So..."THAT'S" a stuck sparge!

I did a Roggenbier this weekend. I used over 50% in ny grain bill. I knew enough to add some rice hulls, used 8 oz. in fact. Nope...not enough! It stuck almost instantly! The rye sunk to the bottom of my cooler and became something similar to concrete!
I ended up having to make a "hole" through the grain bed with my mashing paddle, in order for the wort to drain. I ended up with quite a few grain particles in my boil...but I know the whirlfloc will help settle it out.
That was my first stuck sparge. WOW...what a PIA!

gwapogorilla said:

I did a Roggenbier this weekend. I used over 50% in ny grain bill. I knew enough to add some rice hulls, used 8 oz. in fact. Nope...not enough! It stuck almost instantly! The rye sunk to the bottom of my cooler and became something similar to concrete!
I ended up having to make a "hole" through the grain bed with my mashing paddle, in order for the wort to drain. I ended up with quite a few grain particles in my boil...but I know the whirlfloc will help settle it out.
That was my first stuck sparge. WOW...what a PIA!

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What was your measured efficiency? Was your pre-boil OG super low?

Riseabovebb said:

What was your measured efficiency? Was your pre-boil OG super low?

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Yeah I'm assuming an atrocious efficiency also. What was your OG vice expected OG?

Did you use any lower temp mash rests?

On the plus side, if you were batch sparging, as long as you eventually figured out how to get the wort out, your efficiency shouldn't take too much of a hit. It's really a killer in fly sparging because your method of forcing the wort to channel down a hole would mean almost none of the grain is being rinsed.

When you decide to brew a roggenbier again, up your percentage of rye from 50% to 70%....and then do it BIAB so you don't have a stuck sparge. You won't even need the rice hulls because your large mesh bag becomes the filter and you don't have to depend on gravity to get the wort out, you squeeze it out.

Riseabovebb said:

What was your measured efficiency? Was your pre-boil OG super low?

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Travestian said:

Yeah I'm assuming an atrocious efficiency also. What was your OG vice expected OG?

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Actually, my efficiency wasn't too bad. I was expecting 1.042 and ended up with 1.041....pretty good I thought. But, all of that extra time in the cooler while I was trying to get the turd out of the pipe helped get that last bit of extraction.

I didn't do any low temp rests in the mash, as I was hoping the rice hulls would be enough.

I batch sparge, so I don't have to deal with the fly problems. I have done the "mash in a bag" before....not for me. I had the bag come untied once. After that, I spent the money on a false bottom.

Yep stuck sparges suck. I worked through a couple when I got my grain mill. The gap is set default factory (barley crusher) and I haven't putzed with it.

I use 1lb plus a handfull and am starting to feel good about my batch sparges not stucking anymore...lol.

I don't see any reason to not be shy with the hulls...am I mistaken?

RM-MN said:

When you decide to brew a roggenbier again, up your percentage of rye from 50% to 70%....and then do it BIAB so you don't have a stuck sparge. You won't even need the rice hulls because your large mesh bag becomes the filter and you don't have to depend on gravity to get the wort out, you squeeze it out.

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So, when are the biab'er going to sell us some bags made to fit coolers? I'm probably behind the times and they already do...

KyGooglenerd said:

I don't see any reason to not be shy with the hulls...am I mistaken?

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I am going 1 lb. on my next batch....maybe 1.25 lbs. I will also put a rest in there somewhere. I have been thinking about doing a wheat. But after this, I'm need a rest. spent too much time bailing out my cooler....didn't get to drink as much as I like to during brew day.

KyGooglenerd said:

So, when are the biab'er going to sell us some bags made to fit coolers? I'm probably behind the times and they already do...

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Look up a user called wilserbrewer as he makes custom fitted bags for mash tuns and whatever.