RedOctober

Recipes 

If you're batch sparging, or fly sparging do you really need to mess with the grain bed? If so, exactly when do you do this? When do you not play around with the grain bed?


Thanks in advance.

flyangler18

Recipes 

You should stir as you are doughing in to make sure any dough balls are completely broken apart and all the grain is fully saturated or your mash efficiency will suffer. When batch sparging, mix thoroughly when introducing your sparge water. When you fly-sparge, you don't fuss with the bed once it is set.

You definitely need something to stir the mash. I've been using a $4 plastic paddle from my LHBS, but I'll probably assemble something better from wood shortly.

Moonshae

Recipes 

I usually use the paddle to mix the grain into the water during dough in, and then I'll give it a good mix again when I add my sparge water (batch sparge).

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GilaMinumBeer

Recipes 

Batch sparge i'd say that it is helpful. Sparge, mix, vorlauf, drain, sparge, mix, vorlauf, drain.

Fly sparginging, I dunno why you'd mess with the grain.

Actually the paddle is not so much useful during the sparge but more for the mash. Help to keep everything distributed but, manual strring is inconsistent. That is why so many use the wiper motor mash mixers.

IrregularPulse

Recipes 

I just use a large SS Spoon, It then gets rinsed and used for stirring during the boil.

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conpewter

Recipes 

Well you need to stir as you mash in, then you'll need to stir after each water addition.

I don't have a mash paddle, I just use my brew-spoon (Plastic, holds up just fine). Even use it for 10 gallon batches when the cooler is completely full of grain/water

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RedOctober

Recipes 

Thanks all!

Bobby_M

Recipes 

Just go to lowes and get a 3 foot piece of 1x3 maple or birch and sand the corners smooth.

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RedOctober

Recipes 

Now thats a plan, I got a lowes around the corner. I'll just trace the paddle outline, jigsaw, an sand!

Is there a food safe finish you would use, or just leave it unfinished?

Bobby_M

Recipes 

You could use butcher block oil but I'd leave it unfinished. Who knows what it would do to head retention and the like.

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