awesome sparge arm ideas only

[Jaybird]

Look, you can do whatever you want to. The debate over batch vs fly sparging is a never ending battle. I suggest you read the threads so it is not rehashed here. IMHO Pol is right. It is so much easier to use Loop Lok or better yet, a simple piece of tubing rather than burning up your hard earned cash making some weird looking sparge contraption. Of course, the decision is yours.

WOW relax bro. I think he was asking not telling.

 

[sanch]

so is what the pol is suggesting batch sparging? he called it fly sparging ? i dont care to rehash any age old debate i have read the threads and want to fly sparge am i misunderstanding the concept ? it just makes more sense to me to thinn out the sugar content then almost drain the mash tun and rinse any remaining sugars by sprinkleing water over the top with an open drain and just rinse it off, i will need to keep a small amount of liquid in the bottom so the pump wont run dry. that is the concept is it not?
the locline is a slick option and it would be easier than some of the other options but without a sprinkler it dosent do what i think it should. keep in mind that i have never don this before (the whole AG thing). I am just asking for any advice or input i can get.

 

[ILOVEBEER]

I made a copper sparge manifold for $6.00, drilled a s*itload of small holes and a 5/16" hole in each corner to alleviate any debris that got through....it worked great

 

[leboeuf]

Sanch, both batch and fly sparge methods are simply a rinse cycle.
To fly sparge you gently add water on top of the grain bed keeping a 1 or so inch of water on top of the grain while letting your mlt drain.
To batch sparge you dump all the rinse water in batches; you mix each batch of rinse water into the grain with a big spoon, let it settle, vorlauf and drain.
(just search these if that didn't make sense)

After you get a few batches under your belt you'll probably notice that the "sparge arm" is really not necessary. The grain bed will have an inch of water on top of it so it really doesn't matter how you keep delivering the new water as long as the delivery is gentle. I personally use a vinyl hose that I empty out onto a plastic (polypropylene) lid.
I'm pretty sure the sparge arm is a carry over from commercial breweries. They have 20 foot wide mash tuns so it's a slightly different story.

I really wouldn't get too caught up on a lot of the gear stuff you see on here..... All grain brewing truly is not at all difficult; it just takes a little more patience (and cooler or two and a big assed pot ).

 

[Sawdustguy]

WOW relax bro. I think he was asking not telling.

I'm cool...Just don't want to see another batch vs fly sparging debate.

 

[Sawdustguy]

I really wouldn't get too caught up on a lot of the gear stuff you see on here..... All grain brewing truly is not at all difficult; it just takes a little more patience (and cooler or two and a big assed pot ).

+1 When I first started not so long ago, being honest, I was taken in by all the gadgets and contraptions I saw. It didn't take long after reading these threads to realize that simple is best. If you are like me, Mr. Murphy is always lurking in my shadow. The way I look at it, the more I simplify things without comprimising, the less likely Mr. Murphy will sneak up and jab me in the a$$.

The other thing I learned very quickly when I was new to this, was to rely on the advice of the more experienced brewers and instead of focusing on the way I thought it should be done, I tried to understand why what they suggested worked. I have very few of my own ideas in my brewery. I am not afraid to say I stole almost all of them. It made building my brewery much easier because everything I incorporated into the brewery had been used and tested by thousands of brewers before me. I am not saying that I am against innovation but why waste time re-inventing the wheel?

 

[Jaybird]

I am not saying that I am against innovation but why waste time re-inventing the wheel?

Necessity is the mother of invention

 

[The Pol]

so is what the pol is suggesting batch sparging? he called it fly sparging ? i dont care to rehash any age old debate i have read the threads and want to fly sparge am i misunderstanding the concept ? it just makes more sense to me to thinn out the sugar content then almost drain the mash tun and rinse any remaining sugars by sprinkleing water over the top with an open drain and just rinse it off, i will need to keep a small amount of liquid in the bottom so the pump wont run dry. that is the concept is it not?
the locline is a slick option and it would be easier than some of the other options but without a sprinkler it dosent do what i think it should. keep in mind that i have never don this before (the whole AG thing). I am just asking for any advice or input i can get.

No, batch sparging means sparging in a "batch", then refilling the MLT, then draining the "batch".

Fly sparging means sparging on the "fly", meaning water going in while water is going out. Two totally different things... doesnt matter how you get the water IN while you are draining it OUT, it is still fly sparging.

 

[brewpal]

After trying many variations on sparge arm arrangements, I have come up with a system that works well for my rig. I use a simple diverter to keep the water from drilling a hole in the grain bed and keep a few inches of water over the grain. A short section of tubing holds it onto a barb centered over the grain.

I mash about 90 lbs of grain. About 4-5 gal of boiling water is adding toward the end of the mash to raise the temp a bit and thin it out.

Here is the kicker: On brew day I turn the gas water heater temporarily to max (about 150 deg) and deliver the water directly from it to the mash via a white RV hose. Simple to set up works well for my rig.

 

[mplutodh1]

I use a simple diverter to keep the water from drilling a hole in the grain bed and keep a few inches of water over the grain.

Where did you find that? Did a quick search on McMaster and no luck (although they don't carry everything, just damn near!)

 

[CrazyJames]

Where did you find that? Did a quick search on McMaster and no luck (although they don't carry everything, just damn near!)

You can find it here:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...enting-equipment/aeration/siphon-sprayer.html

 

[ChshreCat]

Where did you find that? Did a quick search on McMaster and no luck (although they don't carry everything, just damn near!)

Actually, that's a LHBS tool.

http://morebeer.com/view_product/15779/Siphon_Spray_Wort_Aerator

 

[mplutodh1]

Doh! Guess I've just never noticed it in the LHBS. Thanks guys - we're planning on going simple for our sparge setup but something like this would make me feel a little more comfortable if we "goofed" on the output on our pump!