Srike and sparge levels

[Mindhop]

I Currently boil in a 15 gallon kettle for my 10-12 gallon batches. I have not upgraded my HLT which currently is a 7 gallon pot (undersized). Up to this point I have adjusted my strike/sparge water levels to accommodate my inadequate HLT. My strike volume is never an issue because I use my 15 gallon kettle. When I sparge I have to use my 7 gallon kettle (15 gallon kettle has first runnings in it).

Here is my issue. If my strike volume calls for 7 gallons and sparge calls for 10 gallons (as it does for an American wheat I am brewing this weekend) I typically raise my strike volume and lower my sparge volume to accommodate my small HLt. I typically get 75%+ efficiency when I make similar changes. How will this change impact my final product?

American Wheat
Batch size-12 gallons
60 min boil
OG 1.043
FG 1.010
9.6lbs white wheat
9.6lbs 2-Row

Strike- 7.2 gallons @ 152
Sparge- 10 gallons @172

2.4 oz williamette 60 min
2.4 oz cascade 15 min

 

[duboman]

If you are hitting your OG there shouldn't be any as you are looking for the sugars to be present and at 75+% you are working at what's considered to be good efficiency

 

[JesseRC]

I do 10g batches and only use my 15g kettle for everything. I heat the strike water then add to the mash tun/cooler. Then when the mash end time starts getting close, I start heating the sparge volume(all of it). The first runnings are just collected in one of my buckets. It's not really a problem and I'm only losing the time spent to drain first runnings and add sparge volume to the mash tun. If I'm doing double sparge, then the runnings just sit in the bucket. Alternatively you could also heat the sparge water to target temp and put it in a cooler or bucket, then your kettle is free.

**or you could collect first runnings into the 7g kettle . Usually I only collect 5-6 gallons on 1st runnings. Later you just combine them into the boil kettle.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

This is not exactly rocket science, but if your HLT is 7 gallons and you need to sparge 10 gallons, just keep adding cold water (and keep the heat on) as you remove sparge water from the HLT.

Say you fly sparge and each sparge addition is in 2 quart increments...

7.0 gal - 0.5gal (2 quarts) = 6.5gal @ 175F = 1,138gal-degF.

Add 0.5 gal of cold water (say 50F):

0.5 gal @ 50F = 25gal-degF

1,138 + 25 = 1,163gal-degF / 7.0 gallons = 166F

All these numbers to mean, if you take 2 quarts from the HLT, put it in the mash tun as sparge water, and replace the 2 quarts with tap water to the HLT, you'd be down to 166F. Keep adding heat until you reach 175F again, and repeat.

That's what I used to do.

MC