SamuraiSquirrel
Well-Known Member
Just for a little background on my situation............
(Batch sparge is the method I'm referring to in all cases below)
I had a twelve gallon regtangular cooler that I converted into my first mash tun. I built a copper manifold and drilled holes every quarter inch or so. Used a 1/2" ball valve reduced down to 3/8" barbed adapter and 3/8" tubing. The hole in the cooler wall was about 8 inches up the wall so it relied on some siphoning action to get the wort out. Despite the fact that it relied on siphon/suction action to get the wort out i never had a stuck sparge with this setup. I opened up the ball valve full bore each time and rarely used rice hulls (only for super wheaty beers). Never even had a slow sparge much less a stuck sparge. I probably brewed 7 or 8 batches on it. The whole double batch sparge process took 15-20 minutes and I averaged about 75% efficiency on it. The only problem with this setup was the cooler was cheap and lost 5-6 degrees over the course of the mash so I decided to "upgrade".
I recently got a ten gallon igloo cooler after reading that they hold temperature better. Also, i figured that I would eliminate the siphon/suction action design flaw from my first cooler since the hole is right at the bottom of the cooler. I built a manifold for the new cooler. I cut slits (lots of them) in the manifold this time thinking the more drainage points the better. Used a 1/2" ball valve again this time but just went straight to 1/2" barbed adapter and 1/2" tubing.
I have brewed 3 batches with this new setup and can't seem to get things right. The first two batches got completely stuck. I tried stirring, blowback to clear things out. Nothing seemed to work. It would run for a few seconds and then slow to a trickle. I added a pound of rice hulls to my third batch. It didn't stick as bad as the first two but the first runnings (about 3 gallons) took an hour to drain.
So I am having some trouble dianosing what is causing my problem here (any input from the ten gallon igloo cooler users would be appreciated). I am guessing:
1) The slits are smaller than the holes from my previous setup resulting in stuck or slow runoff.
2) Increased grain bed depth contributing to stuck/slow runoff (the grainbed was extremely spread out in my previous setup. It is much deeper with the igloo setup).
3) 1/2" vs 3/8" tubing (I am guessing this is a non-factor).
All things being said my efficiency has jumped up but brew day is long enough without it taking me an hour and a half to two hours to get my beer out. Not to mention adding the frustration of a stuck sparge on every brew. My first idea for a solution is to drill some holes in my existing manifold (between the slits that currently exist) in order to provide some additional drainage points.
(Batch sparge is the method I'm referring to in all cases below)
I had a twelve gallon regtangular cooler that I converted into my first mash tun. I built a copper manifold and drilled holes every quarter inch or so. Used a 1/2" ball valve reduced down to 3/8" barbed adapter and 3/8" tubing. The hole in the cooler wall was about 8 inches up the wall so it relied on some siphoning action to get the wort out. Despite the fact that it relied on siphon/suction action to get the wort out i never had a stuck sparge with this setup. I opened up the ball valve full bore each time and rarely used rice hulls (only for super wheaty beers). Never even had a slow sparge much less a stuck sparge. I probably brewed 7 or 8 batches on it. The whole double batch sparge process took 15-20 minutes and I averaged about 75% efficiency on it. The only problem with this setup was the cooler was cheap and lost 5-6 degrees over the course of the mash so I decided to "upgrade".
I recently got a ten gallon igloo cooler after reading that they hold temperature better. Also, i figured that I would eliminate the siphon/suction action design flaw from my first cooler since the hole is right at the bottom of the cooler. I built a manifold for the new cooler. I cut slits (lots of them) in the manifold this time thinking the more drainage points the better. Used a 1/2" ball valve again this time but just went straight to 1/2" barbed adapter and 1/2" tubing.
I have brewed 3 batches with this new setup and can't seem to get things right. The first two batches got completely stuck. I tried stirring, blowback to clear things out. Nothing seemed to work. It would run for a few seconds and then slow to a trickle. I added a pound of rice hulls to my third batch. It didn't stick as bad as the first two but the first runnings (about 3 gallons) took an hour to drain.
So I am having some trouble dianosing what is causing my problem here (any input from the ten gallon igloo cooler users would be appreciated). I am guessing:
1) The slits are smaller than the holes from my previous setup resulting in stuck or slow runoff.
2) Increased grain bed depth contributing to stuck/slow runoff (the grainbed was extremely spread out in my previous setup. It is much deeper with the igloo setup).
3) 1/2" vs 3/8" tubing (I am guessing this is a non-factor).
All things being said my efficiency has jumped up but brew day is long enough without it taking me an hour and a half to two hours to get my beer out. Not to mention adding the frustration of a stuck sparge on every brew. My first idea for a solution is to drill some holes in my existing manifold (between the slits that currently exist) in order to provide some additional drainage points.