I did it wrong didn't I?

OK, here's how I did the mash for my first All-Grain batch.

First, I added the 180F strike water to the tun, closed the lid, and let it cool to 165F. I doughed in and added some ice to get the mash temp down to 153F.

After an hour I vorlaufed 2 quarts twice and lautered as much of the wort from the tun as I could get.

I then added my first batch of 180F sparge water, recirculated 2 quarts twice again, and lautered. When it stopped running, I started stirring to get the wort to flow again. I repeated this same process for the remaining sparge water.

After reading Palmer again, it seems like I should have just added the sparge water directly without disturbing the grain bed, recirculated, and THEN lautered. And when I tried to get the flow going again, I should have added additional sparge water and let the grain bed settle again.

Is this right? Did I mess up? I'm willing to bet my beer will be fine but how will improving my methods affect my efficiency?

So you stirred after your runnings stopped to get them flowing again without adding more water??
Just to see if I understand the problem right
Shoulnd't be a big deal, just might have gotten some husks/paritcles in your runnings which I understand is the new "Is it even a big deal" discussion.

I'd say you're fine. I let my bed settle for 10 minutes after my two sparge additions (was my understanding when I started AG) but lots of people just add water, stir, and drain. Some don't even stir, but thats gonna hurt your efficiency. I'd say as long as you're not getting an astringent flavors from your tannins you are fine.

It's 2:13 for kirssakes man. 4:20 isn't for a nother couple half hours.

yes, you're right. I can't think of any batch spargers that don't stir after the addition of sparge water

Relax, brownie muncher. Stirring to get the lauter going again might just give you some crap in your wort that you don't want. The rest of it sounds fine.

So you stirred after your runnings stopped to get them flowing again without adding more water??

Click to expand...

Yep.

I'd say as long as you're not getting an astringent flavors from your tannins you are fine.

Click to expand...

It's a stout. Between primary and secondary I tasted some sweetness and a bitterness that I figured was due to too much hops. I don't think I tasted astringency.

You did it just fine, I think. I would recommend stirring the grain bed when you add your sparge water. It will help to rinse the grains more thoroughly and improve your efficiency.

brownie muncher.

Click to expand...

Tosh.0 showed the audience reaction to 2girls1cup last night. The memories I want to stay repressed just keep coming back.

So do other people drain the wort before the first sparge addition?

Yup. My procedure is:
Dough in
Mash
Vorlauf
Lauter
Sparge
Vorlauf
Lauter
Sparge
Vorlauf
Lauter
Boil

yes I drain the first runnings before any sparge water.

after mash is done I'll vorlauf, then drain the strike/first runnings. Then I add the first round of sparge water, stir really well and vorlauf again, then drain. Then 2nd round of sparge water, stir, vorlauf, drain.

GearBeer said:

Yup. My procedure is:
Dough in
Mash
Vorlauf
Lauter
Sparge
Vorlauf
Lauter
Sparge
Vorlauf
Lauter
Boil

Click to expand...

conpewter said:

yes I drain the first runnings before any sparge water.

after mash is done I'll vorlauf, then drain the strike/first runnings. Then I add the first round of sparge water, stir really well and vorlauf again, then drain. Then 2nd round of sparge water, stir, vorlauf, drain.

Click to expand...

I'm with these guys.

OT
It's really hard to not reply with only 3 words after multi posting in that damn thread.

Well I don't feel as bad then. So if I wait 10 minutes for the sparge, and let the grain bed re-settle when unsticking a stuck sparge, I should get improved efficiency over my last mash?

How come everyone recommends Palmer but nobody does it his way??

I follow the above also, with the exception of Aluminum Foil

I lay a piece of foil on top of the grain bed. and pour the 2 quart vorlauf on top. That way the grain bed isn't disrupted. Works pretty slick.

Hmmm... I have a HERMS setup and I let it recirculate for 10 minutes during the batch sparges. Should I stir up the grain bed or will the recirculation suffice to get good extraction? I have a plate with a bunch of holes drilled in it that I place on top of the grain bed to avoid channeling.

+1 for mash-drain-sparge-drain-sparge-drain

You're fine and you're gonna end up with beer.

OT - Brenerbrau, that's new. And Shecky, me likey new avatar.

I have 1.5 pounds of rice hulls in 13.75 quarts of water in my mash tun, holding steady at 164. Will the rice hulls retain more of the heat? Or should I just dough in now?

When it stopped running, I started stirring

Click to expand...

Works for me. The ideal method is what you use when everything works perfectly. Hasn't happened and my beer is just fine.

IXVolt said:

I follow the above also, with the exception of Aluminum Foil

Click to expand...

I use the Aluminium Foil as a pyramid shaped hat to keep my thoughts private.
Just my personal thoughts but that seems a little extreme but if it works for you.
I do not do a mash out and just drain it, then I do a half and half batch sparge for my best efficiency, I tend to give a minute or more to settle before I start.