Confused on Lautering

[vindee]

I have read two separate articles from two reputable sources that when lautering or batch sparging ( 1st and 2nd runnings) from a cooler you should run off as fast as the system will allow and the other article says to run slow for better efficiency.
I can run mine fast or slow and have never had a stuck sparge, but I can't see how it would have an effect on efficiency.
Once conversion has taken place, does it really matter how you get the wort?
Steve

 

[bxtzd3]

from what i have read and watched then done, was to go slow the open it up. but your really just clearing the line of grain the first couple of qts. then you should be set to open her up. batch sparge is different then fly and you dont need set the grain bed.

 

[LovesIPA]

The fear is that if wort is lautered too quickly, it won't have time to dissolve the sugars on its way through the grain bed. Also you want to avoid creating any suction in the bottom of the mash tun. You want to let the wort run out of the grain bed, not have it drawn out by force.

 

[Indian_villager]

I usually have my valve cracked halfway. It takes less than 5 mins to drain my tun usually.

 

[Hopper5000]

The slower I sparge the better efficiency I usually get (fly sparging). I think I have mine at about 1/4. Now I haven't played around all that much with having it more opened or closed but I try to basically get about 1 quart per minute flow as I read that's a pretty good rate. Sometimes I have to open it up a bit more as it slows down sometimes (I guess kinda getting stuck but not really). I usually get 80 to 87% efficiency in the kettle with a lower gravity grain bill (8 to 16ish lbs). Now I have drained off faster and the efficiency usually suffers a bit (about 5%). Thus it's basically a time vs efficiency questions and it's really up to you if you want to take 20ish minutes longer on the lautering to get a better efficiency. If you batch sparge then it doesn't really matter...

 

[eltorrente]

Go slow when fly sparging. You'll get better efficiency. The faster it drains, the more "channeling" will take place, and water won't move through all the grains like you want it to. Going slow will ensure that it slowly pulls as much of the sugars as possible from as much of the grains as possible - plus the runoff into the kettle will be clearer.

I usually spend 45-60mins when sparging. Also make sure you vorlauf. I usually slowly drain the first several quarts into a container and pour it back in, then it's pretty clear after that. The grains will form a natural filter bed. I end up in the mid-high 80% range for efficiency.

 

[Slow_Day]

If you are batch sparging, you can drain as fast as your false bottom will let you without getting stuck. The stirring of the grains frees up the sugars. I normally start my vorlauf slowly to let the grain bed settle. Then wide open to the BK.

 

[vindee]

If you are batch sparging, you can drain as fast as your false bottom will let you without getting stuck. The stirring of the grains frees up the sugars. I normally start my vorlauf slowly to let the grain bed settle. Then wide open to the BK.

I guess I would have to agree. I'm not sure that the speed of laudering has anything to do with dissolving sugars as this should be done during the mash.
I going with "What works best for you" theory when it comes to opposing arguments such as this one.
Thanks for the replies!

 

[billl]

If you are fly sparging, you want to go slow. You are adding fresh water to the top, and you need to give that water time to slowly work its way through the gain bed and pick up some sugar.

If you are batch sparging, you should already be at equilibrium when you start draining. ie the water has dissolved all the sugar it can. Feel free to go as fast as your system allows.

 

[Yooper]

If you are fly sparging, you want to go slow. You are adding fresh water to the top, and you need to give that water time to slowly work its way through the gain bed and pick up some sugar.

If you are batch sparging, you should already be at equilibrium when you start draining. ie the water has dissolved all the sugar it can. Feel free to go as fast as your system allows.

Yep.

For fly sparging (continuous sparging), it works on the principle of diffusion. So the water needs to flow slowly, to avoid channeling as well as "pulling" the sugars out of the grain bed and into the water (higher gravity to lower gravity).

For batch sparging, going slow has no advantage at all as the thorough stirring is what knocks the sugars into the water. Going slow won't hurt, except wasting time.

I sometimes batch sparge, when I"m in a hurry. That's the big advantage to batch sparging, if your system is set up for either. It takes like 10 minutes, total, to drain the first runnings and batch sparge. It takes at least 60 minutes to fly sparge a 10 gallon batch.