Draining my wort from mash tun

Hi All,

I have read that you are supposed to leave 2in of water when draining from the mash tun. Could someone explain why? And how do you calculate that into your water usage? I usually batch sparge and have a home made cooler tun so any advice is welcomed.

thanks

discokid2k said:

Hi All,

I have read that you are supposed to leave 2in of water when draining from the mash tun. Could someone explain why? And how do you calculate that into your water usage? I usually batch sparge and have a home made cooler tun so any advice is welcomed.

thanks

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I think what you're reading is about fly sparging when your adding water on top of the grain bed as you slowly drain the wort.You usually keep a couple inches of water above the grain bed. If you are batch sparging it doesn't apply.

That advice is for fly sparging and has absolutely no relavance in batch sparging. In fly sparging you want the water above the grain bed so you don't disturb it. In batch sparging, the whole idea is to disturb the grain bed so you get the sugar dissolves into the water. Fly sparging is a rinsing process, batch sparging is a draining process.

Can you explain what part of water usage you need to have explained? Assuming you mean sparge water, just measure how much wort you get from your mash run off and subtract it from the olume you want to boil. The answer you get from that is how much sparge water to use.

Denny said:

That advice is for fly sparging and has absolutely no relavance in batch sparging. In fly sparging you want the water above the grain bed so you don't disturb it. In batch sparging, the whole idea is to disturb the grain bed so you get the sugar dissolves into the water. Fly sparging is a rinsing process, batch sparging is a draining process.

Can you explain what part of water usage you need to have explained? Assuming you mean sparge water, just measure how much wort you get from your mash run off and subtract it from the olume you want to boil. The answer you get from that is how much sparge water to use.

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I guess I was thinking that I had to figure in the 2in of water into my sparge water but since I batch sparge, it doesnt matter. I have done numerous all grain brews, batch sparging and never paid any mind to the 2in. Just wanted to know if I was doing anything wrong.

I am working on getting my water volumes correct. I notice there is a variance from small brew to large. My larger brews lose up to 1.75 in the grain but my small batches lose a lot less, about .5-.75gal. In reference to your question, about water measurement, I am working on trying to get a more solid idea of why there is such a huge variance in water lost to grist when I do say, a 3 gallon batch vs. a 5 gallon batch. I know less grain=less water lost but I need to get a stronger formula. My OG's have been off lately. I know that it could also be coming from the HBS milling as well. I have taken pretty firm measurements with water so that's what brought up the first question. Any ideas?

WesleyS said:

I think what you're reading is about fly sparging when your adding water on top of the grain bed as you slowly drain the wort.You usually keep a couple inches of water above the grain bed. If you are batch sparging it doesn't apply.

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Thank you WesleyS. I do my brewing alone so its nice to get pointed in the right direction. I have a few years under my belt so still somewhat a novice at times.

discokid2k said:

Thank you WesleyS. I do my brewing alone so its nice to get pointed in the right direction. I have a few years under my belt so still somewhat a novice at times.

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Hey we're not so different. I brew alone as well. Unless you count a bratty child and a wife that asks how much longer I'll be as brew partners.
The person who got me into brewing moved away soon after so I relied on a lot of reading to point me in the right direction. That was years before I found this site. This is definitely the right place for quick answers from experienced home brewers like Denny who also replied.

If you guys haven't already, you should check out the link in my signature.

Denny said:

If you guys haven't already, you should check out the link in my signature.

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Denny, I have looked at a lot of your stuff. Learned a lot, so thank you. Plus I have read a ton of your posts. Always on point:rockin:

WesleyS, It is nice to do it myself but I wouldnt mind a partner. My wife got me started with a mr. beer kit. That exploded into an obsession for me but my only brew friend moved away years ago as well. I say cheers to us solitary brewers

Denny said:

If you guys haven't already, you should check out the link in my signature.

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I remember visiting your site a few months ago. It's very informative and its bookmarked on my phone. I have always fly sparged, but have often thought about trying batch sparging. I will definitely be using your site as a reference when I decide to do so.

discokid2k said:

WesleyS, It is nice to do it myself but I wouldnt mind a partner. My wife got me started with a mr. beer kit. That exploded into an obsession for me but my only brew friend moved away years ago as well. I say cheers to us solitary brewers

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I enjoy brewing by myself. It's kind of a getaway after dealing with hundreds of people during the work week. During the down time, mash, boil after hot break, I crack open a brew and open up the latest edition of BYO or log on to HBT and just take it easy. I think I would actually be stressed if I had another person brewing with me now, but wouldn't be against it. Cheers fellow solo brewer!

WesleyS said:

I enjoy brewing by myself. It's kind of a getaway after dealing with hundreds of people during the work week. During the down time, mash, boil after hot break, I crack open a brew and open up the latest edition of BYO or log on to HBT and just take it easy. I think I would actually be stressed if I had another person brewing with me now, but wouldn't be against it. Cheers fellow solo brewer!

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yeah, I am not sure how well i could handle someone rating the beer I make. What if they have an aversion to the styles I like? It is definitly my getaway after work. This and my garden. No one bothers me:rockin: My brew day is going full steam!