Fly Sparging Arm

[bmwwd6]

I am a new AG brewer and am planning to brew my first batch this weekend. I have decided to go with fly sparging and have built a sparge arm out of CPVC pipe that sits on top of my 10 gallon cooler mash tun. I am wondering if I should be concerned with the water temperature that is lost between the flow from the MLT and the hi-temp tubing to the actual mash grain bed?

The sparge arm sits on top of the cooler, so the water droplets aren't very close to the grain bed. Is this something I should be concerned about or will it not make a huge difference?

I appreciate any advice, I'm just nervous for my first AG batch.

 

[beernbourbon]

Huh.....I kinda like the simplicity of that.... yet another....'why didn't I think of that?'. Looks reasonable. How far a run do you have from your heated water source? Not sure if it's a problem, temp drop-wise, but just in case, how about that black foam pipe insulation like this:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_21415-1410-S11XB/6_1z0zq5t__?productId=1060005&pl=1

 

[bmwwd6]

The hi temp tubing from the HLT to the mash tun is only 3 or so feet. I was more so worried about the water cooling between the top of the mash tun and the grain bed. I may be overthinking it tho.

 

[kh54s10]

The hi temp tubing from the HLT to the mash tun is only 3 or so feet. I was more so worried about the water cooling between the top of the mash tun and the grain bed. I may be overthinking it tho.

This seems to be one of those areas where it used to be thought critical to have a certain temperature. It seems to be thought less important now.

With fly sparging though I believe it is important to do a mashout at about 170 degrees to stop conversion and to keep within a certain pH range. I read about that before I started all grain and decided to go with batch sparging. Batch sparging also shortens the brewday between 1/2 and 1 hour.

I also doubt that the temperature would drop in any measurable degree in the foot or so from the top of the tun to the grain bed.

 

[beernbourbon]

ah....good point. Well, maybe a bit of experimentation is in order before you brew? A 'wet run' if you will. Set a bag of grain down in there, unopened of course, just to get an idea of how far down the grain bed will be. Then, place a bowl about that height, allow it to fill, stabilizing temps, and see what the drop is between your heated water kettle and water in the bowl. Then, if it's significant, a couple things might be done. If you are using 'new water' (un-recirculated) you could up the temp of the water coming out of the heated water kettle until you get the desired temp at the bowl. If you are recirculating, then you may be able to do the same, but I'm not sure what affect (effect? that one gets me every time) that would have on the wort.
Couple of caveats here.... 1- I'm sure there is a thermodynamic formula that would cover something like this....don't know, but there are many on here much more sciency than I that may be able to help with that. And 2- I'm basing the above on my own 3 kettle configuration, and I do not recirculate (yet), I heat my sparge water and it washes through the grain bed and drains into the HLT for boiling.

 

[beernbourbon]

This seems to be one of those areas where it used to be thought critical to have a certain temperature. It seems to be thought less important now.
I also doubt that the temperature would drop in any measurable degree in the foot or so from the top of the tun to the grain bed.

This could be as well......one of those....does it really make THAT much of a difference in the final product that anyone would ever notice? Dunno, where's Brulosopher when ya need him? LOL