BeerSmith Batch Sparge Steps?

I've been doing all-grain for almost 6 months now, but I finally bought BeerSmith. For batch sparge, it recommends 4 steps: draining the first runnings, and then 3 batches for the sparge.

I know this is just the default setting and can be changed, but I'm sure it's there for a reason. Does anyone do 3 batches for the sparge? Or just one? Or two?

ProfessorBrew said:

I've been doing all-grain for almost 6 months now, but I finally bought BeerSmith. For batch sparge, it recommends 4 steps: draining the first runnings, and then 3 batches for the sparge.

I know this is just the default setting and can be changed, but I'm sure it's there for a reason. Does anyone do 3 batches for the sparge? Or just one? Or two?

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I never heard of anybody doing three, but I'd guess that about half of batch spargers do a second round. It really depends on the volumes also- if there isn't enough water to thoroughly saturate the grains with two sparges, even those who like to do two rounds will do one.

IME the only reason the software would prescribe that many steps is if your equipment can't handle the volume required.

Make sure your equipment profile is set up properly and if you see any red dots next to something it means your capacity is maxed out or not capable of accommodating the recipe.

I think three is the default on the default equipment. That's nonsense. You need to fill the kettle to at least a couple inches above the grains and then stir the crap out of it. I usually have enough water to do two good batches. If I am in a hurry I do it all at once but I try to split it between two with the first being just enough to get a couple inches above the grains and then let the second one be a little larger to get a thorough washing of the grain.

We do one sparge. We used to do 2 but found it a waste of time as we had rinsed 99% of the sugars with the first sparge. We just get to boil volume for the desired OG ( We add water or plan a boil down). 99.9999% we add water.

With my 5 gallon MLT, I find that it takes 2 batches to get it all in. I usually have somewhere near 13 lbs of grain per batch since I prefer stronger beers so I can't fit all of the sparge water in one batch.

So if the mash tun can hold the liquid, one batch sparge is good enough?

granpooba19 said:

So if the mash tun can hold the liquid, one batch sparge is good enough?

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Absolutely. Although, I find that I have little better efficiency (1 - 2%) when I double-batch sparge.

Chuckus95 said:

Absolutely. Although, I find that I have little better efficiency (1 - 2%) when I double-batch sparge.

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Exactly, The 1-to 2% is not "wort" my time. You can add 25 cents of grain and accomplish the same thing on a 5 gallon batch.

oakbarn said:

Exactly, The 1-to 2% is not "wort" my time. You can add 25 cents of grain and accomplish the same thing on a 5 gallon batch.

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Agreed.

Thanks for the input everyone. I have plenty of room in my mash tun, but I still did 2 batches (but not three). My efficiency is still pretty low, but I think that's mainly do to poor crush. I'm hoping to get my own mill soon.

Yooper said:

I never heard of anybody doing three, but I'd guess that about half of batch spargers do a second round. It really depends on the volumes also- if there isn't enough water to thoroughly saturate the grains with two sparges, even those who like to do two rounds will do one.

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I certainly hope there aren't that many batch spargers wasting their time like that!

This is where I always point out that Beersmith is a tool. It is NOT brewing instructions! Use it to figure out how YOU want to brew and don't let it tell you what to do.

chuckus95 said:

absolutely.

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+1.060!

Just make your own profile to fit your setup. Until I did that, BS2 was troublesome.

Copy one of the mash profiles, paste and rename it, then mod the steps to be the way you want to do things. Save it and use it for your recipes. I add my initial water, then do a single batch sparge after that to get the amount of wort I need.

Yup IMHO, BeerSmith really fails with anything regarding liquid volumes, and so its batch sparging instructions are not useful to me. I delete them out or ignore them. (specifically, I believe it reports all volumes corrected for the then-current temperature, but I measure all volumes cold, except obviously the boil).