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secinarot · 12-04-2008, 06:19 PM

Is the sparge always done at the same temp (168-170)?

**DeathBrewer** · 12-04-2008, 06:43 PM

170°F MAX. you don't want to go over or your risk tannins. it's the optimum temperature to extract the most possible sugars from your grains.

i don't mind much if it falls into the mid-160s.

ApolloSpeed · 12-04-2008, 10:18 PM

what if you ran just room temp water threw the grains...... what would happen? Would it not extract as much of the leftover sugar for some reason?

nghtmre4u · 12-05-2008, 12:19 AM

well thanks to deathbrewer and this awesome tutorial i steped up to all grain and did my first all grain i did 2 extracts before so this is my 3rd batch followed instructions to a t every thing worked great.my og was supposed to be 1.040 and ill be i hit it right on the nose thanks again for the great tut

**DeathBrewer** · 12-05-2008, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApolloSpeed

what if you ran just room temp water threw the grains...... what would happen? Would it not extract as much of the leftover sugar for some reason?

it wouldn't extract any sugars...it might extract some color and flavor, but the enzymes which are in the grains need the proper temperature to do their job and convert the starches into sugars.

that's why steeping is different than mashing

rtockst · 12-05-2008, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secinarot

Is the sparge always done at the same temp (168-170)?

Just so you know, another reason for sparging at 170 is to deactivate the enzymes converting starches to sugars.... this preserves the profile of your sugars from the mashing. Sometimes people may "mash out" which is ramping the temp to 170 after they have completed their mashing at the temps of 150-158. sparging at 170 can do this too

**Homercidal** · 12-05-2008, 01:17 PM

Sweet tute. I've seen this method from a guy in Australia, but planned on just doing it the traditional method. So now you've done changed my mind, just when I about have my MLT made up. I suppose the fact that it's winter here now is one reason for making the stove top method seem so appealing, but I might still boil outside, since the propane burner will boil so much better than my stove (although the last extract recipe did boil ok in the alum. pot over two burners.)

**DeathBrewer** · 12-05-2008, 03:18 PM

well, if you were about to make the jump to a MLT, don't let this hold you back! there are many advantages, the main being that you can hold much more grain in it. i personally have an array of equipment i use in various places for various brews.

this thread is just to show there are alternatives...it's my enjoyable "after work in the kitchen" method

try it out, but keep that MLT in your future plans!

Brewinator · 12-08-2008, 03:03 AM

I notice no talk of pH in this thread. Is it just not that big of a deal with most municipal water quality? Does anyone here use bottled spring water?

**DeathBrewer** · 12-08-2008, 03:48 AM

i generally use my tap water, until recently. i had great water for a long time, but this summer they added a bunch more chloramine to the mix and it screwed up a string of my beers.

i now have a water filter (a nice one, will strip all sorts of nasties out) and i use filtered water dispensed from safeway when i go to my friends house. at $1.50/5 gallons, it's worth it to grab two of those per batch and not waste 5 gallons of beer.

i generally don't do anything to adjust the pH, but it's something i'm now looking into, to try and make beers more to style.