Batch Sparging?

I am assuming that the grains will hold on to a decent amount of water after the sparge. Is there a formula for figuring this out? (like... x • pounds of grain = the water that is left in the tun). The reason I ask is I want to have enough mash in the pot at the end.
I am also assuming that with a FG batch there is no need to add additional water to the mash for the boil.

Chris_Dog said:

I am assuming that the grains will hold on to a decent amount of water after the sparge. Is there a formula for figuring this out? (like... x • pounds of grain = the water that is left in the tun). The reason I ask is I want to have enough mash in the pot at the end.
I am also assuming that with a FG batch there is no need to add additional water to the mash for the boil.

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Grains will absorb between 1/10 and 1/8 gallons of water per lb of grain; plus you'll lose whatever "dead space" you have in the bottom of your tun (in my cooler, it's about a quart). So for a 10-lb mash I figure 1.25 gal lost (10 lbs x 0.1 gal/lb, plus the dead space).

You shouldn't need to add water for the boil when batch sparging, b/c there's very little risk of the pH changes you get at the tail end of a fly sparge where you start picking up tannins. As long as you dial in the calc above for your system, you should get the amount you want in your kettle.

This is great for things like that. It got me through my first AG session
www.howtobrew.com