33 replies to this topic

[denny]

I use that exact same cooler, batch sparging, Denny-style wire mesh thingy. I tip it up (putting the lid under the uptipped edge to prop) to get the last bit out of the grain. Works just fine for me. Mid-70s efficiency-wise, which is plenty.

Same thing I do, too. If you don't get fancy and use a bulkhead and just connect the braid to a valve with a piece of tubing like I do, it will lay flat on the bottom of the cooler and you'll have no real issues. Like this...

[chadm75]

I use that exact same cooler, batch sparging, Denny-style wire mesh thingy. I tip it up (putting the lid under the uptipped edge to prop) to get the last bit out of the grain. Works just fine for me. Mid-70s efficiency-wise, which is plenty.

So no big issues with this? I'd love to use this cooler because of it's capacity but worried about run-off issues. But I can always just tilt it on over to drain the rest . Honestly, I'm too damn lazy to build a copper manifold, solder, etc....

[stellarbrew]

I have heard people comment on the extra work of batch sparging before. I don't get it. I know you have to lift a kettle of water 3-4 times during the brewing process, but for a 5 gallon batch, I never have to lift more than three gallons of water at one time. That's 25 pounds of water. I am no Lou Ferrigno, but that is not that much weight. My sparge rounds are usually ~2 gallons (16 lbs). Is there something else I am missing, or is it just the lifting of the kettle?

I agree that there is inherently no more work required for batch sparging than for fly sparging. Actually, it's quite the opposite, IMO. IF you are lifting a kettle of water for batch sparging, and that's too hard for you, all you have to do is use a pump or gravity drain from the HLT. If you were lifting the kettle for fly sparging, it would be even harder, because you would be holding it up there a long time.

[Deerslyr]

I agree that there is inherently no more work required for batch sparging than for fly sparging. Actually, it's quite the opposite, IMO. IF you are lifting a kettle of water for batch sparging, and that's too hard for you, all you have to do is use a pump or gravity drain from the HLT. If you were lifting the kettle for fly sparging, it would be even harder, because you would be holding it up there a long time.

To respond to this... yes if you have a pump you could pump your water for each batch. However, everytime you batch, you do have to stir, wait, vorlauf and drain (repeat as necessary depending on how many times you batch and yes Denny, I know you believe only once is necessary). With fly, you only vorlauf once. And if it's automated (like mine) you can walk away for an extended period of time and go have lunch without any worries.So given the way that I fly sparge (with a pump), it is significantly less work than batch sparging. When I built my tun, I built it with the "ability" to switch over to fly sparging without having to make any modifications to the tun.

[Pseudolus]

So no big issues with this? I'd love to use this cooler because of it's capacity but worried about run-off issues. But I can always just tilt it on over to drain the rest . Honestly, I'm too damn lazy to build a copper manifold, solder, etc....

Nope, no issues. I'm pretty damn lazy myself.This cooler is a good size, too. I've done 10 gallons of, oh, think it was a close to 1.080 beer in there and had room to spare. When doing smaller volumes it does tend to suck up some of the heat from the mash. You can either preheat it with some hot water or account for that in your calculations.

[stellarbrew]

To respond to this... yes if you have a pump you could pump your water for each batch. However, everytime you batch, you do have to stir, wait, vorlauf and drain (repeat as necessary depending on how many times you batch and yes Denny, I know you believe only once is necessary). With fly, you only vorlauf once. And if it's automated (like mine) you can walk away for an extended period of time and go have lunch without any worries.So given the way that I fly sparge (with a pump), it is significantly less work than batch sparging. When I built my tun, I built it with the "ability" to switch over to fly sparging without having to make any modifications to the tun.

I guess I've just never found stirring and vorlaufing to be overly burdensome. I understand the benefit of automating the process when you are fly sparging so you can go to lunch, because otherwise that is a big chunk of time that you would have to wait on the sparge. What I like about batch sparging is that I can do it so much faster than fly sparging, that I can just go ahead and collect my wort, and then go eat lunch while it's boiling.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

If you don't get fancy and use a bulkhead

I got fancy - but it's not necessary.

[Pseudolus]

FWIW, I just do a quick 2-qt vorlauf and then I tie a nylon hop bag over the end of the runoff tube. In a typical batch the bag catches maybe a tablespoon of schmutz.(I'm pretty sure I stole that trick from someone over on the prior board. To whomever I stole it from: Thanks!)

[zymot]

Here is what I did.Fill up you MT with enouch water to go past the highest point of the drain. Open the drain let gravity drain as much water as you can. What ever amount of water is in a pubble in the bottom the cooler, that is your "Dead Space",- sort of - almost. When you consider that during a brew session, that space will be mostly filled in by spent grain, your are probably not talking about leaving "alot" of wort behind.What I am trying, it is not near as bad as it might look. You are going to have a volume of wort soaked grains, much different than the same volume of wort. If you batch sparge, it is going to be grains soaked in a pretty low gravity wort at that.Do the best you can and try out a brewing a batch. Have a pound or two of DME on hand in case your OG is too low.zymot

[chadm75]

An update from my first mash with my new mash tun...A good session overall even though my efficiency suffered. I think that the main reason for this though was that I miss my mash temp. I mashed 13.6 lbs. of grain at 146 for 60 mins. My target pre-boil OG was 1.048 but I ended up with 1.040. I added some DME to make up for the loss and ended up hitting my target starting OG of 1.060. All is all, not bad for my first time using this mash tun. Had some efficiency issues for sure but I'll iron those out. It's bubbing through the airlock as I type!

[Patrick C.]

I think Oldfart first posted the pantyhose strainer method. I use it with no vorlauf- Everything goes in, and the nylon catches all the particles and gunk. Same thing on the batch sparge- no need to recirculate. And if it will all fit, I only do one batch sparge and routinely get ~80% efficiency. No way I could eat lunch that fast. :cheers:The original question was batch vs. fly sparging, right?

[chadm75]

I think Oldfart first posted the pantyhose strainer method. I use it with no vorlauf- Everything goes in, and the nylon catches all the particles and gunk. Same thing on the batch sparge- no need to recirculate. And if it will all fit, I only do one batch sparge and routinely get ~80% efficiency. No way I could eat lunch that fast. :cheers:The original question was batch vs. fly sparging, right?

I'll have to try that pantyhose thing. Because I recirculated for about 15 minutes and was still getting a good amount of grain particulate so I'm going to chill and add gel to hopefully get that stuff to drop. I'm batch sparging.

[denny]

I'll have to try that pantyhose thing. Because I recirculated for about 15 minutes and was still getting a good amount of grain particulate so I'm going to chill and add gel to hopefully get that stuff to drop. I'm batch sparging.

Man, that's weird. It takes me less than 2 min. and a qt. of wort. I wonder why it took you so long?

[chadm75]

Man, that's weird. It takes me less than 2 min. and a qt. of wort. I wonder why it took you so long?

I had some concerns going in about the condition of my SS braid, it was pretty beat up. I think that was it because I've never had any issues in the past. Going to replace it before my next batch.