Question about Fly Sparging

[TTodd]

I am trying to get set-up for all-grain brewing and I just purchased a 70-QT Coleman Xtreme cooler to use as a Mash tun.

A few weeks ago I took a class offered at my local Home Brew store. In the Mash Tun that they were using, they had a hole drilled through the top of the cooler that was plugged with a rubber bung during the mash phase. When it came time to Sparge, they hooked up a CPVC drip manifold that had a tube coming through the lid of the cooler. To that they connected a hose to feed it with the hot water for sparging.

So I am trying to setup my new cooler and wondering for fly sparging, is it important to keep the lid closed (like they had in their setup)? Most videos I see they just fly sparge into an open cooler.

Before I go and drill a hole through the lid of this cooler - just wanted to get some pointers on whether or not that is necessary.

Thanks in advance

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

it's personal choice as to whether to keep the lid open. The main reason to keep it closed is to maintain heat. The main reason to keep the lid open is to maintain a constant level, not draining or filling too fast. Sparge arms look cool but keeping an inch of wort above the grain bed and a simple hose will accomplish the same thing in most cases.

 

[TTodd]

So keeping the temperature constant with the lid closed is not essential? It's OK to lose some of that heat? I guess with the hotter water entering the tank - it probably doesn't make a huge difference in the water temp - is that right?

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

It's dependent on how good your mash tun's insulation, temperature of your sparge water and how concerned you are with maintaining temperature during the sparge. You are basically rinsing the remaining sugars so it's questionable how critical temperature needs to be. The key thing is not to use water that is too hot.