IPA Mini-mash

HurricaneFloyd said:

so I brewed up my first mini-mash yesterday and of course, I forget to take a sample to figure out what my efficiency was going to be. Doh!
Question on sparging, the directions said to maintain the water level 2" above the mash, the recirculate 3 times, then slowly drain it out but maintain the 2" level. Only problem is, they told me to use 2 gal for sparge wate and I never reached a level 2" over the grain. I used all the sparge water before starting recirculation so there was nothing left to maintain any level. My efficiency will probably be crap so maybe it's a good thing I forgot to take a sample. From what I read, most of the fermentables will come from the LME anyway....

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wild said:

Yes the majority of the fermentables will be from the extract. Take a look at this article pertaining to Partial Mashes. The idea is to add 1¼ quarts of water to each pound of cracked grain. If you're going to recirculate, pour about one quart into a container then add it back into the top of your mash. This is where you try to keep the water level just above your grain bed. Do this slowly as to prevent channeling. I use a ladle. As the article mentions, to batch sparge, drain the wort out of the grains into your brew pot. Then, add the new hot water and stir again. Wait a few minutes and drain that into your brew pot as well. As I said above, I use a ladle and add my sparge water as I'm draining my mash. This is also where you try to keep the water level just above your grain bed.

Good luck, wild

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