Batch sparge vs biab

I just built a mash tun and did my first 2 all grain batch sparged beers.
My question is why sparge? Why not just fill the mash tun with grain, and 6+ gallons of water let sit for 45-60 mins and drain to bk and boil wort. Why sparge at all?


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When you drain the first runnings you don't get all the sugar out that you can.
Long ago people wouldn't sparge for their first batch which came out high gravity.
Then they would sparge for a 2nd batch which they would call a `small beer`
giving you one big and one small beer. It's about efficiency of the use of the sugars available to you for the work you've allready done.

Do just that with a full volume BIAB. I will mash at 2.3 - 2.6 qt/lb and have fantastic results...no sparing required and good efficiency.

We all have our favorite ways of doing things. As for me, I use a BIAB bag in the mash tun and batch sparge. If I have a problem of any kind with the tun, I can simply pull the grain out via the bag. Realize the grain bed is the real filter, BTW, but I use the BIAB bag like Linus uses his blankie...

How exactly do I measure efficiency? In basic terms, please? Sorry, I'm new to this ...


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With my system (cooler MLT with a single bazooka style spear with slots cut into it), no sparge (fill the mash tun at the end of the mash and drain it all in one go) gives between 69 and 72% efficiency.
With one sparge (drain mash tun at end of mash, add all sparge water, drain) I get 75 to 78% efficiency.
With two sparges (drain mash tun then two equal sparges) I get 81 to 84% efficiency.

This is mash efficiency (% of potential sugars that are extracted). Total efficiency (which includes lost wort at various stages) is about 5% less. The easiest way to measure these is to use brewing software (eg. beersmith).

I don't particularly care about efficiency (only saves a dollar or two on a normal size batch) so I normally just go with a single batch sparge.

Tutsbrew said:

We all have our favorite ways of doing things. As for me, I use a BIAB bag in the mash tun and batch sparge. If I have a problem of any kind with the tun, I can simply pull the grain out via the bag. Realize the grain bed is the real filter, BTW, but I use the BIAB bag like Linus uses his blankie...

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I have been doing this lately and it payed off huge yesterday. The bulkhead in my cooler started leaking while I was draining first runnings. Instead of a total loss I did my sparge BIAB style and just lost some efficiency.

LuciferSam said:

Why not just fill the mash tun with grain, and 6+ gallons of water let sit for 45-60 mins and drain to bk and boil wort. Why sparge at all?

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As ram5ey pointed out you are describing a full volume mash with no sparge. Many folks do use this technique, certainly common with BIAB but it can be done with a regular tun. One reason not to do it is it requires mores space in your tun/pot. There may be a slight loss of efficiency but I think many folks report similar numbers to compared to sparging.

LuciferSam said:

How exactly do I measure efficiency? In basic terms, please? Sorry, I'm new to this ...

Click to expand...

Kai has lots of good info on his site discussing mashing and efficiency.

Thanks for the replies , I'll be brewing soon, I think I'll go for a batch sparge again, on a zombie dust clone
Cheers
Kevin



Here's my mashtun



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