. It don't babysit it. I don't get the keep adding water part. I just fill up the EHLT after intial infusion and usually it's enough plus some extra for cleanup. If I had found an easy way to have gas firing the kettle in the basement I could very well still be batching. In any case it works here, I just get other stuff done that was put off until brew day.I would be fun to watch you brew a batch though............

[denny]

The only reason, that I see, to fly sparge is the potential for increased efficiency.

Which is pretty much a canard. Both can easily be equally efficient.

[MtnBrewer]

The biggest benefit of batch sparging to me is not the time savings, although there is some. I like not having to add a third tier to my gravity-based system. Dumping 5 gallons of scalding hot water into the mash tun at waist level is one thing but shoving a cooler full of it up onto the top of my fermentation fridge is a different issue altogether.

[denny]

The biggest benefit of batch sparging to me is not the time savings, although there is some. I like not having to add a third tier to my gravity-based system. Dumping 5 gallons of scalding hot water into the mash tun at waist level is one thing but shoving a cooler full of it up onto the top of my fermentation fridge is a different issue altogether.

I am SO with you! I think I'm one of the clumsiest people on the face of the earth and having near boiling water above my head is an invitation to disaster!

[MtnBrewer]

I am SO with you! I think I'm one of the clumsiest people on the face of the earth and having near boiling water above my head is an invitation to disaster!

We're gettin' old.

[MakeMeHoppy]

I like Batch for two reasons:1. I don't have to worry about the gravity of the last running getting too low or the PH getting too high as with fly sparging constantly diluting the wort.2. I brew indoors and I cannot get my mash tun high enough with an HLT above that to have the kettle on the stove while sparging. I could do it using smaller pots and transfer to the kettle, but then I have to be there the whole time I'm sparging which is a long waste of time for me. I could fly sparge into my kettle on the floor but then I have a long lag time getting up to boil after the long sparge. Next outdoor brew I'll try fly sparging just to see if I like it or not.

[Brownbeard]

I read Denny's article in BYO years ago, and never looked back. I did move from a SS mesh filter to a copper manifold when I built my new mash tun last summer.

[denny]

We're gettin' old.

Yeah, but I was clumsy before I was old!

[ChefLamont]

I like not having to add a third tier to my gravity-based system.

This is probably the best rational so far. I have a system with a 3rd tier on it already, so I dont worry about it.Fully admitting I didnt do batch enough to get practice, when I tried batch sparging for a run of batches, my efficiency was good but it was not as consistent as with fly sparging. I have stuck with the fly sparging and just mak sure I heat during the sparge so I dont wait long when it is done.