Batch Sparging and mashing

Why not just use the batch sparge option in beersmith?

 

When you are doing the single sparge do you still use the mahout temperature that BeerSmith states for all of your sparge water, or do you not do the full 202 degrees for example?

 

Thats what i do!

 

In my short brewing experience I have been adding the sparge water around 180ish-190ish and my beer has been good.

 

Why don't you want to sparge over 170F? I thought the goal of sparging was to raise the grain to over 170 to stop conversion and loosen up the sugars.

He says to run off as fast as possible, why is that? I thought that is a no-no?

 

Double post.

 

The purpose of sparging it to remove, either through rinsing or draining, and sugars left in the mash. A mashout is to stop enzyme action, but is seldom necessary or helpful at the homebrew level. But sparging wiht water in the 190F range can help ensure full conversion and might increase your efficiency a bit.

I think there may be a misconception here. In batch sparging, a fast runoff is an advantage but not a necessity. You can runoff as fast as your system will allow. In batch sparging, unlike fly sparging, a slow runoff will not increase your efficiency. Fly sparging is a rinsing process, not draining, and therefor a slower sparge is advantageous.

 

The common knowledge of sparging is that at temps above 168F you will start to extract tannins from the grain.

 

Common unfortunately does not necessarily equate to correct. pH is the factor to worry about. If it was temp alone, you couldn't do a decoction mash, where you boil the grain. Batch sparging pretty much eliminates the pH rise you get in fly sparging, which is the real culprit behind tannin extraction.

 

Hey Denny
If I have no way to check pH should I keep the sparge water temp at the lower end, or can I crank it up to maybe 180 - 190 and not worry about it ?

 

Are ya feeling lucky? If your water isn't too extreme you'll probably be OK. But there's no way to know for sure. I think trying to make sure your grain bed stays under 170F is the best thing to do in that situation.

 

Has anybody checked the temp of the mash after you add 185ish degree water to it? I have a few times and it ends up right around 170. Makes sense if you think about it right? 12 lb Grain bed that's 150+, adding a few gallons of 185 degree water.

Everyone is paranoid thinking that high temp is extreme because of everything they've read on fly sparging. It's a completely different process. I'd argue that 170 degree water is too low, and that if there's a correct temp for batch sparging, it's whatever temp leaves your mash at 165-170.

 

Exactly!!! A lot of guys posting in this thread have been brewing for ever, take their word. Denny's website is how I learned to batch sparge. Simple easy process to make good beer!

 

+1 on Denny's website. That where I learned how to batch sparge. Also read BobbyM's paper on batch sparging. He lays out a very good step by step process. I get 70 - 75 % all the time.