Question on fly sparging

[Fishing73]

When I'm fly sparging and I know I'm getting close to pre boil volume I stop adding water and just let mash tun finish draining.

If I don't have enough pre boil volume I just sparge a little more water till I get my desired volume.

Is this the correct way to do this or should I keep my water an inch or so over grain bed at all times. Then just stop mash tun when I get to preboil volume?

Not sure with precess would rinse more sugar into BK? Thanks guys!

 

[Cranny04]

I just keep about 2 inches of water above the grain until I hit my pre-boil volume...

If your Sparge is working correctly then this will get as much sugar out as possible..

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Some people drain the mash tun completely, while others always keep 1 or 2 inches above the mash until the preboil volume is reached.

Both are fine.

M_C

 

[Fishing73]

Ok, Thanks. I was figuring the opposite. By letting it drain, it would rinse the rest of the sugars out.

 

[starrfish]

I drain it until I hit my volume, which is usually almost all the way.

 

[Fishing73]

I drain it until I hit my volume, which is usually almost all the way.

What kind of efficiency are you getting?

 

[starrfish]

upper 70's to 80%. I crush pretty fine and mash thin so my sparge is never more than 5 gallons.

 

[Bobby_M]

I split the difference. I will usually sparge with about 2 gallons more than I'd need to hit the preboil so that I never fully collapse the grain bed. I will start exposing the top of the grain after the sparge water is all added, but I reach my preboil before it runs dry. If you let the mass of grain start compacting, you can create channeling.

 

[Fishing73]

Thanks y'all!

 

[crackhead7]

I just let it run till I hit boil volume I found that it works best for me I'm usually left with a gallon or two of hot water that I dilute down and use as wash water. I think the concept is the sparge allows the denser sugar fall to the bottom of the tun, as you uncover grain you lose the ability to capture sugar from those grains but is probably negligible towards the end of the sparge. I used to drain at the end as well but switched think I got a bumb in eff. But hard to tell since it wasn't the only change I made.

 

[Beerbuck]

I empty all my water from my kettle. Measuring the water need with beersmith im on every time. A friend were leaving 1-2 over til boil volume is achieved and hes efficiency was terrible ( about 60% if i remember)
I tol him to try emptying the water and he grants up his efficiency.

 

[crackhead7]

I just add 2-3 gallons to what beer smith says to use so that the grain in the tun is always covered. I really think at the end it matters little if you drain or not in my set up but if it works for you go for it!!