Help...need reasonability check Sparge is thin

[Gaffneydj]

Brewing my first all grain batch (American Wheat).
I'm very new to this process and want to make sure this makes sense. So I have 8 lbs of grain.

I took 3 gallons of water at 154 deg F and soaked my grain in the Tun for 1 hour (perfect temp).
I drained the tun into what will be the boil kettle.

Then I took 4.5 gallons of water at 170 deg F and added that to the Tun for 10 min. I am draining it now and it is very thin compared to the initial batch of water. IS THIS NORMAL, should this SPARGE drain be pretty thin in color. What concerns me is...its a larger volumn to add to the wort and it is thin and watery.

I just want to make sure this is how it is supposed to be. Please help

Thanks...
Newbie.

 

[kylevester]

Yes. You're fine.

As you rinse the grains the color will lighten. With batch sparging (as you're doing) you'll get pretty even color with mash and then the sparges. With fly sparging (adding water "on the fly" as the mash tun drains) you'll get a slow degredation in color intensity.

 

[sculpin]

Yes it's normal. The second runnings will have way less sugar than the firts ones plus you used more watter to sparge than to mash. Some of the mash water will be retained by the grains as well.

You should be concerned with your original gravity after the boil before pitching. If it is close to what the recipe says, you did a great job.

154 is ok for mashing but not for striking. If you put water at 154 in the mash tun then the mash temp is going to be much lower.

 

[Gaffneydj]

Thank you both for the affirmation that this is normal. Yes, Scuplin...I struck at 170 on the button. And I have to admit....when it was boiling, my worries subsided. It smelled and looked heavenly. I absolutely love the smell of boiling wort. Maybe I am weird...but I love it. I am running it through the wort chiller now to get ready to pitch. I guess we'll see when I take my OG, but I think I'm going to be ok.

Thank you again! Cheers!

Drennen