Batch vs. Fly vs. No Sparge

[MattHollingsworth]

What do you use? What's your opinion on it?

 

[Edcculus]

Batch sparge (Double batch sparge, no mashout). I don't need a hot liquor tank to feed the sparge and its faster. I'm brewing 5 gallons at a time. If my efficiency suffers, who really cares?

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I batch sparge simply because I don't have the equipment to fly sparge and it is a little quicker from what I hear. I imagine someday I'll experiment with fly sparging but at this point I would like to be more consistent with the setup I have.

 

[wildwest450]

Buckle up kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

 

[Synovia]

Batch sparge (Double batch sparge, no mashout)

+1. Its easier than Fly, and it works fine.

 

[david_42]

Double batch sparge. Simple, fast, efficient.

 

[MattHollingsworth]

Buckle up kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Guess it's like discussing operating systems, eh?

I'm not adding to the poll myself because I want to see what *other* folks are doing, but I've always Fly sparged and am considering switching to Batch sparging. I've read a lot already and seen a lot of the arguments, but I like the folks on this board so wanna see what you guys think here. Hopefully it doesn't flare up too much.

 

[wildwest450]

Guess it's like discussing operating systems, eh?

I'm not adding to the poll myself because I want to see what *other* folks are doing, but I've always Fly sparged and am considering switching to Batch sparging. I've read a lot already and seen a lot of the arguments, but I like the folks on this board so wanna see what you guys think here. Hopefully it doesn't flare up too much.

Yup. No good will come of this thread.
And batch sparging is the only logical choice in homebrewing.

 

[flyangler18]

Typically, I employ a double batch sparge with no mashout on everything but the biggest beers when I at least consider a fly sparge to offset the efficiency losses associated with batch sparge and large (read: barleywine sized) grainbills.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Buckle up kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

+100000 for this statement. Maybe we could also discuss the issue of keeping a keg you placed a deposit on.

 

[samc]

Batch sparge - just did my first RIMS the other day so I am not sure what the heck you call the combo.

 

[Synovia]

It seems to me, that usually these types of comments cause more trouble than the actual thread:

Yup. No good will come of this thread.
And batch sparging is the only logical choice in homebrewing.

+100000 for this statement. Maybe we could also discuss the issue of keeping a keg you placed a deposit on.

If you let people discuss the issue, maybe the thread turns out ok. If you don't think anything good is going to come out of a thread like this, be the bigger person and just don't post in it, and don't read it. Derailing the thread isn't helping anyone, especially those of us who are curious as to the distribution of who does what.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I fly sparge because it is simpler IMO. I don't have to measure anything except the gravity running into my kettle and just stop at the proper volume. One less calculation and step to screw up is great for me.

 

[cvstrat]

I batch sparge just because I never got the equipment to fly, and batch has worked just fine for me. My efficiency is great.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I've always been curious about this "necessary" fly sparging equipment... do you people not have access to gravity? My fly sparging setup for three years consisted of a short length of vinyl tube... not too much equipment in my opinion.

 

[beerkrump]

+1 for the superior method of "double batch sparge, no mash out"

Fly sparging is just wrong, somewhere between bestiality and cannibalism on the list of evils.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

It seems to me, that usually these types of comments cause more trouble than the actual thread:

If you let people discuss the issue, maybe the thread turns out ok. If you don't think anything good is going to come out of a thread like this, be the bigger person and just don't post in it, and don't read it. Derailing the thread isn't helping anyone, especially those of us who are curious as to the distribution of who does what.

I did post an honest and informative reason why I batch sparge. I think accusations will derail a thread faster than anything. We were just making a light hearted joke and nothing more. Back to the subject at hand.

 

[wildwest450]

I did post an honest and informative reason why I batch sparge. I think accusations will derail a thread faster than anything. We were just making a light hearted joke and nothing more. Back to the subject at hand.

Exactly, it was tongue in cheek. Do a little research on the 400 threads on batch vs sparge. They all go south.

 

[rcrabb22]

I've always been curious about this "necessary" fly sparging equipment... do you people not have access to gravity? My fly sparging setup for three years consisted of a short length of vinyl tube... not too much equipment in my opinion.

I've read I need an MLT that uses a false bottom for fly sparging to be effective. That almost always means a round vessel. I found rectangular coolers cheaper and I could buy a larger one to eventually do 10 gal batches.

Palmer's appendix section on MLTs detailed the importance of avoiding channeling when fly sparging. In my mind fly sparging made MLT construction more difficult and required building a manifold to some tight specifications or going with a round vessel and buying a false bottlom to fit.
I'm not all that handy and even with Palmer's design put in his book I ruled out the manifold right away. Bottom line for me was fly sparging required special equipment.

Batch sparging made my MLT design and building easier and I had one from parts to functional in about 45 min.

Since going to thinner mashes, 1.5 qt/lb of grain, I have achieved 85% efficiency on my last 4 brews. I'm happy with that.

 

[jkarp]

Heh, I'm the sole "no sparge" at this point. :rockin:

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Heh, I'm the sole "no sparge" at this point. :rockin:

What efficiency do you get with it? Also, what makes you choose to do it? Better flavor, quicker......?

 

[jkarp]

What efficiency do you get with it? Also, what makes you choose to do it? Better flavor, quicker......?

Check out my system in the Countertop Brutus 20 thread.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Check out my system in the Countertop Brutus 20 thread.

oh i see. I read it this past weekend. Nice rig.

 

[BioBeing]

I batch sparge with whatever volumes Beersmith tells me to do. So far I seem to get around 75% brewhouse efficiency, which is fine for me. I do want to play with Kaiser's spreadsheet some though, to see where I am losing points (conversion, lautering?).

 

[Buffman]

I fly sparge because it is simpler IMO. I don't have to measure anything except the gravity running into my kettle and just stop at the proper volume. One less calculation and step to screw up is great for me.

Agreed. Once you have the sparge water at the right temp, it's just cycling water through until you get to preboil volume.

I also agree with this poster's point about equipment. My fly sparge "equipment" is a length of silicone tubing.

 

[rcrabb22]

I fly sparge because it is simpler IMO. I don't have to measure anything except the gravity running into my kettle and just stop at the proper volume. One less calculation and step to screw up is great for me.

This may be off topic, if you are sparging to a specific volume, why measure gravity during the sparge? Wouldn't gravity of the full volume pre-boil be all you needed?

 

[AnOldUR]

This may be off topic, if you are sparging to a specific volume, why measure gravity during the sparge? Wouldn't gravity of the full volume pre-boil be all you needed?

No. With fly sparging you have a greater chance of over sparging which will produce off flavors. The only way to tell is to check the gravity of the runnings during the lauter. This is especially true if you're using a setup that could allow channeling. To fly sparge efficiently you really should have a false bottom for even distribution.

 

[Sigafoos]

I use a SS braid in my round Rubbermaid and as long as I keep the water level about an inch above the grain I've gotten ~85% efficiency.

As for 'batch sparging is easier,' that's what I thought until I realized I had to vorlauf three times. Once I get it set up I just check periodically to make sure there's enough water at the top of my MLT and I can do other things like mow the lawn or prepare for the boil.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I use a SS braid in my round Rubbermaid and as long as I keep the water level about an inch above the grain I've gotten ~85% efficiency.

As for 'batch sparging is easier,' that's what I thought until I realized I had to vorlauf three times. Once I get it set up I just check periodically to make sure there's enough water at the top of my MLT and I can do other things like mow the lawn or prepare for the boil.

How long does it take you to fly sparge with a braided hose? Do you simply have a HLT with a ball valve on it?

 

[Whut]

Buckle up kids, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Right. I've secured the double buckle and am ready to rock/roll.

I fly sparge for one reason. It's how I learned. Not that I haven't thought about batch sparging because I have and I like the potential of saving some time. But all things given my beer turns out great (IMHO) and I don't like fixing things that aren't broke.