Does anyone start to heat up their first runnings while they are batch sparging?

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I understand you get to volume quickly but for those that may reach a boil prior to reaching full volume the implications may be worth considering.
As wort gravity increases Hop utilization decreases.
Additionally, adding cool wort to the now boiling wort, cooling it periodically, further reduces Hop utilization.
It seems feasible that if you encourage a race to the boil that some systems will achieve it prior to reaching full volume.
Ten or twenty points in gravity and ten minutes at less than boiling temperatures over a 60 minute boil could impact the IBU's to the point of being noticeable.
Not all brewing systems are the same.


I've never heard of batch sparging being done the way you describe. I don't add bittering hops until after I've collected my full volume and until after it's come to a boil so this would never be a problem for me.
 
I've never heard of batch sparging being done the way you describe. I don't add bittering hops until after I've collected my full volume and until after it's come to a boil so this would never be a problem for me.


I didn't describe how to batch sparge anywhere in my post.
Anyhow this would not apply to you but would apply to someone who may reach a boil when they are still a gallon or more short of there volume then add the bittering hops and continue to pour much cooler than boiling wort into the boil kettle over the next several minutes until full volume is achieved.
That scenario would result in a lower IBU in the finished beer than waiting until the full volume is achieved before reaching a boil and adding the bittering hops.
I'm not saying you shouldn't put the heat to the early runnings. I do it myself but I too am at full volume before I get to a boil.
 
I didn't describe how to batch sparge anywhere in my post.
Anyhow this would not apply to you but would apply to someone who may reach a boil when they are still a gallon or more short of there volume then add the bittering hops and continue to pour much cooler than boiling wort into the boil kettle over the next several minutes until full volume is achieved.
That scenario would result in a lower IBU in the finished beer than waiting until the full volume is achieved before reaching a boil and adding the bittering hops.
I'm not saying you shouldn't put the heat to the early runnings. I do it myself but I too am at full volume before I get to a boil.

I don't know what to say. I've never encountered a scenario where I'm boiling before collecting my full volume. You're either draining very slow, or you have a turbocharged boiler.
 
I understand you get to volume quickly but for those that may reach a boil prior to reaching full volume the implications may be worth considering.
As wort gravity increases Hop utilization decreases.
Additionally, adding cool wort to the now boiling wort, cooling it periodically, further reduces Hop utilization.
It seems feasible that if you encourage a race to the boil that some systems will achieve it prior to reaching full volume.
Ten or twenty points in gravity and ten minutes at less than boiling temperatures over a 60 minute boil could impact the IBU's to the point of being noticeable.
Not all brewing systems are the same.

I don't add the hops until I've combined all the wort and brought it back to a boil.
 
I don't know what to say. I've never encountered a scenario where I'm boiling before collecting my full volume. You're either draining very slow, or you have a turbocharged boiler.


You don't have to say anything.
This isn't for you or me because we collect all of our wort before boiling.
This would be for brewers who collect slower and/or with systems that reach boiling temperatures quickly.
Why do you insist your method or system is representative of every homebrewer in existence?
 
Hop utilization is a chemical process, the isomerization of certain hop components (the Alpha Acids). It works better at higher temps, lower wort gravity and with agitation. It doesn't terminate when the wort loses its boil or when the gravity changes, its reaction speed just slows to the given circumstances.

So when you dilute your wort with cooler lower gravity runnings, the isomerization process slows down momentarily until it reaches boil again. And it will be a bit more efficient from there on because of the (slightly) lower gravity.

By doing this it will be harder or impossible to calculate your bittering precisely, but also realize that after a 60 minute boil, the isomerization process has pretty much completed since the concentration of available AA has dropped significantly. The difference in IBUs between a 60 and 90 minute boil is only around 10%. IOW, the IBUs tend to level off after a 60 minute boil. Boiling 10 minutes shorter or longer won't change the IBUs generated from the bittering charge all that much.

A better solution is estimating (or timing) how long the wort wasn't boiling for. For example, it went off the boil for 10 minutes while adding the later runnings. Then add those 10 minutes to your boil time. Or, since isomerization didn't totally stall, add a little bit less, say only 70%, and thus add 7 minutes. Basically when the boil resumes, set your timer back that amount.

Most importantly, time all your hop additions after the initial bittering charge as you normally would, calculated back from the end of the boil, t-10, t-20, etc.
 
Hop utilization is a chemical process, the isomerization of certain hop components (the Alpha Acids). It works better at higher temps, lower wort gravity and with agitation. It doesn't terminate when the wort loses its boil or when the gravity changes, its reaction speed just slows to the given circumstances.



So when you dilute your wort with cooler lower gravity runnings, the isomerization process slows down momentarily until it reaches boil again. And it will be a bit more efficient from there on because of the (slightly) lower gravity.



By doing this it will be harder or impossible to calculate your bittering precisely, but also realize that after a 60 minute boil, the isomerization process has pretty much completed since the concentration of available AA has dropped significantly. The difference in IBUs between a 60 and 90 minute boil is only around 10%. IOW, the IBUs tend to level off after a 60 minute boil. Boiling 10 minutes shorter or longer won't change the IBUs generated from the bittering charge all that much.



A better solution is estimating (or timing) how long the wort wasn't boiling for. For example, it went off the boil for 10 minutes while adding the later runnings. Then add those 10 minutes to your boil time. Or, since isomerization didn't totally stall, add a little bit less, say only 70%, and thus add 7 minutes. Basically when the boil resumes, set your timer back that amount.



Most importantly, time all your hop additions after the initial bittering charge as you normally would, calculated back from the end of the boil, t-10, t-20, etc.


Right so for everyone who just said WTF this means time your runnings or wait to boil until you have your volume.
If you ALWAYS have your volume prior to reaching boil then you don't have anything to worry about.
If you use a calculator for recipe building try adjusting your preboil volume for kicks and see what it does to your IBU's. it can be dramatic and that doesn't take into account for the temperature loss when tossing late runnings into the boil kettle.
 
I didn't describe how to batch sparge anywhere in my post.
I didn't say you did. What you did is caution against a hypothetical that doesn't reflect how people batch sparge, generally speaking.

I could offer that the OP's beer may under attenuate if he pitches his yeast before he collects his full volume. That also wouldn't be describing how to batch sparge. It wouldn't be super helpful either.
 
You don't have to say anything.
This isn't for you or me because we collect all of our wort before boiling.
This would be for brewers who collect slower and/or with systems that reach boiling temperatures quickly.
Why do you insist your method or system is representative of every homebrewer in existence?

Collecting fast is typical of (, and the main point of) batch sparging. That's my point. My method is representative of batch sparging.
 

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