Stuck Sparge..break the top crust and carry on

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BeerCanuck

BeerCanuck

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Just thought I would share a technique that saved me on the last two brews that got stuck. The main cause was a thin layer of crust at the top of the grain bed that was responsible for the mash not draining properly. The easy remedy was breaking the top crust ( I used the handle end of a plastic spoon) and continue on as normal.

too simple

cheers
BeerCanuck
 
I had a similar problem with my last batch. I think the grain was crushed a bit too much. There seemed to be more flour than usual on top. Once that fine flour settled on top of the grain bed the flow slowed to a very small trickle. Stirring up the top 1/4" to 1/2" took care of the problem for me.
 
Glad you had some success with this technique pilotdane.
I have tried backflushing to no avail in the past. My previous remedy was to restir/vorlauf/drain. It's nice having the runoff full as an indicator of crust busting success.

Cheers
BeerCanuck
 

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