sstenger
Member
Can someone tell how fast I should be fly sparging? Example: 1 gallon every 10 mins or 12.8 ounces per minute? I'm assuming the rate would be the same for both 5 / 10 gallon batch.
Thanks,
Thanks,
I think the advised rate is about a gallon every four minutes or 0.25 gpm.
I run closer to 0.5-0.75 gpm because I don't like waiting and that is the rate that gets my efficiency to 75% (that's where I like it).
Palmer says 1 qt per minute, but for my system this would always result in severe channeling and lousy efficiency. The fastest I can sparge is about 1 pint per minute, and for higher gravity beers (> 1.065 OG), I drop this rate by about 1/3.
1 pint per minute....
2 pints per quart, 4 quarts per gallon. wow, that is 80 minutes for a 10g batch. What kind of efficiency do you sqweek out with that.
Mensch- that's what I do as well (time and technique). I have been able to disturb the surface enough for me to feel fine about it, but this still has me wondering.
After many trials, I've taken to fly-sparging full bore. It takes me about 30 minutes to get 14.5 gallons in the kettle. I get 88-90% brewhouse efficiency. But I wouldn't do this on any other type of system but my own:
I have a keggle MLT with an SS false bottom (purchased from NB). For my HLT (also keggle), I just have a length of tubing from the spigot and I sit there for 30 minutes constantly moving the draining sparge water/tubing around the mash "sprinkling" it on the grain bed. This allows the top of the grain bed to be disturbed, which, in a sense, initiates channeling (but doesn't actually cause channeling)... randomly around the grain bed. This seems to force the sugars down through the grain bed and sort of "makes up" for the fast lauter. That's my theory, anyway.:cross:
I guess in a way, it's more like a hybrid fly/batch sparging technique.
It's funny that this post has come up? I am thinking about doing the same thing myself but I am using the SS Braid...the one reason I think I can do this hybrid/batch sparge is because the size of the Braid I got. The diameter is like 5/8" or 3/4" ... not your standard toilet size :cross: plus the tube I have inside of the Braid is 1/2" I.D. and flows pretty well. I haven't actually done a batch with it yet...BUT IN THEORY...I think it will work???
Mensch,
Do you have the valve open all the way during vorlauf?
It might work OK, but I'd be worried about that braid. False bottoms work best for fly-sparging because wort is pulled evenly from the whole area of the MLT. Check this out to see where a braid falls short:
How to Brew - By John Palmer - Tun Geometry and Flow Potential
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