scottballz
Well-Known Member
The title says it all but, Does anyone start to heat up their first runnings, for the boil, while they are batch sparging?
I fire the burner during first runnings as well. I generally sparge with cold water, so I want to get a jump on raising the temp toward boil sooner rather than later.
Why do you sparge w/ cold water??
I did it a few times because I forgot to heat the sparge water. I found that it doesn't have any drawbacks other than that you're heating the water after sparge rather than before. I do it pretty much every time now just because it's how I've been doing it. Works well for me.
Doesn't have any draw backs?!? Lower efficiency?
Doesn't have any draw backs?!? Lower efficiency?
As for energy costs to heat it up, it's the same amount of liquid that has to be heated to boil whether you do it before stirring or after. Costs would be the same. If anything it would be minimally cheaper to heat after the sparge due to lost heat during the sparge.
So was doing some reading around and read that this method, heating the runnings during batch sparge, could actually help to keep my beers from fermenting down in to the driest depths of hell (ie 1.006-1.008) for expected medium body IPAs. Anyone have any input on this theory that by letting my first runnings cool while sparging and filling the kettle can actually make a more fermentable wort??
BeerSmith.com said:Beersmith Mash Temp
The two main enzymes active during the mash are alpha and beta amylase. Alpha amylase, which is most active in the 154-167F/68-75C range, creates longer sugar chains that are less fermentable, resulting in a beer with more body. Beta amylase, which is most active between 130-150F/54-65 C trims off single maltose sugar units that are more fermentable. This results in a more complete fermentation (higher attenuation) and a cleaner beer with a thinner body.
A more complete explanation is as follows: both enzymes work to break longer sugar chains into smaller maltose units that yeast can ferment. Alpha amylase is very flexible as it can break sugars chains up at almost any point, and is useful for creating shorter chains for beta amylase to work on. Beta amylase, in contrast, breaks off single highly fermentable maltose units of sugar, but can only work from the ends of the sugar chain. As a result beta amylase is better at creating single molecule maltose sugars that yeast loves, but it takes longer as it works only from the ends of the molecule. The two enzymes work best when applied in combination which is why we usually mash in the middle temperature range around 153F/67C.
A low step temperature (146-150F/63-66 C) emphasizing beta amylase will therefore result in a more complete conversion to simple sugars, but will take longer to complete. These simple sugars will ferment more readily, producing a highly attenuated beer that has higher alcohol content but less body and mouth-feel.
This would make sense if you aren't doing a Mash Out where you de-nature the enzymes. Otherwise, they're still working on the wort in the BK.
Sorry about the thread-jack.
Why would it take a significant amount of time to reach volume when batch sparging? If it does, something is wrong.
Why wait? I turn on the heat as soon as the runnings cover the element.
Draining a 10 gallon batch only takes me a couple of mins. I vorlauf a quart or so then drain with the valve fully open. Quick and easy.
Why wait? I turn on the heat as soon as the runnings cover the element.
Draining a 10 gallon batch only takes me a couple of mins. I vorlauf a quart or so then drain with the valve fully open. Quick and easy.
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