lakedawgs
Well-Known Member
I have been using the BIAB method for a couple of years with good success but am moving to a cooler for mashing and batch sparging to improve my efficiency.
I have read a ton but cannot wrap my mind around the strike and sparge water volumes for a big beer.
We are using a 70qt converted Igloo Xtreme cooler.
8 Gallon batch, Russian Imperial Stout
33# of grain
At 1.25qts per pound that would be 41.25qts/10.3gals of strike water. With a 10% absorpsion rate, that would be 9.25gals from the first runnings. This only leaves about gallon to a gallon and a half for sparge water volume. I know I could sparge with a bit more water and increase my boil time and vigor to get a bit more boil off, but it seems so little water would yield almost nothing.
I have also read that Denny suggests trying to get about 1/2 the preboil water from the first runnings and 1/2 from the sparge/2nd runnings. At that rate I would less than .65qts of water per pound for my strike water.
I feel like I am likely missing something basic here. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Lakedawgs
I have read a ton but cannot wrap my mind around the strike and sparge water volumes for a big beer.
We are using a 70qt converted Igloo Xtreme cooler.
8 Gallon batch, Russian Imperial Stout
33# of grain
At 1.25qts per pound that would be 41.25qts/10.3gals of strike water. With a 10% absorpsion rate, that would be 9.25gals from the first runnings. This only leaves about gallon to a gallon and a half for sparge water volume. I know I could sparge with a bit more water and increase my boil time and vigor to get a bit more boil off, but it seems so little water would yield almost nothing.
I have also read that Denny suggests trying to get about 1/2 the preboil water from the first runnings and 1/2 from the sparge/2nd runnings. At that rate I would less than .65qts of water per pound for my strike water.
I feel like I am likely missing something basic here. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Lakedawgs