Batch sparging small grain bed in large cooler?

I'm going to try my first partial mash as a step towards learning AG brewing.

I'll be using a 10g round rubbermaid cooler MLT, but with only 3lb grain, 4.5qt (1.12g) strike water, and about 3.5g sparge water.

I've read that it's generally best to divide a batch sparge into two batches. With such a small grain bed, would I be better off dividing it into even more?

By the way, "How to Brew" recommends pouring the sparge water onto a plastic coffee can lid to avoid stirring up the grain bed. Having never done this before, I would think that once the water level rises above the grain bed, the coffee lid would be pretty much useless -- it would either stay submerged or float -- either way it wouldn't be much use in shock absorbing. Can someone clue me in on this step?

Any suggestions on how to do this right would be appreciated.

Thanks,
chris.

Here's a link to what you're describing:
http://www.unm.edu/~draper/beer/sparge1.jpg
Here's another link to a pic. These aren't mine, but i found them on google images.

http://montrealers.ca/files/images/Beer%20-%204.preview.jpg

Batch sparging doesn't care about grain bed depth. Just curious, why the small grain bill? Partial mash?

When you're batch sparging, the only time you want to avoid boring into the grain bed with liquid is when you vorlauf prior to each running. You're trying to set the bed as a filter and pouring anything in from a height will bore all the way down through. I pour onto a spoon that I put down on top of the grain.

Two batch sparge infusions is enough and a good compromise between efficiency and time. How much preboil wort are you looking to get out of this 3 lbs of grain?

Yes, this is partial mash -- I'll be supplementing with 4.5lb DME on the stovetop. (as per Beersmith's conversion -- any more grain and my boil would have exceeded my pot).

I'm looking to boil about 4 gallons (in a 5 gallon pot), and then top off in the fermenter. How much should I expect to lose in a 1 hour boil?

Thanks,
chris.

About a gallon, give or take a quart depending on your boil vigor.


You can handle 4 gallons? I don't know what style you're going for but here's an example where you can handle 6lbs of grain and only have to add 2lbs DME:


[size=+2]callmezoot[/size]
[size=+1]6-B Blonde Ale[/size]



Size: 5.25 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 79.9%
Calories: 154.51 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.047 (1.038 - 1.054)
|================#===============|
Terminal Gravity: 1.009 (1.008 - 1.013)
|============#===================|
Color: 4.0 (3.0 - 6.0)
|=============#==================|
Alcohol: 4.9% (3.8% - 5.5%)
|==================#=============|
Bitterness: 24.32 (15.0 - 28.0)
|===================#============|

[size=+1]Ingredients:[/size]
6 lbs 2-Row Brewers Malt
2 lbs Dry Light
.5 oz Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
.5 oz Centennial (10.0%) - added during boil, boiled 5 min

[size=+1]Schedule:[/size]
Ambient Air: 50 °F
Source Water: 50 °F
Elevation: 0.0 m

00:12:22 Mash In - Liquor: 1.75 gal; Strike: 165.5 °F; Target: 152 °F
01:12:22 Sac Rest - Rest: 60 min; Final: 152.0 °F
01:22:22 Batch Sparge - First Runnings: 0.0 gal sparge @ 152 °F, 0.86 gal collected, 0.0 min; Batch 1: 1.5 gal sparge @ 180 °F, 1.5 gal collected, 5 min; Batch 2: 1.5 gal sparge @ 180 °F, 1.5 gal collected, 5 min; Total Runoff: 3.96 gal


[size=-1]Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.28[/size]

The "above the call of duty" award goes to Bobby_M for answering a question by building a recipe for someone. And generally being awesome.
(He doesn't know it, but he taught me how to double-batch-sparge.)

Hey, thanks for the nod. I'm sitting in a hotel room in Garden Grove with a lot of time on my hands so I figured I'd throw the recipe together.