How fast do you lauter?

[gotbags-10]

When batch sparging after adding strike water how fast do you drain? Wide open after the grain bed is set or slowly? I'm attempting my 3rd all grain batch today and am still trying to figure everything out. I was reading where John Palmer said to drain at 1qt per minute for maximum efficiency. Also though he never mentioned stirring the grain after adding strike water. But other people here say to stir the living hell out it. What's a fella to do?

 

[kh54s10]

I stir very well then drain wide open.

I read Palmer's book and do not recall him saying to drain slowly. I will have to look again.

Most everything else I have read seems to say that it makes no difference how fast you drain the wort.

 

[Sammy86]

If you look here on HBT and even watch different videos on YouTube I believe there are many different thoughts on this topic.

I believe it's personal preference and how your system works.

For me personally, my first two gallons are done slowly. I open the valve about a quarter of the way so I know the grain bed settles slowly. If my wort isn't running clear then I keep the valve at about a quarter.

Once it runs clear then I open it all the way and let it go.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

 

[riderkb]

Batch sparge means stir like hell and drain quickly then repeat. Fly sparging is the slow drain, no stir method.

 

[Yooper]

Batch sparge means stir like hell and drain quickly then repeat. Fly sparging is the slow drain, no stir method.

Yes, exactly.

For batch sparging, you stir the water in thoroughly, and then vorlauf and drain rapidly. That's the advantage of batch sparging- saving 45+ minutes of sparging time.

For continuous (fly) sparging, it should be done very slowly with an inch or more of liquid above the grain level.

 

[gotbags-10]

I must've misunderstood then. I thought he was talking about batch sparking but it does seem to be more consistent with fly sparge. What is the typical amount of times to sparge? Once or twice? My first two times with all grain I did a mash out with one sparge addition but I think I may drop the mash out and try just sparging only

 

[brewkinger]

I believe it's personal preference and how your system works.
For me personally, my first two gallons are done slowly. I open the valve about a quarter of the way so I know the grain bed settles slowly. If my wort isn't running clear then I keep the valve at about a quarter.

Once it runs clear then I open it all the way and let it go.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

Yes, exactly.



For batch sparging, you stir the water in thoroughly, and then vorlauf and drain rapidly. That's the advantage of batch sparging- saving 45+ minutes of sparging time.



For continuous (fly) sparging, it should be done very slowly with an inch or more of liquid above the grain level.

My answer would be a combination of the above posts. I batch sparge:

Stir like hell, vorlauf slowly at first to settle the grain bed and prevent a stuck sparge with my system and then open it right up and drain [more rapidly] than if I was fly sparging.

As far as the number of batch sparges to do, again it is relevant to your system. I only have a 5 gal cooler, so on many batches, I am forced to split the sparge amount in half to fit in the cooler.
It is an ingrained part of my process and in my mind, 2 rinses are better than one....

 

[Yooper]

I must've misunderstood then. I thought he was talking about batch sparking but it does seem to be more consistent with fly sparge. What is the typical amount of times to sparge? Once or twice? My first two times with all grain I did a mash out with one sparge addition but I think I may drop the mash out and try just sparging only

When I batch sparge, I don't mash out I just add hotter water (like 190 degrees) to get the grainbed up to 165-168, but even that isn't a requirement.

I do one round of batch sparging, but if you can't fit all the sparge water in your MLT, you can do two rounds. Some people say they get better efficiency with two rounds of batch sparging, but for me it hasn't been that way. I generally do 10 gallon batches, so if I split the sparge water in half and used 3 gallons, I don't think I could even stir the grainbed and water- it would be way too thick!

 

[Sammy86]

I must've misunderstood then. I thought he was talking about batch sparking but it does seem to be more consistent with fly sparge. What is the typical amount of times to sparge? Once or twice? My first two times with all grain I did a mash out with one sparge addition but I think I may drop the mash out and try just sparging only

I apologize if I wasn't clear i batch sparge as well.

I get my sparge water to temperature BeerSmith told me 180 last time. Dump it in, stir like hell and start to vorlauf. Once it runs clear I open the valve all the way open and wait for the sweet nectar to come out.

Again, sorry for the confusion