Method to heat sparge water

[spencerwood]

Hi,

I made my first brew last weekend. I have a bruheat boiler and this was used as a mash tun. I needed 3-4 gallons of sparge water to rinse the grain through i the boiler. I ended up with 3 gallons in a jam saucepan and another gallon in the biggest regular saucepan I had. These were both heated up on the gas cooker. I had to start the heating mid way through the mash and it seemed to take ages to heat up to 80 degrees that I wanted and I really could have done with an extra gallon or two.

How do other people prepare their large quantities of sparge water?

Thanks


Spencer

[vacant]

I have two FVs, one insulated with a camping mat to use as a mash tun.

All water is heated in the 60l H&G boiler. I heat around 12l first for the mash, during the 90 minute mash I heat another 24l or so. First sparge goes to the other FV, adding around 8l, hoping to collect 15.5l. Once I've started the second sparge (ten minute settle) the boiler is now empty so I tip in the first wort and start heating. Second FV is now free again for collecting another 15.5l.

[Eric]

My mash is done in a £7, 24 litre Asda coolbox, using the boiler to heat just 12 to 15 litres of water.
Later, the sparge water is heated to 60C by the domestic combi boiler and from there up in the now full Bruheat boiler.
Batch sparging is done by transfer of the mash and first sparge liquor to a fermentation vessel fitted with tap and filter.
The balance of the sparge water is then heated to about 90C and dropped into the now empty coolbox and sealed.
The boiler tap is replaced by a sterilised one and the hop filter fitted by which time the first batch of wort is ready to run into the boiler.
The balance of the sparge water is kept warm enough by the coolbox.

[Subsonic]

I may be stupid but I actually use the hot water from my water tank to fill my sparge vessel, saves me a load of hassle heating up from cold. Subsonic.

[WishboneBrewery]

Do you guys treat your Warm / Hot water with half a Campden Tablet?

[Eric]

Yes, and other things too.