First all-grain batch, vessel question

[bpac]

Hi everyone!

I'm about to brew my first all grain batch, and I've run into a bit of a problem. Turns out, I don't have a hot liquor tank. I didn't think I'd really need it, and just kind of saw it as a way to make the homebrew shops more money. I just figured i'd use my kettle and everything would be cool. I think i'll be okay for most of it, but my big issue comes in during sparge time. i can't use the kettle for the source of the sparge water and collect it at the same time, so I was thinking about using a bucket for a temporary solution.

The question comes here: should I heat up the sparge water to 175, then pour it into the plastic bucket, and use that to be my source for the sparge water, eventually ending in the kettle? or should i use the kettle for the source, eventually going into the plastic bucket, which I will then pour back in to the kettle to start the boil? The benefit here would be better temperature retention of my sparge water.

also, to make things more complicated, the recipe i'm using requires a FWH addition so I'm wondering if that would screw up the 2nd method.

sorry if this doesn't make sense! but i appreciate the feedback.

 

[Dogphish]

i would suggest you heat the water to 175 in the pot, mix the grains, and let it mash at 150 to 155 for a half hour or an hour. gently heat the pot to keep it at 150 to 155 degrees.

then you need two buckets. you have to drill hundreds of 1/8 inch holes in the bottom of one bucket, and place it inside the other bucket. fill the inner bucket when the mash time is over. lift the inner bucket, and drain it into the outer bucket (through the holes in the bottom).

 

[bpac]

I ended up using my bottling bucket as my HLT using the fly sparge method, and it seemed to work swimmingly. Well, other than all the wort all over my floor haha. I lost a little temperature, but we'll see how my OG turns out! I'm in the boil now.

I just didn't have the time or equipment to try your method, but i really appreciate it!

 

[cms]

If you're batch sparging, then a HLT is totally optional. I wasn't very prepared on my first AG brew day but managed to handle that by using a smaller pot to heat the sparge water. You could collect your runnings in a spare bucket until it's time to boil. I'd try to avoid using the bucket for the HLT. It's just too hot and the extra step (pot to bucket) and its poor insulating qualities will make it a nightmare to try and hit your temps.

 

[Dogphish]

you had better clean and sanitize that bucket! that grain is probably full of microbes and wild yeast.

usually a mash tun is a pre-boil piece of equipment, and you just need to rinse and dry it, but you used the bottling bucket...

 

[theonetrueruss]

I batch sparge in 2 batches and use an ice chest to hold my sparge water to free up the kettle.

 

[bpac]

you had better clean and sanitize that bucket! that grain is probably full of microbes and wild yeast.

usually a mash tun is a pre-boil piece of equipment, and you just need to rinse and dry it, but you used the bottling bucket...

I did. I sanitized everything except the mash tun. I'm a little confused though, as no grain went into the bucket. It only held my 175 degree sparge water. I just put the bucket on top of a counter, mash tun on a chair, and kettle on the floor. Then I opened the valve on the bucket as well as on the mash tun so the liquid would stay at a fairly constant level until my kettle was at 6.5 gals. My anticipated OG was 1064, and it ended up at 1061, so I'll take it.

@all: It sounds like batch sparging is the better way to go for me, I'll just need to do some more research on how to actually do it. Based on what I've read so far, it seems too easy.

 

[astropunk]

Batch sparging is pretty easy. You will need 3 containers. Most of us use a cooler for the mash tun. I use a 8gal boil kettle and a 5gal sparge water kettle.

 

[ThePearsonFam]

I don't think it'll really matter which way you do it...

I used to sparge from my HLT, through my MT and drain into a bucket so I'd know my pre-boil volume. I'd simply pour the contents into my BK when I collected enough wort. People will tell you that you stand the chance of damaging your beer by introducing Hot-Side Aeration. If you're worried about it, simply siphon from the bucket to your kettle.

If you want to simply end up with your wort in the BK, then consider running straight into the BK as you sparge. If you're worried about maitaining temperature, have a small pot of close-to-boiling water sitting beside you and pour some in as your temp drops. I typically fly-sparge at 167 degrees to limit the possibility of tannin extraction, and I often have to fire my burner during the sparge to bring the temp back up to 167ish. I also perform a mash-out at 167 to stop conversion, but this is purely personal preference (read-optional).

If it were me, I'd do a dry run to see which method affords you more control and which method is easier. I'd much rather do something that easier because that'll encourage me to do it again. I don't want to do stuff that I don't enjoy.

 

[mmonacel]

My process when batch sparging (I double batch sparge):
- while resting the mash, heat all the sparge water in kettle
- drain the mash tun into a decent sized stock pot (I use a 8 qt / 2 gal pot) and then put on stove to keep warm. Remember that you won't get much since the grain absorbs most of the water...
- take empty primary fermenter bucket and put sparge water in there. Do first sparge and put lid on bucket to keep the heat for next sparge. If you really wanted you could keep that water in the kettle over the flame until you're ready to drain the tun again.
- drain tun from first sparge into the kettle and start next sparge process
- add the wort you had on the stove to the kettle
- drain from second sparge and get right to boil quickly since you've been keeping it hot all this time already
- sanitize fermenting bucket like you would any way. Since it only had water in it there's no real mess.