lautering and sparge volumes

So I would like to add an HLT to my system but I don't want to fork over $40 for a 10 gallon round cooler. My next option is a 5 gallon round cooler which is a reasonable $20. However I'm doing my math right now and I don't know if I will be able to reach my boil volume of 6.5-7 gallons with only a 5 gallon HLT.

My system has one propane burner and one SS pot. I will heat up my initial strike water in the pot and mash for an hour. During this mash I will heat up my sparging water. Place it in the HLT, drain off first runnings into the pot to boil then do my sparges. I plan on doing 2 batch spargings after my first runnings. Does 2x 2.5 gallons of water sparges seem like enough to get my boil volume of 6.5 - 7 gallons preboil if my initial strike water volume is 5.25 gallons? I have less than a qurter gallon dead space in my mash tun I can't drain.

Could I get by Using a 5 gallon HLT? and is there a name for the sort of system I would be running?

It may work. You could also try mashing a little thinner so you need a little less sparge water...

I usually use 4-4.5 gallons during my sparge.

What I've started to do (out of laziness mostly) is just to treat the BK like an HLT. Since I have lots of ale pails, I just run off into those for the mash and sparge run-offs (using water in the BK to sparge with).

AZ_IPA said:

What I've started to do (out of laziness mostly) is just to treat the BK like an HLT. Since I have lots of ale pails, I just run off into those for the mash and sparge run-offs (using water in the BK to sparge with).

Click to expand...

Yeah that's what I do right now. I just want to simplify and eventually by able to put my three vessels onto a single tier set up with a single pump.

I just looked at my last six 5-gallon batches (doing mostly 10-gallon now), and when I've mashed anywhere from 1.25 q/lb to 1.9 qt/lb, I've used anywhere from 3.7 gallons to 5 gallons of sparge (the 5 was for a 1.25 qt/lb IPA).

I'd say you could probably get away with a 5-gallon HLT.

so I guess the question becomes how much water is lost during the sparges?

would it be advantageous for me to do a larger first batch sparge small second one?

You shouldn't lose much, if any, water during batch sparging. The grain has absorbed what it will absorb during the mash.

You're only losing total (mash & sparge) whatever your equipment loss is (~1/4 gallon as you said in the first post), but that should be pretty negligable.

Kai (and others) have shown you get the best results when your volumes are pretty equal for multiple batch sparges.

I looked at my notes again, and usually I mash with ~5 gallons, and sparge with ~4 gallons to get a pre-boil in the ~6.5-7 gallon range.

Awesome. Thanks a lot.

AZ_IPA said:

I usually use 4-4.5 gallons during my sparge.

What I've started to do (out of laziness mostly) is just to treat the BK like an HLT. Since I have lots of ale pails, I just run off into those for the mash and sparge run-offs (using water in the BK to sparge with).

Click to expand...

I do the same for my second runnings (first are collected in BK, then brought upstairs on the porch for boil),,,seconds drain into an ale pale are added to BK on porch

BUT - I was thinking of the dreaded hot side aeration when I pour the ale pail into the BK ... beers taste good, so I am not worried..