sideshow_ben
Well-Known Member
I built a new mash tun over the last week and figured I would try making my own sparge arm too. Today I tried fly sparging with it, and realized that I have two quite-different methods in mind:
1. Add just about enough sparge water to so the mash+sparge water equals the total needed. At the end of the sparge, almost all the water will be drained from the lauter tun. During some of the sparge, the level stays 1-2 in above the grain bed, but not for the whole process. This only takes a few gallons of sparge water (roughly half the total amount in the mash tun at mash out).
2. Keep adding sparge water to maintain a constant level in the lauter tun throughout the entire sparge. My idea here is that the water level should always remain 1-2 in above the grain bed, so the constant addition of fresh water pushes all the sugar out. This takes many, many gallons of sparge water (roughly the mash and mash-out volume plus the sparge volume called for in step 1).
I thought No. 2 was the right way, and ended up having to heat about 6 gallons of sparge water. My efficiency was lousy, but I think it was because of poor temperature control and unevenly mixed grains. I started looking into reasons why my efficiency was horrible, and found method No. 1 instead. I thought the water level was supposed to be kept above the grain bed during the whole sparge, so I'm confused which is the right (or better) way.
-ben
1. Add just about enough sparge water to so the mash+sparge water equals the total needed. At the end of the sparge, almost all the water will be drained from the lauter tun. During some of the sparge, the level stays 1-2 in above the grain bed, but not for the whole process. This only takes a few gallons of sparge water (roughly half the total amount in the mash tun at mash out).
2. Keep adding sparge water to maintain a constant level in the lauter tun throughout the entire sparge. My idea here is that the water level should always remain 1-2 in above the grain bed, so the constant addition of fresh water pushes all the sugar out. This takes many, many gallons of sparge water (roughly the mash and mash-out volume plus the sparge volume called for in step 1).
I thought No. 2 was the right way, and ended up having to heat about 6 gallons of sparge water. My efficiency was lousy, but I think it was because of poor temperature control and unevenly mixed grains. I started looking into reasons why my efficiency was horrible, and found method No. 1 instead. I thought the water level was supposed to be kept above the grain bed during the whole sparge, so I'm confused which is the right (or better) way.
-ben