Hi All,
My brother has been showing me how to brew AG batchs in the last month. The setup he have include a pump to help with the transfer of the wort all over the process (mash, vorlauf, lautering, vortex and cooling).
We had some problem with the latest batchs since the OG pre-boil and post-boil are way below the estimated, resulting in a poor effeciency. After some researchs, I strongly beleived that we've been doing our fly sparge way too fast.
Here's an overview of our mashing and lautering steps. After the conversion time is complete, we are using the pump at full flow rate to do the vorlauf of the grain bed until it run clear. Afterward, we connect the kettle containing the sparge water to the pump and we do the fly sparge at around 50% of the flow capacity. The process takes 20 to 25 minutes... Like I said, I beleive that it's way too short and we should reduce the flow so the sparge takes 60 min or so...
Now I've read on many forums and over the internet that there's no flow limit for the vorlauf using a pump but that using a fly sparge process should be done pretty slowly to prevent channeling in the grain bed.
What is your homebrewers opinion on the fact that using the full flow for the vorlauf could start the channeling of the wort in the grain bed even if we reduce the flow afterward for the fly sparge? Do you think or know if we should adjust the flow of the entire vorlauf/lautering process or keep the full flow for the first part as describe and just reduce the flow afterward?
Thanks for your opinion.
My brother has been showing me how to brew AG batchs in the last month. The setup he have include a pump to help with the transfer of the wort all over the process (mash, vorlauf, lautering, vortex and cooling).
We had some problem with the latest batchs since the OG pre-boil and post-boil are way below the estimated, resulting in a poor effeciency. After some researchs, I strongly beleived that we've been doing our fly sparge way too fast.
Here's an overview of our mashing and lautering steps. After the conversion time is complete, we are using the pump at full flow rate to do the vorlauf of the grain bed until it run clear. Afterward, we connect the kettle containing the sparge water to the pump and we do the fly sparge at around 50% of the flow capacity. The process takes 20 to 25 minutes... Like I said, I beleive that it's way too short and we should reduce the flow so the sparge takes 60 min or so...
Now I've read on many forums and over the internet that there's no flow limit for the vorlauf using a pump but that using a fly sparge process should be done pretty slowly to prevent channeling in the grain bed.
What is your homebrewers opinion on the fact that using the full flow for the vorlauf could start the channeling of the wort in the grain bed even if we reduce the flow afterward for the fly sparge? Do you think or know if we should adjust the flow of the entire vorlauf/lautering process or keep the full flow for the first part as describe and just reduce the flow afterward?
Thanks for your opinion.