Small beer over sparging

[stadtbrau]

So I have run into an issue a few times now. On the smaller beers that I brew which also have a 90 minute boil I end up sparging right down to 1.010 before getting to pre-boil volume. I would rather just have another pound of grain in the mash, stop sparging early, and then add water than cut it close and potentially leach a bunch of tannin into my beer. How should I account for this in my recipe so I can still be consistent and end up with what I set out to brew?

A second question... how are you guys monitoring your sparge run off into the kettle ? I run my sparge into the whirlpool arm of my kettle which is great until about 4 gallons, at which point it becomes submerged. At that point it is challenging, and messy to try to take run off gravity readings. I typically don't bother with anything but the smallest beers at this point. I am thinking some sort of in-line sample valve situation to take quick easy readings. Does anyone have a setup they like that they could share?

Thanks for the help
Casey

 

[RM-MN]

Is there a special reason that those beers require a 90 minute boil or are you just doing it that way because someone else did it that way because someone else did it that way.

Reduce the heat input to limit the water loss to the boil. Instead of sparging so much, maybe you can just add water since that is what you boiled off. Maybe do like I do and adjust the bittering hop amount and cut the boil to only 30 minutes.

 

[Smellyglove]

So I have run into an issue a few times now. On the smaller beers that I brew which also have a 90 minute boil I end up sparging right down to 1.010 before getting to pre-boil volume. I would rather just have another pound of grain in the mash, stop sparging early, and then add water than cut it close and potentially leach a bunch of tannin into my beer. How should I account for this in my recipe so I can still be consistent and end up with what I set out to brew?

A second question... how are you guys monitoring your sparge run off into the kettle ? I run my sparge into the whirlpool arm of my kettle which is great until about 4 gallons, at which point it becomes submerged. At that point it is challenging, and messy to try to take run off gravity readings. I typically don't bother with anything but the smallest beers at this point. I am thinking some soft of in-line sample valve situation to take quick easy readings. Does anyone have a setup they like that they could share?

Thanks for the help
Casey

You need to track data from your beers. You could for example cut 1/3- 1/2 of your sparge water, and add that water to your mash water, then you would also need to add more grains since less sparge water = less efficiency. But you need some data from your own brews to get a good number for how to juggle mash vs sparge water and still get your target OG.

For small beers maybe you could just do a no sparge? That way you have to use good amount more grains, and tannins are less of a concern. But pH is still the sort of big elephant in the butter which haven't been mentioned yet. But more grains is the first thing I'd try.

 

[stadtbrau]

I have always employed a 90 minute boil on beers with a high percentage of pilsner malt.

Is there a special reason that those beers require a 90 minute boil or are you just doing it that way because someone else did it that way because someone else did it that way.

Reduce the heat input to limit the water loss to the boil. Instead of sparging so much, maybe you can just add water since that is what you boiled off. Maybe do like I do and adjust the bittering hop amount and cut the boil to only 30 minutes.

 

[stadtbrau]

I think I should modify my question.
When fly sparging, and brewing a small session beer, if you stop sparging at 1.010 and have not yet reached pre boil volume and you add water you are going to come in low on your OG right? So how do we account for this in recipe design?

I like the idea by smelly to try a no sparge session beer. I am not sure what I would use for my efficiency while coming up with a recipe for no sparge but should be able to dial it in with a few batches.

 

[RM-MN]

I have always employed a 90 minute boil on beers with a high percentage of pilsner malt.

That didn't quite answer my question. Some people have always used a secondary also. It's been found that a secondary isn't necessary for nearly all beers but people still do it. Is the 90 minute boil necessary to your beer?

 

[Soulshine2]

Just batch sparge,split it like this- strike water to your water to grain ratio,1st batch sparge use 1/2 of remaining pre-boil volume of water, 2nd sparge other 1/2 pre-boil volume. 60 minutes is plenty of boil time. Mark your boil kettle with known graduations of water (one gallon jugs) . Very seldom have I not hit my OG using this method.