Survey for AG Brewers: Fly or Batch Sparge?

[Brulosopher]

I've been brewing AG for about a year (2 batches per month). I brewed extract for a long time before that. When deciding to go AG, I was torn between traditional fly sparge and batch sparge (Denny Conn style). For myriad reasons, I chose the batch sparge method and have since brewed over 100 gallons this way.

Out of sheer curiosity, I'm wondering how many all-grain brewers have chosen fly sparge over batch sparge, and vice versa. Also, why?

Cheers to all!

 

[JuanMoore]

I've tried both, but prefer to batch sparge. It's fast, easy, and hard to screw up.

 

[tom_hampton]

Batch all the way. I was like you originally...felt like fly was the purest way to go. Now, I couldn't care less. Batch works great. The slight loss in efficiency doesn't seem worth the trouble to get the 'perfect' fly.

 

[shutupjojo]

For 21 years now I have fly sparged and the beers have been great. Since I have been a member here I have thought of batch sparging as a lazy , off the regular brewing path.
The last few batches I have brewed, I tried the double batch sparge from that Bobby guy and I think the beer is much more maltier and better quality tasting. I know there are many dynamics and brew systems but I can definitely say my beer is better this way

 

[StokedBrew]

Batch. And Denny is king. What he says is law.
Fly sparge is for people who lack patience.

 

[shutupjojo]

Batch. And Denny is king. What he says is law.
Fly sparge is for people who lack patience.

I think it takes more patience to fly sparge and I can't understand why you have to think that Denny is law. Don't you have your own way ?

 

[jagg]

Batch, never fly sparged

 

[Brulosopher]

I would have to agree that fly sparge requires more patience... perhaps you meant, "fly sparge is for people who lack a lack of patience."

I've only ever batch sparged, and I can't say I'm displeased with my results. That said, I certainly do wonder what my beers would taste like using the fly sparge method. Hmm... that might be a good experiment for the dudes at Basic Brewing!

 

[Beezy]

For 21 years now I have fly sparged and the beers have been great. Since I have been a member here I have thought of batch sparging as a lazy , off the regular brewing path.
The last few batches I have brewed, I tried the double batch sparge from that Bobby guy and I think the beer is much more maltier and better quality tasting. I know there are many dynamics and brew systems but I can definitely say my beer is better this way

Many right ways to do it. That's the beauty of brewing. I batch. Single sparge. Thinking about trying no sparge even.

 

[old_tx_kbb]

I fly sparged for years, because that's how I learned to brew back in
the 90's....

I've re-evaluated my efforts and efficiencies and I'm a batch sparger now....I'd be happy to part with my sparge arm any day....although it did look cool spinning around....

 

[The_General]

I batch sparge using Denny Conn's instructions. I've never fly sparged but have been getting 80-85% efficiency so I don't see any point in making the switch.

By the way, my biggest jump in efficiency came when I started grinding my own grains.

 

[DeNomad]

Batch sparge. Noticed a big jump (8%) in efficiency when I filled up my cooler mash tun when moving to 10 gallon batches though. Food for thought.

 

[TwoGunz]

Single batch sparge, it gets er done

 

[asterix404]

Single batch sparge enough times to get an accurate efficiency for my setup to be able to calculate the recipes I wanted. Double batch sparge I think is slight overkill given that the amount of sugar extracted is fairly minimal compared to the energy to heat a double batch sparge boil off rate.

Fly sparge IMHO adds very little efficiency and requires more equipment, so I never bothered with it.

 

[Beezy]

By the way, my biggest jump in efficiency came when I started grinding my own grains.

Me too.

 

[Monstar]

I used to batch sparge, but I fly sparge now. For some reason I like how long it takes, and I like getting the perfect flow from HLT to MT to BK.

Then again I have a lot of free time.

 

[runningweird]

batch. its all ive ever done, except for one ill fated trip down BIAB lane.

 

[cjd3]

Fly sparge, it's how I learned.

 

[JuanMoore]

Double batch sparge I think is slight overkill given that the amount of sugar extracted is fairly minimal compared to the energy to heat a double batch sparge boil off rate.

What does boil off rate have to do with the difference between a single and double batch sparge? A double batch sparge simply means splitting the sparge volume in half and adding it in two separate additions instead of all at once. No additional heat required, and zero effect on boil off rate. It's slightly more effort, but for me it's worth the ~5% increase in efficiency.

 

[bbrim]

Fly sparge. I just set my flow rate and check it every 10 minutes or so. I don't see myself ever switching.

 

[dezman]

Fly sparge, learned it first

 

[Paul07293]

Fly sparge here. I don't have a sparge arm, I pour the water in the MLT with a gallon pitcher through a collander suspended above the mash so it doesn't splash a lot. I just add a pitcher every 10-15 minutes depending on my flow rate. I don't mind the extra time or labor involved.

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

I have always batch sparged. Though, I intend to use no-sparge for my next few brew sessions. I figure if I can cut time off my brew day, and produce a tastier wort, for just a few extra pounds of grain per batch, sound like a win-win to me!

 

[starrfish]

Fly-sparge just because that's the way I learned, and getting good results... why change

 

[Beezy]

What does boil off rate have to do with the difference between a single and double batch sparge? A double batch sparge simply means splitting the sparge volume in half and adding it in two separate additions instead of all at once. No additional heat required, and zero effect on boil off rate. It's slightly more effort, but for me it's worth the ~5% increase in efficiency.

What is your efficiency? I get over 80 with a single sparge. I am sure 85% is possible but I don't want astringency. I have heard there is even less risk with no sparge. If I can get 75 that way and have a tastier wort, save time, it seems like a big win.

 

[Bru]

Fly sparge. Pump is off-on or auto - switched on and off with a float switch in the MLT.

 

[waldoar15]

I batch sparge.

 

[passedpawn]

Out of sheer curiosity, I'm wondering how many all-grain brewers have chosen fly sparge over batch sparge, and vice versa. Also, why?

I think a lot of what we do as homebrewers is derived from, and an attempt to copy, the commercial breweries. Big commercial breweries in America (and Germany) fly sparge ("on-the-fly" or continuous process sparging). So naturally that was miniaturized by homebrewers.

Batch sparging is used on a large scale in England. The second runnings (i.e., from the second or third batch sparge) is often separated and served as a "small beer". Belgians do this too, and the last runnings might be used as a table beer for the monks. The belgian "dubbel", "tripel", "quad", come from these successive runnings - from their batch sparges.

So, if you fly sparge, you're doing it the American or German way, and if you batch sparge you prefer the English or Belgian way. If so, you should look into parti-gyles, which lets you carry on their tradition of deriving two distinct beers from one mash.

 

[Revvy]

passedpawn answer should be stickified or added to the wiki, it's one of the clearest, most concise and informative answers I've ever seen on this topic.

(I never really new the historical answer behind it, but it makes sense to me.)

Oh and I batch (and often partigyle), though I've done no-sparge, hybrid Batch/fly sparging, and have even used Biermuncher's Fly Sparge Drip Bucket.

 

[Face Eater]

I fly sparge and get between 80-85 percent efficiency consistently. It's the way I decided to start and kept with it. Thought about trying a batch sparge to save some time and see the difference in efficiency but haven't done that yet. Also I made a home made auto sparge that is mounted in my MLT that would just sit there now if I batch sparge. Maybe this weekend I will give it a shot and try the batch sparge and see what it's all about.

 

[Revvy]

I think this thread shoulda had a poll to it. Of course now it would be doubtful if folks would go back and add their votes to a poll, but it would be nice. Especially a public poll with who does which on it....

 

[1stTimer]

Batch

 

[BrewerinBR]

Batch

 

[Sarge]

Batch

 

[Nohup]

Fly. Use a 10 gallon cooler to hold my sparge water, and just let it drain slowly.

 

[Tyru007]

Single Batch Sparge

 

[Bsquared]

Most the time fly, some times batch.

 

[BetterSense]

I use BIAB. I put my grain bag in one of those metal steaming baskets inside my kettle. To sparge what I do is lift the basket out of the kettle and set it on top the kettle with a metal grate. I let it drain and then I squish as much out of it as I can with my hands using rubber gloves. Then I pour a couple quarts of sparge water back into it and repeat until I have enough water for the boil. I call it 'squish-sparging'.

 

[JuanMoore]

What is your efficiency? I get over 80 with a single sparge. I am sure 85% is possible but I don't want astringency. I have heard there is even less risk with no sparge. If I can get 75 that way and have a tastier wort, save time, it seems like a big win.

Astringency is more about mash PH than anything else, but I do feel the wort is higher quality and better tasting when produced at lower efficiencies. I've gotten as high as 89% using a double batch sparge, but now aim for 80% (I dialed back the crush a little). I typically use a single batch sparge for smaller beers, and a double batch sparge for larger beers.

 

[jlpred55]

Batch and I also only mash for 30 minutes- 40 minutes at most for regular beers. Any others I need super fermentable or some other weird variable I will do longer, up to 8 hrs sometimes