Maintain Mashout and B. Sparge for how long..?

How long do you keep the mashout water in for before draining?

I am asking, as some recipes state a mashout time of 10 minutes, others do not state a time at all (implying that the reader knows, I guess).

Same Q, when batch sparging what is the ideal time between adding sparge water and collecting?

I usually do 10 mins. I stir really good and then recirculate with a pump for the remaining time. By 10 mins the sugars should have saturated the volume and the wort is running very clear.

At mashout I stir well, close the cooler, and let it sit for about 10 minutes before vorlaufing and draining the tun.

I typically do one batch sparge. I add the water, stir well, and immediately begin the vorlauf/drain (i.e., I don't let my batch water sit).

I guess I mashout by way of batch sparge? I let my sparge water sit ~15 minutes before I start to drain.

I don't mashout, but I infuse sparge, stir for 3 minutes, vorlauf and drain. I don't do any waiting on purpose. With my crush, waiting is just a waste of time. When software like BTP lists time for steps like infusions, it's really just an estimate of how long it's going to take you and not a deliberate pause. I think this is just to give you an idea of how long your day is going to be. That's why they calculate heating times (if you're ambitious enough to calculate your burner's effective BTU).

Beerthoven said:

At mashout I stir well, close the cooler, and let it sit for about 10 minutes before vorlaufing and draining the tun.

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Same here, only difference is I do two equal amount batch sparges...

Beta amylase will denature in 10 minutes at mashout temps. Alpha amylase will continue to work slowly after this time. This is why mashouts are listed at 10 minutes.

Keep in mind that when you batch sparge, you already have the ability to get up to mash out temps very quickly without this separate infusion. The concept of a specific mash out infusion is arguably a carryover from fly sparging process whereby a slow HOT sparge would take a LONG time to get the grainbed up to 168F.

Soulive said:

Same here, only difference is I do two equal amount batch sparges...

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TWO batch sparges! You're wild, man, WILD!

BTW...when are you coming to Raleigh to visit?

There's no need to let it rest when doing your sparges. I do two. Infuse the hot water, stir it well, wait maybe a minute(couple slugs of homebrew) and start your vorlauf.

For my system, a big key to efficiency is really mixing the sparge water around well, ensuring a good wash of the grains.