Question to batch spargers?

[gnutz2]

What temp do you heat your 1st and 2nd batch sparge water too? and grain bed temps if you bother to check.

I also understand that high gravity beers yeild a lower efficiency, so what efficiency drop would you expect form a 1.040 beer to a 1.050 beer if any?

Been having a lot of variation in efficiencys lately

[far9410]

gnutz2 » Wed Oct 31, 2012 5:35 pm

What temp do you heat your 1st and 2nd batch sparge water too? and grain bed temps if you bother to check.

I also understand that high gravity beers yeild a lower efficiency, so what efficiency drop would you expect form a 1.040 beer to a 1.050 beer if any?

Been having a lot of variation in efficiencys lately

I heat sparge water to 78C, both batches, I think that a first run off before sparge may help on high gravity beers

[FatGaz]

I aim for 80-85C for both sparges, as this is what Graham Wheeler recommends.

[alix101]

I often do a, stepped mash with a protein rest and mash out....but I cheat and use beersmith for the temps, I dint find my efficiency doesn't suffer..I can't honestly see the point in sparging any other way if you have the capacity, I understand why commercial brewers do it but not homebrewers.

[gnutz2]

Thanks for the replies,

my first batch of sparge water is 90c and this usually brings the grain bed temp up to 72c, second sparge water is 80c and the grain bed usually comes up to 75c. I was thinking of increasing these temps.

I aim for 80-85C for both sparges, as this is what Graham Wheeler recommends.

Is that grain bed temp or sparge water temps?

I often do a, stepped mash with a protein rest and mash out....but I cheat and use beersmith for the temps, I dint find my efficiency doesn't suffer..I can't honestly see the point in sparging any other way if you have the capacity, I understand why commercial brewers do it but not homebrewers.

Unfortunately i cant do anything like that.

Cheers.

[FatGaz]

80-85C sparge water temps

[Dave S]

80-85C sparge water temps

+1

[crookedeyeboy]

Ive just upped my sparge temp to around 90°C as I found 80°C wasnt getting the bed up to anywhere near 72-74°C for mash out.

[techtone]

I used to do a mash out. i.e. adding water after the mash (stir and leave) before collecting 1st runnings. However the last few batches I haven't done this. I now just mash (with the extra water), collect, add water at 85C (stir and leave for 20 minutes) and collect 2nd runnings.

Efficiency appears to have gone up a few points, saves a little time and I haven't found any disadvantages.

[TC2642]

Depending on the weather outside I usually heat my water to 10oC higher than I want for the sparge water to be. I aim for around the 75-80oC mark.

[far9410]

I was led to believe that too high a sparge temp could lead to unwanted enzymes being released from the mash, after numerous brewery visits 78c seemed to be the correct temp, but of course this has to be achieved at grain bed, a good stir and a few degrees increase should reach that?

[gnutz2]

I was led to believe that too high a sparge temp could lead to unwanted enzymes being released from the mash, after numerous brewery visits 78c seemed to be the correct temp, but of course this has to be achieved at grain bed, a good stir and a few degrees increase should reach that?

Thanks, looks like my sparge water is too cold, i've never reached that temp on the brain bed before

[bigdave]

I always believed that the step up in temp ( 10º + ) stops any unwanted by products being produced.

[musojohn]

I used to do a mash out. i.e. adding water after the mash (stir and leave) before collecting 1st runnings. However the last few batches I haven't done this. I now just mash (with the extra water), collect, add water at 85C (stir and leave for 20 minutes) and collect 2nd runnings.

Efficiency appears to have gone up a few points, saves a little time and I haven't found any disadvantages.

+1.
I was struggling with efficiency and also realised i was adding water at 77 but by the time it had mixed with the - lower temp - grain bed it was probably around 70C. Most recent brew sparged at 90C, ended up steeping at little high at 80C but hit OG.