Sparging

[MARMITE]

I understand the need not to over sparge but what exactly is over sparging? I have read that some people stop at 1010 while others go down to 1005. If the sparge water is at say 80C then the reading taken on the exit from the mash tun is going to be about double the actual at 15C or 20C depending on which the hydrometer is calibrated at.

[Gurgeh]

yep!

[stevezx7r]

iirc, once the wort is down to between 1005/1010 you begin to get tannins from the grain - not nice in beer, think of tea with no sugar or milk.

[anomalous_result]

Tannins are crap if you have too many. They can give you hazy beer and pucker your mouth. Any bitterness that might be beneficial from them can be gained from the hops anyway. I don't like French red much... That's also the reason why water treatment is so important, too high a mash ph and the OH group in the tannin will lose its proton and become more soluble. Apparently.

Temperature correction charts are available from the internets although I'm struggling to find them in Euros.

[MARMITE]

Thanks for the replies.
Question for daab: Do you mean actual reading 1005, which when adjusted for temp correction is actually 1010. Or actual 1002/3, which when temp adjusted equates to 1005.

[Graham]

I'll second that.
To measure SG is a good way, but to cool it and temperature-correct it might prove too much in the panic of the moment. There are other ways, though. But don't bugger about with boys' toys for the the sake of owning a toy, like a refractometer, for example.

If the stuff exiting your mash tun isn't too hot, dip your finger in it and give it a lick. If it tastes sweet, you've still got goodness - carry on. If it tastes like water, then that is exactly what it is, so stop. If it is beginning to taste like stewed tea, then stop. If your collection vessel is full, then stop. The only reason to stop sparging early is for reasons of taste, and the best judge of that is (are) your own taste-buds - far more accurate than a refractometer will ever be.

If your runnings are too hot, collect a bit in a plastic spoon (not a metal one), or on a saucer, and within a few seconds it will be cool enough to taste.

Ho! Ho!. Not seen anybody say that on any H.B. forum before.

Refractometer-swear-byers, PM me for a photo before you make the wax effigy; I wouldn't want you to stick pins in my brother by accident.

[russt1969]

I like your style Graham

[Graham]

I like your style Graham

Regretfully, I behave like this when I've had an evening at the pub. It gets me into trouble: I should know better by now.

It's just common-sense though- isn't it?

I'll find out tomorrow morning when I re-read it, no doubt.

[Chiltern Brewer]

Refractometer-swear-byers, PM me for a photo before you make the wax effigy; I wouldn't want you to stick pins in my brother by accident.

Or that impostor on the cover of my copy of Home Brewing (1994 edition).

I second what you say. In practice with my old Electrim boiler I doubt I could collect enough wort volume to ever over sparge, and now I have a 50L boiler for a 40L batch length (so no top ups post boil) it still isn't a problem. I suppose if you were trying to hit a very high efficiency and therefore used less malt it could become a problem?

[Stonechat]

Ye olde brewers and brewsters used their fingers and elbows a lot. Wish I could do a bit of time-travel to taste the finished product.

I wouldn't mind betting that it would taste better than the industrial fizz that came into being once accountants were invented

Didn't know that you're a zen brewer GW. I'm even more impressed

[mysterio]

If the stuff exiting your mash tun isn't too hot, dip your finger in it and give it a lick. If it tastes sweet, you've still got goodness - carry on. If it tastes like water, then that is exactly what it is, so stop. If it is beginning to taste like stewed tea, then stop. If your collection vessel is full, then stop.

Exactly what I do But I still like my refractometer

[Matt]

I don't own a refractometer so you've made my day Graham, its always good to read that sort of de-mystifying common sense advice, it's was this forum's all about

[Jim]

Yep, I'm a finger-licker as well.

I liked the method of measuring mash water temperature from the latest Brewer's Contact (from the 19th Century instructions) - "when you can run your fingers slowly through the water without pain put the malt in".