JBrady
Well-Known Member
Hello I want to run my sparging technique by you guys too see if I need to make changes. It all starts with my igloo 5 gallon drinking water cooler with a brass valve installed. I don't have any kind of filter installed in the bottom, I've just been lining the cooler with a Jumbo Coarse Nylon Bag with the grain in that. So far I've had no stuck sparges and no grain particles in the wort. After the mash I collect a good 2-3 quarts of wort and recirculate it back in the mash tun. Now I start collecting to the brew pot, I open the valve so slow that I barely get solid stream running, takes about a hour give or take to collect 3.75 gallons for my 2.75 gallon batches. My sparge water gets heated to 175 where I then shut off the heat. As I'm collecting my wort I am steady adding my sparge water to the mash tun as needed, stirring the tun maybe 4 times through out the hour long drain.
How does this look? Do I need to make changes? Since I shut off the heat to the sparge water when I start draining, my 175 water ends up in the 150's by the end of the hour long drain. Is this bad or is 30 or so minutes of sparging in the 170 range enough as the water slowly cools down. Thanks for any info in helping me improve my techniques.
How does this look? Do I need to make changes? Since I shut off the heat to the sparge water when I start draining, my 175 water ends up in the 150's by the end of the hour long drain. Is this bad or is 30 or so minutes of sparging in the 170 range enough as the water slowly cools down. Thanks for any info in helping me improve my techniques.