steinsato

Recipes 

I did stir the initial run but it came out so darn cloudy I thought, that maybe I shouldn't be stirring after the initial introduction of water and grain. So once I started sparging I did not stir. That right there is probably my biggest problem.

I'm sure this is all personal preference but should I go ahead and build a HLT so I can start fly sparging or should I stick with batch sparging til I get it down? I'd prefer to keep my equiptment at a minimum. Swmbo is already whining about how much space my "brewery" is taking up.

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MikeP

Recipes 

when you first start draining the mash be sure to drain a quart or so and then stop and recircultate it a couple of times, that will cure the cloudy wort problem - do that when you batch sparge as well. It sets the grain bed and gets the little particles 'settled'.

Flic

Recipes 

I would read up on the entire process before attempting again. I'll plug Bobby_M here on his All-grain primer. I printed that out and had it by my side on my 1st one and it was a big help. Also, I'd invest in a software program so you can get your volumes and temps right. it will tell you exactly the amounts you need to sparge with along with tons of other things. I have Beersmith and love it. Otherwise, it'll take a few times to figure it out and determine your own system results.