Two types of batch sparging and efficiency.

chase · 06-20-2009, 07:57 PM

I normally do batch sparges where I vorlauf and drain off the first runnings, then add sparge water, wait about 10 min and then vorlauf and drain again.

I had a discussion with another brewer the other day where he said that you can just add some boiling water to the mash to raise the temp and then vorlauf and drain the whole batch.

So I tried this technique this morning on a robust porter and my effeciency sucked, 66%. Does anyone else use this type of sparging? Is it normal for efficiency to get so low? The main reason I ask is because my efficiency varies a bit from batch to batch, by about 5%, and I'm just curious if the technique dropped my efficiency or something else went wrong.

**Yooper** · 06-20-2009, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chase

I normally do batch sparges where I vorlauf and drain off the first runnings, then add sparge water, wait about 10 min and then vorlauf and drain again.

I had a discussion with another brewer the other day where he said that you can just add some boiling water to the mash to raise the temp and then vorlauf and drain the whole batch.

So I tried this technique this morning on a robust porter and my effeciency sucked, 66%. Does anyone else use this type of sparging? Is it normal for efficiency to get so low? The main reason I ask is because my efficiency varies a bit from batch to batch, by about 5%, and I'm just curious if the technique dropped my efficiency or something else went wrong.

It sounds like he did a "no sparge" brew. He did a mash-out, and no sparge. That's possible, of course, but you need to use more grain to make up the difference since you'll get pretty poor efficiency.

**rico567** · 06-21-2009, 02:16 PM

I'm still trying to get a handle on this AG stuff.....I did my first AG batch last week, looking forward to my 2nd this coming week, but not without a certain trepidation.
As I understand the no-sparge technique, the main purpose is when making a high-gravity brew like a barleywine where extended boil times are undesirable. You get high-gravity wort in an "only" runnings, and simply use as much grain as necessary and accept the inefficiency.
Please feel free to chime in with comments, as I have NO experience in this method.

**Yooper** · 06-21-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rico567

I'm still trying to get a handle on this AG stuff.....I did my first AG batch last week, looking forward to my 2nd this coming week, but not without a certain trepidation.
As I understand the no-sparge technique, the main purpose is when making a high-gravity brew like a barleywine where extended boil times are undesirable. You get high-gravity wort in an "only" runnings, and simply use as much grain as necessary and accept the inefficiency.
Please feel free to chime in with comments, as I have NO experience in this method.

There are some brewers who do the no-sparge technique because they feel it's faster and they're willing to use more grain to make up the gravity points they "lose" by not doing a sparge.

I think most brewers do some sort of sparge, though, whether batch sparging or fly (continuous) sparging.

**FlyingHorse** · 06-21-2009, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chase

I had a discussion with another brewer the other day where he said that you can just add some boiling water to the mash to raise the temp and then vorlauf and drain the whole batch.

Are you sure this other brewer wasn't following this with another sparge addition? I ask, because unless he's mashing really thin, adding the entire quantity of sparge water at boiling temps would probably take his grain bed temp to well over 180F.