Efficiency increases while using a recirculating MLT?

[Paraops]

Guys, I'm in the process of building my single tier and plan on using one March pump, restricting me to batch sparging. My questions to those run the same set up...

1) During the mash and sparge, when do you start your recirc?

2) Have you encountered a greater efficiency using the recirc? It seems to me that a recirc would mimic a fly sparge in a way, yielding higher efficiency.

Thanks!

 

[Bobby_M]

1. Since I run my temp control manually (light the burner or not), I only recirculate when I light the burner. I do that if I fall a couple degrees below my target and or to step mash or mash out.

2. It might help with conversion by keeping temps more consistent across the whole volume of mash but it would only increase efficiency if you had conversion problems before. You don't get a sparging effect by using high gravity wort. The sugar concentration of the mash is homogeneous. IOW, pouring 1.080 wort on top of grain that is soaked with 1.080 wort isn't going to derive any higher gravity.

 

[Paraops]

Thanks, Bobby.

 

[Wables]

I recirc with my direct fired keggle MLT. I think that it is worth 4-5% if I recirc while heating up for the mash-out, about 15 minutes in total. I brewed a blonde about 3 weeks ago and got major husky flavors. I think that the extended recirc is causing me to pick up some off flavors. I brewed a similar batch last weekend with only a 1 minute recirc and no mashout. If I don't have the huskiness, I am not going to recirc for that long anymore. If it didn't help, I am going to have to back off on my crush.