One Gallon Sparge Technique

I brew using the Brooklyn Brew Shop method of pouring the mash into a strainer and then pouring the hot water over it - then recirculating the wort, one more time through the strainer. Then off to boil it.

My question, would it be wrong to just pour the entire sparge water into the pot where the mash is and let it steep for a bit, then strain the mash out, then off to boil the wort?

This seems simpler and perhaps a more effective way to extract all of the goodies from the mash. Is this a dumb idea?

TIA

Gold_Robber said:

I brew using the Brooklyn Brew Shop method of pouring the mash into a strainer and then pouring the hot water over it - then recirculating the wort, one more time through the strainer. Then off to boil it.

My question, would it be wrong to just pour the entire sparge water into the pot where the mash is and let it steep for a bit, then strain the mash out, then off to boil the wort?

This seems simpler and perhaps a more effective way to extract all of the goodies from the mash. Is this a dumb idea?

TIA

Click to expand...

It's not a dumb idea, it's probably just much less effective. Haven't tried it or read of people trying it to know it's success or not.

If you want to do some research on BIAB. It's a method where you basically just steep your grains in a sack pull them up and let them sit. There's some variability in that method, you may need more grain or a finer crush to get your target efficiencies.

hoppyhoppyhippo,

I have read about BIAB, but for some reason it just doesn't appeal to me - not sure why.

It's not bad at all. I've done both the method you've used for 1 gallon and BIAB. I didn't hit my efficiencies at first with BIAB but with some exceptions I've adjusted and improved.

Do I need to use more pale malt when I brew one gallon batches? I am new to all of this and only use one gallon batches due to my small apartment. Oh, you just mentioned that...sorry.

Hmmm..trying to delete this post but I don't know how.

I can hit 70% with the strainer method, I've tweaked it a bit but I have yet to assemble my cooler conversion so I have stuck with that for a long time. Many people BIAB and love the results...its up to you

Calichusetts said:

I can hit 70% with the strainer method, I've tweaked it a bit but I have yet to assemble my cooler conversion so I have stuck with that for a long time. Many people BIAB and love the results...its up to you

Click to expand...

WHat did you tweak in order to get 70% ? Do you find it necessary to add more grains to the recipe? TIA.

I had the same problem,but with using muslin sacks for biab. Efficiency fell off. Then I watched this youtube video with the beersmith guy,& 3 other old timers of home brewing,some on here. They agreed that not stirring the mash was the problem,basically.
So I bought a 5G paint strainer bag to use in my 5 gallon SS BK/MT. I rolled the top of the bag over the lip of the pot,& added my floating thermometer on a twist tie noose lashed to one of the pot's handles. With a cake coolin rack in the bottom of the pot to keep the bag/grains from burning. I could now use my plastic paddle to break up dough balls & evenly wet the mash.
Having trouble maintaining mash temp,I go the idea to wrap the BK/MT up in my thinsulate lined winter hunting coat. Flopped the hood over the lid of the kettle,wrapped the sides around & tied the sleeves around that.
I wound up gaining one degree instead of loosing 5-12 degrees the other way.
Long story short,OG's went up from 1.043-1.044 to 1.055. Even a micro mash I did to use with a cooper's can & DME went up to 1.046,when it would've been 1.040 otherwise. So the paint strainer bag & stirring the mash are important to good efficiency.

Thanks, unionrdr. Great ideas! I only use a couple of tea towels to cover my pot. Perhaps too much heat is escaping. I will look for better insulation.

I went back & added a line I forgot. I also use a cake cooling rack in the bottom of the kettle to keep the bag/grain from burning while sitring the mash. But yes,you def need better insulation.

unionrdr, do you find that you can just reduce a 5 gallon recipe by dividing everything by 5, when making a one gallon batch, or do you believe it is necessary to add additional base malt? TIA

Gold_Robber said:

WHat did you tweak in order to get 70% ? Do you find it necessary to add more grains to the recipe? TIA.

Click to expand...

I filter the wort through the grain 4 times with my first running, then 4 times with the second...I also leave the grains in the strainer and let the last parts drip into a pan and add it 20 minutes later. Sparging takes about 30 minutes total...68-70% almost everytime. I do a 1.5 to 1 ratio of water to grains...then a little more than that with my sparge...never any dough balls. Finally, I make sure no matter what my pre-boil volume or boil off is, I always end up with 1.15 post boil. It helps to regulate efficiency as well.

Try removing all hop additions except a FWH and late additions (20 minutes or less) I find that I can measure my volume after 30 minutes and figure out where I am and where I need to be.

I formulate all my recipes for 70% so I don't necessarily add more grains in that sense

Gold_Robber said:

unionrdr, do you find that you can just reduce a 5 gallon recipe by dividing everything by 5, when making a one gallon batch, or do you believe it is necessary to add additional base malt? TIA

Click to expand...

The only 1 gallon batches I've ever done were wine. but you could devide by five. Or make a base beer & split it between 1 gallon batches with different hops,etc.

Calichusetts said:

I filter the wort through the grain 4 times with my first running, then 4 times with the second...I also leave the grains in the strainer and let the last parts drip into a pan and add it 20 minutes later. Sparging takes about 30 minutes total...68-70% almost everytime. I do a 1.5 to 1 ratio of water to grains...then a little more than that with my sparge...never any dough balls. Finally, I make sure no matter what my pre-boil volume or boil off is, I always end up with 1.15 post boil. It helps to regulate efficiency as well.

Try removing all hop additions except a FWH and late additions (20 minutes or less) I find that I can measure my volume after 30 minutes and figure out where I am and where I need to be.

I formulate all my recipes for 70% so I don't necessarily add more grains in that sense

Click to expand...

So you recirculate a total of 8 times??? Dang. I recirculated 4 times on a batch and I lost a ton of water so I had to add a lot of cool water to top up in the car boy. Is there really anything left to extract from the grains after 3 or 4 circulations? You have made me think. Thanks!

Gold_Robber said:

So you recirculate a total of 8 times??? Dang. I recirculated 4 times on a batch and I lost a ton of water so I had to add a lot of cool water to top up in the car boy. Is there really anything left to extract from the grains after 3 or 4 circulations? You have made me think. Thanks!

Click to expand...

You really don't lose that much water...just from initial absorption. Once you figure that out, you'll dial in your system. I usually get 2.2 to 2.25 gallons to start and boil off a gallon over 75-90 minutes. (I usually get a boil off of .6 an hour, but the weather and humidity can change that.) I like stronger brews so I am usually starting with about 3 pounds of grain. My initial mash is usually 4.3 quarts with a sparge of 5.2 quarts.

The reason I recirculate so much is for a few reasons. Obviously the pour method is not the greatest way to sparge, I really want to make sure I am pouring over as much of an area as I can and washing all the grains. I also find that by the third of fourth pour, all the grains have settled and its really clean of any particles. Also, really give it some time to drain, I even tilt the strainer in several directions to get that last bit to go through different areas.