dunk sparge

[Elysium]

What's a dunk sparge? It is a BIAB term....but there seem to be no info on it on the net. Thanks.

 

[tre9er]

It's when you don't do a full-volume mash and instead heat up a few gallons of water in a separate pot, then dunk the grain bag in that pot (and stir if you can) then squeeze the bag and combine the two worts. It generally can give you a boost in efficiency.

 

[whitehause]

Yep...what he said.

I used it when first went AG and was doing BIAB. I only had 5 and 9 gallon pots, so I'd mash in the 9 gal, and heat the remaining water in the 5 gal. After the mash, just dunk the bag in the smaller pot to help pull some more sugar out of the grain.

Worked pretty well till I built keggels, bought burners, installed fittings, ect ect ect . I still use the 9 gal one as a mash tun, and the 5 gal holds my crushed grain till mash in.

Never get rid of a good stainless pot...you'll find a use for it.

 

[IL1kebeer]

+1 on what was said above.

I don't really use it for efficiency. I use it because i only have an 8 gallon kettle so i can't do a decent sized OG beer (DIPA or american stout) using BIAB. I just bought a 10 gallon cooler from home depot and mash in that. While mashing i heat up my sparge water in my kettle. After the mash i drain my bag in my cooler and then i dunk sparge in the kettle. tI drain the bag again in the kettle then I add my first runnings from the cooler to the kettle and im off and running. 75% efficiency with a single run through the grain mill.

 

[Elysium]

+1 on what was said above.

I don't really use it for efficiency. I use it because i only have an 8 gallon kettle so i can't do a decent sized OG beer (DIPA or american stout) using BIAB. I just bought a 10 gallon cooler from home depot and mash in that. While mashing i heat up my sparge water in my kettle. After the mash i drain my bag in my cooler and then i dunk sparge in the kettle. tI drain the bag again in the kettle then I add my first runnings from the cooler to the kettle and im off and running. 75% efficiency with a single run through the grain mill.

Thanks for the reply. The temperature of your water (that goes into the cooler) is high, isnt it? As high as 165-170 F? Doesnt that affect your wort....meaning that the cooler is made of plastic. I am trying to reduce plastic-contact to a minimum (it might be just my stupid whim, but I am concerned )

 

[IL1kebeer]

mashing in a plastic cooler is not a problem. tons of people do it. that plastic is food grade and i think its good up to boiling temps. someone correct me if i am wrong about the boiling temps part.

 

[worksnorth]

Ahhhhhh haaaaa hhhaaaaa I thought this said "drunk sparge" and there are time that I'm almost there by the sparge!!!!!!

 

[Elysium]

Ahhhhhh haaaaa hhhaaaaa I thought this said "drunk sparge" and there are time that I'm almost there by the sparge!!!!!!

Worksnorth.....we just need to use our imagination to picture how "drunk sparge" works. I think we dont even need to post a question regarding that matter.

 

[tre9er]

Worksnorth.....we just need to use our imagination to picture how "drunk sparge" works. I think we dont even need to post a question regarding that matter.

Put it this way: some wort ends up on the floor, someone might hit the deck, and toes could be scalded.

 

[daksin]

It's just a batch sparge in a separate vessel, more a descriptive thing than an actual technique. Also: I've never lost any wort and my toes remain unscalded.

 

[whitehause]

It's just a batch sparge in a separate vessel, more a descriptive thing than an actual technique. Also: I've never lost any wort and my toes remain unscalded.

I'd have to disagree. It's a totally different technique than a batch sparge since there is no true mash tun involved, just the boil pot.

It is exactly what it sounds like, dunking the bag, but in a separate pot of heated water.

 

[Elysium]

I'd have to disagree. It's a totally different technique than a batch sparge since there is no true mash tun involved, just the boil pot.

It is exactly what it sounds like, dunking the bag, but in a separate pot of heated water.

What if you dunk the mashbag in the very same pot you mash in? That would be something "tea bag" method...wouldnt it? Is that tea bag thingy or dunk sparge better when it comes to efficiency?

 

[Yooper]

It is exactly what it sounds like, dunking the bag, but in a separate pot of heated water.

Which makes it sparging...................................

And since the sparge is done with full water in a batch, instead of a continuous (fly) sparging method, it's a batch sparge.

 

[whitehause]

Which makes it sparging...................................

And since the sparge is done with full water in a batch, instead of a continuous (fly) sparging method, it's a batch sparge.

ARRRG.....you and your common sense.


It is a dunk "sparge", so yes I agree it's a sparge. I've had too many mashed, sparged, fermented, and aged final products.

Though I still think it's a different technique of sparging.

 

[Yooper]

ARRRG.....you and your common sense.


It is a dunk "sparge", so yes I agree it's a sparge. I've had too many mashed, sparged, fermented, and aged final products.

HAHAHA- it doesn't happen often but I just really did a literal "LOL" and almost shot beer out of my nose. Which isn't nearly as attractive as it sounds.

 

[whitehause]

HAHAHA- it doesn't happen often but I just really did a literal "LOL" and almost shot beer out of my nose. Which isn't nearly as attractive as it sounds.

Glad I could help...

Thanks Yoop

 

[unkyjack]

mashing in a plastic cooler is not a problem. tons of people do it. that plastic is food grade and i think its good up to boiling temps. someone correct me if i am wrong about the boiling temps part.

I do small-batch (1-gallon) brewing and use a 2-gallon Igloo "Sport" beverage cooler for a mash tun. There is a "not for hot liquids" warning imprinted on the cooler, but it works fine. I noticed that the bottom of the interior of my Igloo cooler seemed to droop or warp very slightly the first time I used it (60-minute mash with 165-degree strike water), but there was no significant damage. Most of the Igloo, Rubbermaid and Coleman coolers I've looked at -- 2-gallon and 5-gallon size -- have a "not for hot liquids" warning on them, but they've been used successfully for mash tuns by many home brewers. There are a number of how-to posts/threads about cooler mash tuns here on HBT.