Low tech sparging methods?

[wildtower]

I'm making all grain wheat beers with really basic equipment and I'm wondering what are some low tech ways to get a better sparge? So far my method has been mashing my grain in my pots, then pouring them into a BIAB mesh bag in the primary bucket, draining the grain bag and then running another two liters of hot water through the grain bag. I'm wondering if I'm getting a good enough sparge on my grains.

Any advice?

 

[GoodTruble]

One of the easiest is pulling the BIAB and just dunking it in a separate pot of water for a bit.

 

[schmurf]

On my first brews I did what GoodTruble mentioned, but then I skipped any sparging went full volume mashing and I've never looked back really. I get about 80% mash effiency and thats good enough for me and I have, usually, no complaints about the final beer.

 

[madscientist451]

If you are hitting your expected numbers, RDWHAHB.

 

[doug293cz]

Mash efficiency is equal to conversion efficiency times lauter efficiency. Sparging improves lauter efficiency by rinsing more of the sugars (created by conversion of starch to sugar) out of the spent grain mass. It is possible to calculate conversion efficiency and lauter efficiency if the needed data items are collected during the brew day. The required data are:

• Strike water volume
• Grain bill weight
• Grain bill potential (weighted average of all grains used, can use 80% or 37 ppg if you don't have detailed data)
• Grain absorption rate (if draining completely after sparge)
• SG of wort in mash immediately prior to draining
• Pre-boil volume
• Pre-boil SG,
• Post-boil volume
• Post-boil SG (OG)

The calculations can be done using this spreadsheet. If your lauter efficiency is better than the theoretical efficiency for a single batch sparge, with all run-off volumes equal, then you are doing a good job of sparging. If not, then you should look at just doing a simple batch/dunk sparge instead of your current process (if you care about improving your efficiency.) Of course, what @madscientist451 says above is also a valid choice. It's all about what's important to you.

Brew on

 

[hotbeer]

I do small batches of beer so am only dealing with 3 - 3.5 lbs or less of malts. I also am using BIAB. But I put the malts in the bag from the get-go.

I do my initial infusion in about 1.25 quarts of water per pound of malts. I also have my most of my additional water divided up between two other pots and heated to my mash out temp or what ever temp floats my boat that day. During the mash mash, every 10 or 15 minutes I'll squeeze the bag several times with some tongs to circulate the water through it.

At the end of my mash, I'll transfer the bag to one of the other pots. Push the bag around with a spoon or maybe squeeze it with a big pair of tongs as I did during the initial infusion. After a few minutes, transfer to the next pot and do the same.

Then I pour all the wort from the pots into my boil kettle and put the bag in a large strainer over one of the empty pots to continue draining. Sometimes if I see I'm short of water/wort I'll squeeze the bag. Usually before the wort boils the bag will be finished draining over the other pot and I'll add the wort from it to the kettle.

This never fails to give me a good efficiency unless I don't get a good crush on my malts. And for small batches on the stove top it's an easy thing to do.

 

[kevin58]

If you have a big enough kettle just BIAB using a full volume mash and skip the sparge.

 

[Wolfbayte]

Nothing wrong with low tech brewing. What size is your kettle? If it is not large enough for a full volume, no-sparge mash, you can sparge to make up the volume a number of ways:

1. Dunk sparge as others have suggested.
2. Use a spare bucket with a strainer, grate, or Zapap over it and sparge over that to get the rest of your volume.

You also need not heat your sparge water if you don't want to. Squeeze if you want, or don't if you don't.

What is a Zapap? Zapap lauter system

Here's a pic of mine: https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/data/attach/707/707389-20220421-174013.jpg

 

[wildtower]

On my first brews I did what GoodTruble mentioned, but then I skipped any sparging went full volume mashing and I've never looked back really. I get about 80% mash effiency and thats good enough for me and I have, usually, no complaints about the final beer.

It's nice to know that I don't need to get every last bit from it, and that good enough is also good, thanks!

 

[wildtower]

Mash efficiency is equal to conversion efficiency times lauter efficiency. Sparging improves lauter efficiency by rinsing more of the sugars (created by conversion of starch to sugar) out of the spent grain mass. It is possible to calculate conversion efficiency and lauter efficiency if the needed data items are collected during the brew day. The required data are:

• Strike water volume
• Grain bill weight
• Grain bill potential (weighted average of all grains used, can use 80% or 37 ppg if you don't have detailed data)
• Grain absorption rate (if draining completely after sparge)
• SG of wort in mash immediately prior to draining
• Pre-boil volume
• Pre-boil SG,
• Post-boil volume
• Post-boil SG (OG)

The calculations can be done using this spreadsheet. If your lauter efficiency is better than the theoretical efficiency for a single batch sparge, with all run-off volumes equal, then you are doing a good job of sparging. If not, then you should look at just doing a simple batch/dunk sparge instead of your current process (if you care about improving your efficiency.) Of course, what @madscientist451 says above is also a valid choice. It's all about what's important to you.

Brew on

Now I realize where that missing water volume went, it's in the grain! I will check out that spreadsheet and start measuring more of these variables.

 

[wildtower]

Nothing wrong with low tech brewing. What size is your kettle? If it is not large enough for a full volume, no-sparge mash, you can sparge to make up the volume a number of ways:

1. Dunk sparge as others have suggested.
2. Use a spare bucket with a strainer, grate, or Zapap over it and sparge over that to get the rest of your volume.

You also need not heat your sparge water if you don't want to. Squeeze if you want, or don't if you don't.

What is a Zapap? Zapap lauter system

Here's a pic of mine: https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/data/attach/707/707389-20220421-174013.jpg

I do not have a 20L kettle. But I have a 10L a 15L and my primary bucket to juggle wort back and forth between.

Last time I just managed to fit all my mash and grain between the two pots, and then I dumped them into the primary fermenting bucket lined with a BIAB to catch the grains. My 15L canning pot comes with a straining plate that sits 1/3 the way up from the bottom, that's helped a lot for draining and sparging. Though I'll remember that bucket idea if I decide I want to free up my big pot for boiling.

I think I'll continue to combine a bit of dunking in the bucket, and some sparging through the bag, I think that will be good enough.

Thanks everyone for the tips and advice!