How much in and how much out

[arch1tect]

I'm trying to help out here, but can you run through your entire brew process and include a recipe.

PS...I asked you a few questions earlier in the thread that you ignored, so I gave you a direct answer and it seems to me that you replied sarcastically.

 

[JuanMoore]

sorry.. thought i did... I use at "T" connector with a braided stainless (removed the tube) inserted twisted wire to help it not get crshed by grain... that feeds throught the drain hole using some 5/16 OD hose... I have a line "crimp" at the moment to control flow... i think this is where i need the valve instead... to give me a more precise flow...

A braid really isn't well suited for fly sparging. Have you considered batch sparging?

 

[BOBrob]

The 13lb. grain bill you mentioned may be a bit high and could effect the efficiency in a 5 gal.cooler. I use a 5 gal. round cooler and batch sparge with lower grain lbs. and have yet to hit lower than .005 on est OG. There is a thread (" This is how big your mash tun needs to be" by Bobby M) that addresses most all your questions. I would post it but dont know how (me computer dummy) ; my thinking is a looser grain bed gives you high efficiency. As long as the water and grain mix well you should be OK they just need more room. Just my thinking. Cheers

 

[BOBrob]

oooops... 9.5 lbs. is fine in that mlt. Try batch sparge with the same recipe and see what you get. Cheers

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

Do you understand the difference in Temps that the mash will make?

Also, you mention different times when you are taking the gravity. What are you using to do this and at what temp are the samples?

I think you need to just brew some beers and stop worrying about the Gravity readings so much. If you are consistently coming up short on your numbers you can adjust your efficiency to reflect it and compensate with more or less grain.

Didnt see this one... I took my OG when my kettle was going to the burner. I put my sample in a flask and chilled it to 70 degrees and took the reading.

I agree i need a bit more experience in the all grain area... I think my fly sparge was way to fast... i'll slow it down and see..

didnt mean to be sarcarstic.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

A braid really isn't well suited for fly sparging. Have you considered batch sparging?

looking into it...

 

[Yooper]

A braid really isn't well suited for fly sparging. Have you considered batch sparging?

This is what I was going to say. First, a fast fly sparge will hurt your efficiency, as it's the process of diffusion that "pulls" the sugars out of the grain bed as the water slowly moves through the grain. Secondly, a braid has some design flaws in a fly sparge. It will cause channeling and an uneven "rinsing" of the grainbed. The two issues combined are probably a huge part of what happened here.

I'd suggest either changing the braid to a manifold or false bottom, or batch sparging. I'd go with the batch sparging at least for the next brew, as it's faster and would require no changes to your equipment.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

Thats exactly what i plan on doing....

Really appreciate the replies... and Thanks to Bobby_M for his write up on the sparging... that info is priceless.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

okay so i decided to go cpvc manifold... my all grain gear is based on 5 galon batches... so my manifold is made up of mostly elbows and one "T"... my question is can I poke holes or slits not only in the cpvc pipe i plan on using but also in the fittings?.. check the image..

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xGeLskO9NHxoVBEVyowmzcMc8HhT5YLYFVXX5YAaNBs?feat=directlink

I really rather fly sparge and my braided setup obviously was giving me poor efficiency and was more appropriate for the batch sparging mention in this thread... As far as fly sparging this is what i hope will get my OG where it should be.

 

[Denny]

If you think that fly sparging vs. batch sparging will have much impact on your efficiency, you may be surprised. I recently did an interview for a Beersmith podcast with John Palmer and Gordon Strong. All 3 of us were in agreement that there's virtually no efficiency difference between fly and batch sparging. As a data point, on the mash I completed about 20 min. ago, I got 87% efficiency with a batch sparge. Sparge any way that you like, but make sure you evaluate the process so you can know what's really going on.

 

[Norlin]

I took my OG when my kettle was going to the burner.

I think this would be the SG you take to check efficiency, but your OG reading should be after the boil which is the Gravity reading you're going to be using to calculate ABV%

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

If you think that fly sparging vs. batch sparging will have much impact on your efficiency, you may be surprised. I recently did an interview for a Beersmith podcast with John Palmer and Gordon Strong. All 3 of us were in agreement that there's virtually no efficiency difference between fly and batch sparging. As a data point, on the mash I completed about 20 min. ago, I got 87% efficiency with a batch sparge. Sparge any way that you like, but make sure you evaluate the process so you can know what's really going on.

Thats interesting... you thats the nicest way i've been told.... "your doing it wrong"..

Their is another reason i've decided to go to a manifold as my SSBraid setup I was affraid I would break it at Mash-in. I have to brew in the next few days... so hopefully between the info on this thread (and others i've read) will help me be more efficient. I have also added two lbs. to my grain bill just in case.

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

I think this would be the SG you take to check efficiency, but your OG reading should be after the boil which is the Gravity reading you're going to be using to calculate ABV%

Thats right SG.

 

[Denny]

Thats interesting... you thats the nicest way i've been told.... "your doing it wrong"..

Their is another reason i've decided to go to a manifold as my SSBraid setup I was affraid I would break it at Mash-in. I have to brew in the next few days... so hopefully between the info on this thread (and others i've read) will help me be more efficient. I have also added two lbs. to my grain bill just in case.

Just so you know, I've used the same cooler and braid for 411 batches now. The braid is sturdier than you think.

 

[BOBrob]

okay so i decided to go cpvc manifold... my all grain gear is based on 5 galon batches... so my manifold is made up of mostly elbows and one "T"... my question is can I poke holes or slits not only in the cpvc pipe i plan on using but also in the fittings?.. check the image..

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xGeLskO9NHxoVBEVyowmzcMc8HhT5YLYFVXX5YAaNBs?feat=directlink

I really rather fly sparge and my braided setup obviously was giving me poor efficiency and was more appropriate for the batch sparging mention in this thread... As far as fly sparging this is what i hope will get my OG where it should be.

Yes you can do holes (3/32") or slits in the manifold elbows and joints, the number of holes or slits is up to you and how fast you want to drain. I made a 1/2" copper manifold in the shape of a capital "G" for my round MLT and it is mostly 45s & 90s, drilled about a hundered holes and get 80+ efficiency. Channeling while you drain the MLT is the thing to avoid,thus dropping your efficiency. I like batch sparging , just seems quicker and easier. Hope it all works out,Cheers

 

[Dr1nkBeer]

yeah.. i think i'm going to batch sparge this time... using the manifold to make sure i dont have to deal with a stuck sparge.. the Braided line worked really well and it was consistent in being exactly 1.010 under the expected SG... so i'm thinking a slower fly sparge... i have since upgraded to ball valves for better flow control.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[Denny]

It sounds like your main problem is not adjusting recipes to the efficiency of your system. You have to do that no matter how you choose to sparge.