Sparging - when to stop?

[sam c]

hello all,

ive been reading some info on chris-x website about AG brewing and have a question about something.

this is a quote from the site

Sparging should be stopped once the gravity of the wort has dropped to 1006 (adjusted for temperature), sparging further is likely to extract unpleasant tasting tannins from the grains. The amount of wort collected may or may not be the required volume, this doesn't matter, if it isn't already in the boiler it should be transferred and the boil commenced.

now say i mash in 11 litres of water and then fly sparge with 23 litres ( this is what was suggested as it is the brew length) would the wort usually drop to 1.006 before all 23 liters has been used? and does the above mean that if i reach 1.006 and have say 5 litres left in the HLT i should stop sparging and add that remaining 5 litres straight to the boiler so that i have my initial boil volume of say 28 litres to end up with 23 litres after the boil?

also if i do have to watch out for 1.006 should i fill up the trail jar from the tap of the MT durring the Sparging? and at what point/time roughly. for example should i keep taking readings once i have 10 litres left in the HLT every minute or so?

i have been researching into this quite a bit but am still a complete beginer and have much more to learn so please excuse me if any of this is totaly wrong or doesn't make any sense. i was coming up with recipes for extract brews as i was thinking this should be the next step. however after seeing that an extract brew ends up costing a fair bit more than an all grain one and that i rekon after looking at many threads on here i can make all my own equptment it would work out alot cheaper in the end.

[sam c]

thanks for that very well explained answer chris -x.

another quick question for you. when using beer engine how do you work out the preboil volume? it gives the total liquor and mash liquor not preboil.

is there some other software people use to work stuff like this out? maybe more free software!?

cheers

[sam c]

thanks again chris-x.

once again you have made something slightly confusing very easy to understand. nice one!

[Earth Titan]

If you are going to check the gravity, and as Chris has pointed out you will probably end up with enough to boil with before it reaches 1006, remember to compensate for the temperature.

There is a graph on here somewhere but for the life of me I can't find it..

[mysterio]

I use precise scienctific methods, I stop sparging when the run off tastes like a mug of tea with one spoon of sugar in it.

You're looking out for a dry, grainy husky taste too. Once that sets in, stop. Sparging too little is much better than too much.

[sam c]

thanks for those extra tips chaps. i will bear them in mind.although i dont drink tea.strange i know!

[arturobandini]

I bet he was p1ssed when he wrote that!

[arturobandini]

That's me convinced! Need to develop a breakfast beer now and if the good lady says anything I'll point her in Cobbett's direction!

[sam c]

well i would have to agree with mr cobbett, mainly because we have the same surname. well the same if you take off the "ett". its close enough.