Nyxator
Well-Known Member
Ok, I just did my first batch sparge yesterday, and ended up with 71% efficiency. This is about what I was getting with fly sparging. It's not bad, but I would like it to be better, and I think I'm beginning to suspect either my thermometer or the amount of sparge water I used.
My recipe had a 13.75 lb grist, and my final quarts per pound ratio was 1.33. My initial runnings amounted to a little less than 3 gallons, and I sparged with 4 gallons of water. My problem is that I don't want to boil away too much more than 1.5 gallons, so I have to limit my sparge water as a result, and this brings me to my first batch sparging question.
Does the rule of 1/2 gallon per pound of grain still apply, and does anyone actually use that much sparge water on higher gravity beers?
I also have a new thermometer coming in the mail. I'm tired of the analog one I have even if it is working.
As a side note, I'm very, very confident in my LHBS grain crush.
My recipe had a 13.75 lb grist, and my final quarts per pound ratio was 1.33. My initial runnings amounted to a little less than 3 gallons, and I sparged with 4 gallons of water. My problem is that I don't want to boil away too much more than 1.5 gallons, so I have to limit my sparge water as a result, and this brings me to my first batch sparging question.
Does the rule of 1/2 gallon per pound of grain still apply, and does anyone actually use that much sparge water on higher gravity beers?
I also have a new thermometer coming in the mail. I'm tired of the analog one I have even if it is working.
As a side note, I'm very, very confident in my LHBS grain crush.