To stir or not to stir for sparge #2?

[chris_reboot]

To stir or not to stir....?

Apologies if this has been asked before, I did search.. and there are similar threads, but all the same...

This was prompted by an answer Adm gave yesterday, which got me thinking, and digging into Dave Line's book.

My current batch sparge technique is to add 1st sparge water to tun, then stir round.
Re-circulate, then drain.

Add 2nd sparge water slowly and carefully via perforated tin foil sheet on top of grain bed to distribute the water (sorry, liqour!), then drain (no re-circ usually required by this point).

My question is: should I also stir the second sparge water in?

Pro's as I see it are that the whole lot gets a fair wetting, and potentially avoids cracks where water could run straight out, and should therefore yield more sugars and hence a higher efficiency (actually as I write this, I think I'm convincing myself..!!)
Con's are that I'll need to re-circulate all over again, and the itty bitty stuff is not being filtered to the same extent as it would be with a firm grain bed.

I am potentially getting more sweet wort per litre into my boiler, but is that at the detriment of more crud into my boil, and perhaps off-flavours as a result , or is that just an excuse for poor vorlaufering? (god I still love that word!)

Cue boffins please for technical answers!!

[crookedeyeboy]

Hmmm Im interested to see the answer to this one as well! Still a bit confused about the strirring issue.

[chris_reboot]

thanks chris, kinda what I thought.
I'll try this next time, see if makes a difference.
not being that anal at the moment to calculate things to % levels (but I'm sure I will )
what I need to work on next is speeding up the process, get it down from 7 hours (think I know how), and spend more time vorlaufering

I'm still only 4 (AG) brews in, so there's still room for improvement and much to learn and practice.
oh dear, more beer then

[crookedeyeboy]

Haha Chris youre at the same level as me, finished AG4 on Saturday.

Ive managed to get it down to five hours so far, did one a week ago and was done by 11pm! Well chuffed....

The big difference for me was getting the boiler on straight away once you start sparging, as soon as the element is covered get it on the heat!

[chris_reboot]

Yes, that's where I plan to rake back some time.
I have a second boiler which is currently at my father in laws, and I've asked him to return it.
this way I've got a dedicated HLT, instead of HLT/Boiler combo.

[crookedeyeboy]

I toyed with the idea but Ive borrowed my equipment (some of it) off my boss, so the use of her Brupaks boiler is a welcome addition.
Not only that Im quite liking the idea of not cleaning out a plastic boiler, the enamel on the Brupaks one makes life so much easier...

[chris_reboot]

thats my kind of woman!
i like a girl to have her own boiler!
a brewster no less.
the plastic buckets do tarnish, but thats all its going to be used for

[befuggled]

Damn, Chris_reboot was in there just before I got to it!!!
Lucky bas****d!
I hope she hasn't been boiling up her smalls in it, or if she has, then they are Very Small!!!

[clogwog]

I batch sparge with an initial runoff, followed by two batch sparges.
I always stir each time prior to runoff and each sparge, and of course, vorlauf each time.

[trucker5774]

I always stir the 2nd batch just the same as the 1st. My mash tun is a bit small, so I often do a 3rd sparge. I treat this one exactly the same. Brews made with a 3rd batch sparge usually give me a better efficiency too, compared to adding water to achieve a pre boil volume or diluting in the FV.

[WishboneBrewery]

I batch sparge with an initial runoff, followed by two batch sparges.
I always stir each time prior to runoff and each sparge, and of course, vorlauf each time.

I might give that a go, see how I do...

[flything]

A gentle stir (we're not talking about thrashing it with a paint stirrer) will hardly disturb the lowest grains anyway, even through I recirculate a couple of litres when draining each batch I rarely get bits of husk in the jug after the first batch, so fwiw I'd just avoid digging down right to the bottom of the tun.

[WishboneBrewery]

I'd just avoid digging down right to the bottom of the tun.

Another tip I'll have

[NickK]

I toyed with the idea but Ive borrowed my equipment (some of it) off my boss, so the use of her Brupaks boiler is a welcome addition.
Not only that Im quite liking the idea of not cleaning out a plastic boiler, the enamel on the Brupaks one makes life so much easier...

My enamel brupaks gave up the ghost - I'm not sure if it's just a cut out or a complete element failure - it's only done about four brews (gets used to heat hot water and boil the wort).

[crookedeyeboy]

I purely use the Brupaks one for boiling the wort, got a separate plastic boiler for the water