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dezman · 10-24-2011, 11:40 AM

Fly sparge, learned it first

**Paul07293** · 10-24-2011, 11:51 AM

Fly sparge here. I don't have a sparge arm, I pour the water in the MLT with a gallon pitcher through a collander suspended above the mash so it doesn't splash a lot. I just add a pitcher every 10-15 minutes depending on my flow rate. I don't mind the extra time or labor involved.

Sir-Brews-Alot · 10-24-2011, 11:58 AM

I have always batch sparged. Though, I intend to use no-sparge for my next few brew sessions. I figure if I can cut time off my brew day, and produce a tastier wort, for just a few extra pounds of grain per batch, sound like a win-win to me!

**starrfish** · 10-24-2011, 12:01 PM

Fly-sparge just because that's the way I learned, and getting good results... why change

Beezy · 10-24-2011, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuanMoore

What does boil off rate have to do with the difference between a single and double batch sparge? A double batch sparge simply means splitting the sparge volume in half and adding it in two separate additions instead of all at once. No additional heat required, and zero effect on boil off rate. It's slightly more effort, but for me it's worth the ~5% increase in efficiency.

What is your efficiency? I get over 80 with a single sparge. I am sure 85% is possible but I don't want astringency. I have heard there is even less risk with no sparge. If I can get 75 that way and have a tastier wort, save time, it seems like a big win.

Bru · 10-24-2011, 12:23 PM

Fly sparge. Pump is off-on or auto - switched on and off with a float switch in the MLT.

waldoar15 · 10-24-2011, 12:32 PM

I batch sparge.

**passedpawn** · 10-24-2011, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrightSpotBrewing

Out of sheer curiosity, I'm wondering how many all-grain brewers have chosen fly sparge over batch sparge, and vice versa. Also, why?

I think a lot of what we do as homebrewers is derived from, and an attempt to copy, the commercial breweries. Big commercial breweries in America (and Germany) fly sparge ("on-the-fly" or continuous process sparging). So naturally that was miniaturized by homebrewers.

Batch sparging is used on a large scale in England. The second runnings (i.e., from the second or third batch sparge) is often separated and served as a "small beer". Belgians do this too, and the last runnings might be used as a table beer for the monks. The belgian "dubbel", "tripel", "quad", come from these successive runnings - from their batch sparges.

So, if you fly sparge, you're doing it the American or German way, and if you batch sparge you prefer the English or Belgian way. If so, you should look into parti-gyles, which lets you carry on their tradition of deriving two distinct beers from one mash.

**Revvy** · 10-24-2011, 01:38 PM

passedpawn answer should be stickified or added to the wiki, it's one of the clearest, most concise and informative answers I've ever seen on this topic.

(I never really new the historical answer behind it, but it makes sense to me.)

Oh and I batch (and often partigyle), though I've done no-sparge, hybrid Batch/fly sparging, and have even used Biermuncher's Fly Sparge Drip Bucket.

**Face Eater** · 10-24-2011, 01:48 PM

I fly sparge and get between 80-85 percent efficiency consistently. It's the way I decided to start and kept with it. Thought about trying a batch sparge to save some time and see the difference in efficiency but haven't done that yet. Also I made a home made auto sparge that is mounted in my MLT that would just sit there now if I batch sparge. Maybe this weekend I will give it a shot and try the batch sparge and see what it's all about.