Batch Sparging: what's your setup like?

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Rube Goldberg would be proud...

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I mash in a 40 qt. rectangular cooler tun then once i run that out, i dump my heated sparge water in, stir, wait 10 minutes and run it off again.

I split my sparge into 2 equal volumes... i have heard that it helps efficiency. So if i had to sparge with 4 gallons i would do two 2 gallon sparges.

A bit of heavy lifting but I'm young.
 
I have one electric 15 gallon Bk, one 10 gallon round cooler MT, and two 7 gallon fermenting buckets used for grinding grain, moving wort and various other things. I do not use them to ferment in anymore. I have been doing it this way for a about 10 batches now trying to see how simple I can get/keep my process.

I have been around the block more than a few times with my brew setups and figure the more I have to try and "automate" my process, the more I have to clean when I am done.

For a 10 gallon batch:

I heat the strike water in my BK and use a one gallon pitcher to transfer to the mash tun (10 gallon cooler) which is usually about 7 gallons.

While the mash is finishing up, I heat up my sparge water, usually to 185F and usually 8 gallons.

After mash is complete, I vorlauf, then drain into one of the fermentation buckets. Usually capture 4 gallons or more depending on the grain bill.

I then add half of my sparge water to the drained MT, stir and let sit for 5 mins or so. I then vorlauf and then start running wort into the 2nd bucket. Once this is drained I empty the remaining sparge water from the BK into the MT, stir and let sit while I pour the wort from the buckets into the BK. I have about 2/3's of what I need and start heating the wort.

I then vorlauf, drain final runnings into a bucket and transfer to the BK.
 
I have been around the block more than a few times.....

I heat the strike water in my BK and use a one gallon pitcher

worth repeating...the most underated unrecognized tool in homebrewing IMHO...cheers! Just kills me to see batch spargers put their HLT up on a stepladder or high stand so it can "drain" to the MT...so much more speedy and practical to grab a pitcher IMO.
 
I mash in a 40 qt. rectangular cooler tun then once i run that out, i dump my heated sparge water in, stir, wait 10 minutes and run it off again.

I split my sparge into 2 equal volumes... i have heard that it helps efficiency. So if i had to sparge with 4 gallons i would do two 2 gallon sparges.

A bit of heavy lifting but I'm young.

I've tried spilitting the sparge and didn't see enough difference to make it worth the effort. Try doing it all in one batch next and see what happens.
 
Aeration should only matter during the fermentation process. Like after fermentation is complete and you're transfering to a bottling bucket, or keg, or secondary for dry hop.

You're going to boil that wort for an hour or more anyways... so aeration shouldn't be a factor.

Gary
 
Aeration should only matter during the fermentation process. Like after fermentation is complete and you're transfering to a bottling bucket, or keg, or secondary for dry hop.

You're going to boil that wort for an hour or more anyways... so aeration shouldn't be a factor.

Gary

Just to clarify oxidation from aeration of wort is not magically reversed by boiling. Boiling will only release oxygen dissolved it the wort. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that is not easily reversed under typical conditions. But with that being said the amount of oxidation damage cause by HSA is negligible at the homebrew level. At the same time silicon tubing its pretty cheap so it does hurt to avoid unnecessary oxidation.
 
I batch sparge in a 70qt cooler. I do 10 gallon batches now (5 gallons of big beers like Doppelbock and Barleywine).

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@m1k3
SWEET stripped FSR on the wall, rode one of those for a season and loved it! Nice ride even by today's standards.
Oh yeah, nice setup also :D
 
Love the speaker set up. You gotta have power to it for the pump.. mine as well.

I will likely be stealing that idea.
 
I have a HERMS system and use the the kettle with the heat exchanger as the source for sparge water.
 
My system has two five gallon coolers...one with false bottom and thermo well...the hot liquor tank with just a valve. My fly sparge arm is from NB. I love my little system. I get great beers, and that's all that counts!

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My HLT is plastic fermenter with a 1500W element in it.

I heat 5 gal while I'm getting ready than use 2.5 gal for strike water in the 5 gal round cooler.

Than refill to meet my sparge needs and heat it to 170 during the mash.

I collect everything in a 60qt Alu BK that is on the burner from the begining of the collect.

For now, the HLT sit on the bench with the cooler, but it's planed to be on a shelf over the cooler as soon as I find a way to fill it there. This I'll be able to fly sparge if I want but for now I see no reason to do that.
 
I batch sparge & use a mash mixer I build into my mash tun. Left 10 gallon pot is the HLT then pumped to the mash tun, drained into the right 10 gallon pot BK for boil before cooling through counterflow chiller.

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Speaking of CFC's... Is that the Stainless beauty from Williams? How do you like it? If so, how did you attach the fittings to the wort line? I can't quite make out details in the photo.
 
Yes the CFC is from Williams and it's awesome. I have had immersion & plate but this is about the fastest cooler that I have used. I have my setup so that I can pump from my BK to the chiller and back to the BK through a whirlpool system until I reach my desired temperature at the exit of the chiller. I can then divert the wort into my S/S fermenter & blast it with oxygen by way of a 5 micron stone. It takes about 11 to 15 minutes to cool the wort down from 212 degrees to 70 degrees with the average ground water temperature. I used brass lead free compression fittings on the in/out wort side of the chiller & installed S/S camlock fittings from there.

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Drain mash into BK, leave enough to just barely cover the grain bed.
Pump in half of sparge water from HLT.
Recirculate for about 20 minutes, then drain into BK.
Repeat with other half of sparge water.

Pretty standard.

:mug:
 
My setup is pretty ghetto, but gets the job done:

48 qt. Coleman cooler MLT
10 gal kettle (BK and HLT)
Bottling bucket
1 Bayou Classic burner

I heat my strike water in the kettle, pour into MLT, then heat sparge water while I'm mashing. Send first runnings to bottling bucket, pour sparge water into MLT, transfer runnings from bottling bucket to kettle, then drain sparge straight to kettle and fire the boil.

I'm working on converting a keg right now so soon I'll have that as a dedicated BK, and will keep my 10 gallon pot as a HLT. I'm pretty new to AG so I'm kinda winging it with this crude setup, but it does work for now! Going to the LHBS today to get some silicon hose to keep my transfers a little cleaner.
 
The one in the daylight was my first AG set up. The other was last week. Who says you cant make beer on the second floor of an apt :mug:

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Just to clarify oxidation from aeration of wort is not magically reversed by boiling. Boiling will only release oxygen dissolved it the wort. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that is not easily reversed under typical conditions. But with that being said the amount of oxidation damage cause by HSA is negligible at the homebrew level. At the same time silicon tubing its pretty cheap so it does hurt to avoid unnecessary oxidation.

I have to admit that I initially agreed with GASoline when I read your post but I thought I had better do a little homework/review before I posted. According to John Palmer in How To Brew, it is, in fact, possible to oxidize hot wort.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-9-3.html

Good call. Perhaps I need to pay a little more attention to this. Or, perhaps your right and its effect is negligible at the homebrew level. Food for thought anyway, right?
 
RuffRider said:
I have to admit that I initially agreed with GASoline when I read your post but I thought I had better do a little homework/review before I posted. According to John Palmer in How To Brew, it is, in fact, possible to oxidize hot wort.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter6-9-3.html

Good call. Perhaps I need to pay a little more attention to this. Or, perhaps your right and its effect is negligible at the homebrew level. Food for thought anyway, right?

According to Brew Strong conversations between Palmer & JZ, your comment that HSA "is negligible at the Homebrew level" seems to be the key point.
 
BassBeer said:
My setup is pretty ghetto, but gets the job done:

48 qt. Coleman cooler MLT
10 gal kettle (BK and HLT)
Bottling bucket
1 Bayou Classic burner

I heat my strike water in the kettle, pour into MLT, then heat sparge water while I'm mashing. Send first runnings to bottling bucket, pour sparge water into MLT, transfer runnings from bottling bucket to kettle, then drain sparge straight to kettle and fire the boil.

I'm working on converting a keg right now so soon I'll have that as a dedicated BK, and will keep my 10 gallon pot as a HLT. I'm pretty new to AG so I'm kinda winging it with this crude setup, but it does work for now! Going to the LHBS today to get some silicon hose to keep my transfers a little cleaner.

Stay where you're at! Simple is better IMO. I've been around the world from where you're at, to a Brutus 10 setup, to a 50L Braumeister and back again. I love the simplicity of a basic system like you (and I once again) have. It makes great beer and there is much less to clean at the end of a brew day.
 
My setup is pretty ghetto, but gets the job done:

Send first runnings to bottling bucket....

Just a FWIW, best not to use your bottling bucket for transfers of unboiled wort, as the fresh wort is loaded w/ lacto bugs...I know you will sanitize before use as a bottling bucket, just not best practice...better to get a spare bucket for that purpose IMO...

Hot and Cold side of the brewery should not mix equipment for sanitation reasons.
 
Here is my 10 gallon batch sparge system. I also have a couple other smaller pots I use for heating extra water.

brewsystem.jpg
 
Originally posted by Yambor44
Stay where you're at! Simple is better IMO. I've been around the world from where you're at, to a Brutus 10 setup, to a 50L Braumeister and back again. I love the simplicity of a basic system like you (and I once again) have. It makes great beer and there is much less to clean at the end of a brew day.

Great to hear! I've thought about how much money I could potentially spend, which is frightening, and decided to stick with what I've got for the most part. I do want to start doing 10gal batches, which will be possible with my keggle, and I'll probably need a new chiller since my IC is only 25'. Otherwise I plan to continue making phenomenal beer with the simple setup I have. Cheers to keeping it simple!

Originally posted by wilserbrewer
Just a FWIW, best not to use your bottling bucket for transfers of unboiled wort, as the fresh wort is loaded w/ lacto bugs...I know you will sanitize before use as a bottling bucket, just not best practice...better to get a spare bucket for that purpose IMO...

Hot and Cold side of the brewery should not mix equipment for sanitation reasons.

Thanks for the tip! I never knew that about unboiled wort. I actually keg and if I need to bottle I use a beer gun, so the bottling bucket is only used for transferring wort from the MLT to the BK, and hauling water around. Is it really that easy for the lactobacteria to get into the plastic? Really good to know nonetheless.
 
I mash and sparg from the same equipment...an old commercial coffee urn. I put a digital temp controller on it and it will hold whatever temp i want for as long as i want it to. I sparg from the sprayer that was used to brew coffee. I also have it set up as a RIM system, works like a charm.

Brewer.jpg
 
Yambor44 said:
Stay where you're at! Simple is better IMO. I've been around the world from where you're at, to a Brutus 10 setup, to a 50L Braumeister and back again. I love the simplicity of a basic system like you (and I once again) have. It makes great beer and there is much less to clean at the end of a brew day.

Glad to see someone with experience say this. I get equipment envy when I go see my brew club friends' set ups, but I'm not sure their beer is any better than what my ghetto rig turns out. Reminds me of some golfers--"If I only had that $750 driver, my game would finally come together.". But I think the hot side is only 25% of the game--fermentation makes good beer!

Cheers!
 
Glad to see someone with experience say this. I get equipment envy when I go see my brew club friends' set ups, but I'm not sure their beer is any better than what my ghetto rig turns out. Reminds me of some golfers--"If I only had that $750 driver, my game would finally come together.". But I think the hot side is only 25% of the game--fermentation makes good beer!

Cheers!

Exactly. What helped me to come around is a friend who has been brewing for 15-20 years and has made over 450 batches (that's a batch at least every 2 weeks and most 10 gallons) stays "old school" as I like to call it.

But....check out Denny's site. He's up there with the best in this "hobby" (even has his own yeast) and unless he hasn't updated recently, stays very "old school"!

MUCH less to hassle with and way easier come time to clean!

http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/
 
I have a round 10 gallon mash tun, and bought a cheap 5 gallon water jug/cooler for the sparge water.
While my mash is going on, I heat sparge water in my boil kettle. When that is up to the temp I want (usually over the mash out temp) I then pour it into the second (5 gallon) water cooler to hold temp till used.
Drain the first mash runnings into the boil kettle, then dip the sparge water out with a pitcher until I can lift and dump the rest into the mash tun for the mash-out/sparge.
 

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