SPARGING QUESTION

[trucker5774]

I relation to sparging, Ive often wondered about the catchment of the first part and then the return to the mash tun followed by the second batch or fly sparging. Why not just run it through a very fine sieve from the beginning and pour hot water (and why is it at 80c) onto the remainder and continue sieving............I can almost hear the screams. What am I mising here?

[trucker5774]

OK, here we go. I'm pretty sure its the correct forum this time, so i guess I'm just not explaining myself very well. I understand sparging, be it batch or fly. I just dont have any experience of it or what the golden rules are. In simple terms it seems that the grains are mashed around 67c for about an hour to get the "goodies" out. At this point the "goodies" are suspended in the liquid with some still being trapped in the pulp. At this point why not tip the whole lot into a big fine sieve then rince the remainder with hot water. Is it just that it simply doesnt run clear enough. At the moment I'm just picturing a bucket full of wort whichever way its done (because I have never done either) I told you people would be screaming at their computers

I hope that all makes sense...........I can explain how to drive an FH 12 with a 16 gear 4 over 4 box with range change and splitter!

[trucker5774]

Cool! Keep up the good advice Chris, this site would be poorer without you. I have little doubt you will point me in the right direction again in the future.Many thanks again. John.

[vacant]

Have a read about Brewing in a Bag. The "sieve" in this no-sparge method is a net curtain. Give a try if you want something straight forward. I've done quite a few of these, efficiency is a bit less than batch sparging (expect 65%, I got 68% with grain crushed by the supplier) so you either use a bit more grain or you can crush the grain finer than other mashing methods as the voile is a great filter.

[trucker5774]

Thanks, Vacant. I'm getting lots of ideas, giving me the feel for it. I guess I will just jump in and give it a go. I can make most of the equipment myself and the actual cost of the brew ingredients is probably less than most extract brews ive done!

[clogwog]

When draining/sparging, you do not filter strain the wort yourself.

Your grain bed is the filter, and it does a mighty fine job, provided you vorlauf 2 or 3 litres, add it back to the mash, so the mash can settle.
I repeat. You do not need to sieve/filter your wort. The grain bed itself does that.

As to the 80ºC, the idea is to warm up the sugars on your wort, so it flows and drains better. Ever noticed how honey from the fridge is stiff and hard to move? Warm it up, and it flows much better.

[trucker5774]

Thanks clogwog. The 80c question was not so much "why hot water" but why 80c? If a typical strike temperature is around 72c to allow a mash to be around 67................why now go to 80C See where my confusion is?