Pump use with batch sparge MLT and braid

[quickerNu]

I gifted myself a Mark 2 pump for Christmas, and it has made my brew day much simpler and safer. However, I would love some input on using it with my mash. Previous, I relied in gravity to drain the tun. Is there any drawback to pumping it out? Should I pump it slowly or empty the MLT as fast as possible? Is channelling a concern here?
Thanks for any feedback. My last brew had a terrible efficiency pumping quickly, but a few other variables may be to blame.

 

[Dland]

Slow gravity is good, but slow pumping works fine.

Generally I use a combo, as seen in avatar. I'll even gravity from mash tun to boil kettle for the first 2/3of sparge, nice, slow & quiet. But good to have the pump(s) to move along or finish it up if not multi fully tiered.

 

[wilserbrewer]

With batch sparge you can empty the tun as fast as you like....without sticking the mash...if it drains, let er rip...
Channeling is an issue w fly sparging, not with batch sparging as you should be stirring a few times anyhow....

Channeling and batch sparge doesn’t exist.

Channeling is fresh pure sparge water channeling through the grain bed, w batch sparging there is no fresh pure water as it is stirred into the grain when added, drain the tun, rinse and repeat.

 

[quickerNu]

With batch sparge you can empty the tun as fast as you like....without sticking the mash...if it drains, let er rip...
Channeling is an issue w fly sparging, not with batch sparging as you should be stirring a few times anyhow....

Channeling and batch sparge doesn’t exist.

Channeling is fresh pure sparge water channeling through the grain bed, w batch sparging there is no fresh pure water as it is stirred into the grain when added, drain the tun, rinse and repeat.

Thanks, that is what I thought, but my efficiency was terrible this batch, and I've never had a pump before. However, I also have never used this LHBS before, or this new 10 gallon MLT, and a few other factors. I am trying to establish a system with my new equipment and wanted to make sure how quick I drain the MLT isn't a factor.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Thanks, that is what I thought, but my efficiency was terrible this batch, and I've never had a pump before. However, I also have never used this LHBS before, or this new 10 gallon MLT, and a few other factors. I am trying to establish a system with my new equipment and wanted to make sure how quick I drain the MLT isn't a factor.

You talking brewhouse efficiency? I was consitently in the low 60's with a cooler mash tun and torpedo tube filter doing a single batch sparge. Between grain absorption and wort left in the MT (I'm guessing at least a quart of wort that didn't drain out...maybe two), I was really losing a lot of sugars. I switched to using a bag in my mash tun cooler and milling my own grains. I immediately went up to over 70% brewhouse efficiency.

A pump won't help your efficiency and draining slow or fast for a batch sparge won't make any difference. Do you take measurements at each stage? I take the following measurements:

Strike volume
First runnings volume
First runnings gravity
Sparge volume
Second runnings volume
second runnings gravity
Pre boil volume (sum of the first and second runnings)
Preboil gravity
Post boil volume
Post boil gravity

With these numbers, you can figure out your conversion efficiency, your lauter efficency, mash efficiency and brewhouse efficiency. This will show were things are lost.