Is this sparging?

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C-Rider

C-Rider

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I BIAB using a 5 gallon round cooler.

Yesterday I did two 7 lb batchs.

In each I drained into a kettle and poured it all back into the cooler, mixed it up w/my long spoon and drained it again. Did this twice.

Both times I picked up about 2 points on the brix scale. Or about 8-9 points SG.

I think that it worked alright to do it again next brew. :mug:
 
Well, you are sparging, but with wort. What was your efficiency? I am not saying it was lacking but you could probably get some extra points by using clean water to rinse your grains with (more room to pick up available sugar).
 
H-ost said:
Well, you are sparging, but with wort. What was your efficiency? I am not saying it was lacking but you could probably get some extra points by using clean water to rinse your grains with (more room to pick up available sugar).
Click to expand...

Thought about that, but w/so much grain in the cooler I don't think I coulda mashed with less liquid. But then I did no calculating. Maybe you've got a point.

lets see, my math might be bad.
1.25 qts times 7 lbs = 8.75 qts

8.75/4= 2.18 gallons to mash w/and then I could sparge w/the .8 gal of fresh water?
 
I may be misunderstanding something here, but I think you can get more water in your cooler than you're math shows. I use a 5 gallon round cooler and I did an 11 pound batch sparge brew yesterday and mashed in on the 11 lbs of grain with 3.85 gallons for a ratio of 1.4 qts per pound. That was pretty full.

So with 7 pounds, you ought to be able to get around 4 to 4.25 gallons in there at once. Are you brewing beers with an OG of 1.040?
 
C-Rider said:
Thought about that, but w/so much grain in the cooler I don't think I coulda mashed with less liquid. But then I did no calculating. Maybe you've got a point.

lets see, my math might be bad.
1.25 qts times 7 lbs = 8.75 qts

8.75/4= 2.18 gallons to mash w/and then I could sparge w/the .8 gal of fresh water?
Click to expand...

Out of the 2.18 gallons you'll lose nearly a gallon, collecting only about 1.38 gallons. If you're aiming for a 3g. boil you would sparge with 1.62g. If you're aiming for a 3g. batch in the end, you'd sparge with 2.62g. or slightly more, assuming 1g/hr boiloff.
 
tre9er said:
Out of the 2.18 gallons you'll lose nearly a gallon, collecting only about 1.38 gallons. If you're aiming for a 3g. boil you would sparge with 1.62g. If you're aiming for a 3g. batch in the end, you'd sparge with 2.62g. or slightly more, assuming 1g/hr boiloff.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the help. Do you BIAB?

Of the 3 gallons I started with I wound up w/2.5 gallons after the 2 "sparges". Guess I get a lot of trapped wort in the "squeeze" of the bag of grains.

I'll play w/it next time. Play w/the numbers that is.
 
C-Rider said:
Thanks for the help. Do you BIAB?

Of the 3 gallons I started with I wound up w/2.5 gallons after the 2 "sparges". Guess I get a lot of trapped wort in the "squeeze" of the bag of grains.

I'll play w/it next time. Play w/the numbers that is.
Click to expand...

Nice catch at the end there!

I did BIAB for several batches. My absorption was 0.1g/lb. of grain, even with rigorous squeezing.

As a rule, you can pull the bag, squeeze, and see how much you yielded. Whatever you need to get to your preboil volume, sparge with that much. :mug:
 
What were you trying to brew? If you were trying to do a 3 gallon batch, you used too much grain (and water). If you were doing 2-7lb batches to combine for a RIS or something, then I suppose it may make sense. Use 1qt/lb. Drain, and then squeeze. Then add just enough water to immerse the grains. Drain and squeeze. Repeat. Once you get an equal saturation of sugars in your wort, it can't go any higher. So if you mash thick to start and get 1.080, then that is terminal. Pour it over as you want, but the number won't rise. If you sparge with plain water, then you have 1.000 water and pull the sugars off of the kernels. You get to (example) 1.040 and can't pull any more off. Diffusion, my son. Diffusion.
 
cockybitz said:
What were you trying to brew? If you were trying to do a 3 gallon batch, you used too much grain (and water). If you were doing 2-7lb batches to combine for a RIS or something, then I suppose it may make sense. Use 1qt/lb. Drain, and then squeeze. Then add just enough water to immerse the grains. Drain and squeeze. Repeat. Once you get an equal saturation of sugars in your wort, it can't go any higher. So if you mash thick to start and get 1.080, then that is terminal. Pour it over as you want, but the number won't rise. If you sparge with plain water, then you have 1.000 water and pull the sugars off of the kernels. You get to (example) 1.040 and can't pull any more off. Diffusion, my son. Diffusion.
Click to expand...

Trying to do a 4.25 batch w/14 lbs grain. Trying. for a hi-grave product. Didn't think I could get all in the cooler w/enough water so broke it down to 2 batches. Easier to lift bag and squeeze. Can't say here what I'll do w/finished product. :p. :mug:
 
Use a 5 gallon pot. Use the same sparge to rinse each batch. Using a large mixing bowl remove bag and add that water to the other batch, then your boil kettle. Rinse wash and repeat. Bet you can get 8 gallons at 70% eff.
 
If you have MLT or HLT limitations, you can try a sparge w/ cold water. Putting the same wort through the bag twice is like bathing w/ yesterdays bathwater. New fresh water will rinse more sugar.
 
wilserbrewer said:
If you have MLT or HLT limitations, you can try a sparge w/ cold water. Putting the same wort through the bag twice is like bathing w/ yesterdays bathwater. New fresh water will rinse more sugar.
Click to expand...


Thanks. Will try some of the above ideas next time. :tank:
 

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