Is this a good way to vorlauf + sparge?

[Beer is good]

I was thinking of putting a spigot on a bucket and putting it above my mash tun, so I can drain my wort and pour it in the bucket and slowly trickle the wort through the grain slowly, and then I can also pour the sparge water in there to drip it over the grain. Here is a picture.

 

[Bobby_M]

Why do you think you need to slowly sprinkle collected wort back through the grain? Are you thinking about the vorlauf? If so, it only needs to be done with about the first two quarts of runoff.

Otherwise, you have the fly sparge process pretty well illustrated.

 

[Beer is good]

Why do you think you need to slowly sprinkle collected wort back through the grain? Are you thinking about the vorlauf? If so, it only needs to be done with about the first two quarts of runoff.

Otherwise, you have the fly sparge process pretty well illustrated.

Yeah, for the vorlauf just to filter the wort. I usually vorlauf until the wort runs clear, without any bits of grain in it, so that is probably 2 quarts worth. I currently dump it into the mash and it is not gently sprinkled so I think it is disturbing the grain bed too much, that is why I want to make this sprinkling system to gently let the wort and sparge water into the grain.

 

[RM-MN]

Yeah, for the vorlauf just to filter the wort. I usually vorlauf until the wort runs clear, without any bits of grain in it, so that is probably 2 quarts worth. I currently dump it into the mash and it is not gently sprinkled so I think it is disturbing the grain bed too much, that is why I want to make this sprinkling system to gently let the wort and sparge water into the grain.

You are overthinking this. If you are disturbing the grain bed so much that you are getting grain particles in your boil kettle, use the back of a spoon to spread the wort you vorlauf so it doesn't make a big hole and mess up the filter bed that you have established. Then dump all your sparge water in, stir it up really good and start the drain agian, vorlaufing to avoid the grain particles again. If just a few particles get through to the boil kettle it won't hurt. It will all settle out in the fermenter.

 

[Beer is good]

You are overthinking this. If you are disturbing the grain bed so much that you are getting grain particles in your boil kettle, use the back of a spoon to spread the wort you vorlauf so it doesn't make a big hole and mess up the filter bed that you have established. Then dump all your sparge water in, stir it up really good and start the drain agian, vorlaufing to avoid the grain particles again. If just a few particles get through to the boil kettle it won't hurt. It will all settle out in the fermenter.

This is where my issue is, I don't have an easy (lazy man's) way to gently pour the wort or sparge water over a spoon. I currently drain off some into a small pot with a handle and try to trickle it out onto a serving spoon above the grain but it takes a long time and is a pain. So I just want to put a bucket up there with a spigot. I think I can make this for under 10 bucks. Maybe I am being stupid again

 

[RM-MN]

If you can pour it over the back of a spoon you don't need to be slow an gentle about it. The point of using a spoon is just to spread the wort so it doesn't make a hole all the way to the bottom so it disturbs the filter you are trying to establish. Hold the spoon above the grain and just dump the wort onto it so it spreads.

 

[AkTom]

Or put a piece of aluminum foil on top of the mash with small holes poked in it. Gently pour on top of the foil.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Or put a piece of aluminum foil on top of the mash with small holes poked in it. Gently pour on top of the foil.

This. Exactly what I do.

 

[smccarter]

This. Exactly what I do.

I use a collander. Works very well for me. It's in the cabinet anyway... figured I'd multi-purpose it.

 

[Beer is good]

I use a collander. Works very well for me. It's in the cabinet anyway... figured I'd multi-purpose it.

Drink the wort and recycle it back into the mash tun

 

[Qhrumphf]

Drink the wort and recycle it back into the mash tun

Is....uhhh....is that so?

 

[Arbalest]

I just did my first no-vorlauf brew last weekend. Just stuck a straining bag on the end of my mash tun hose and opened her up.

Bag collected all grains that came through. Added sparse water, repeated. Saved me a lot of time since it takes a while for my grain bed to set well.

 

[RM-MN]

I just did my first no-vorlauf brew last weekend. Just stuck a straining bag on the end of my mash tun hose and opened her up.

Bag collected all grains that came through. Added sparse water, repeated. Saved me a lot of time since it takes a while for my grain bed to set well.

In other words, you did a Brew in a Bag but with a separate mash tun. Had you put the bag into the boil kettle (if it would fit) and did the mash in there you would have gotten the same results but without the mash tun to clean out and wash. The grains would have been neatly contained in a bag which you could carry anywhere and dump. Cleanup would have been a simple rinse of the bag.:rockin: