Session beer from 1st runnings?

[HangLoose]

Squeezed the grain and collected another ~3/4 gallons.
Also added 1 gallon of water(155F) while the first runnings were draining.

While you may not have sparged in the textbook style. This IS sparging in my opinion. FWIW

 

[balto charlie]

While you may not have sparged in the textbook style. This IS sparging in my opinion. FWIW

This may be the key. I have read that the Aussies have been doing this(squeezing) for awhile with good results. The added water to the end of the 1st running was just to boost the total BK gallons. I plan to keep this method up for the next mid gravity brews. Less hassle.

 

[HangLoose]

I want to be a jerk and sarcastically suggest that you add a little more water a little more slowly at the end of your mash and then say that you will then have the ultimate no sparge technique... But that isn't what this place is about and I appreciate that.

To each his own. Its silly really but I don't get no sparge. Sparging isn't a trouble for me at all and throwing all that hard earned mash away seems so wrong. All sarcasm aside I'm glad you like it and it works for you. I guess you are mashing in a bag?

 

[stat]

I want to be a jerk and sarcastically suggest that you add a little more water a little more slowly at the end of your mash and then say that you will then have the ultimate no sparge technique... But that isn't what this place is about and I appreciate that.

To each his own. Its silly really but I don't get no sparge. Sparging isn't a trouble for me at all and throwing all that hard earned mash away seems so wrong. All sarcasm aside I'm glad you like it and it works for you. I guess you are mashing in a bag?

No sparging isn't about saving time or trouble its about getting a better quality better tasting wort for low gravity beers, IMO at least. I'm still getting 75% efficiency as opposed to my 80% when I batch sparge on a regular gravity beer so I don't consider it a waste if the body and malt flavor are really better. Having said that I don't really have any low-gravity batch sparged beers to compare against the no sparge low-gravity beers I've done so it could all be in my head.

 

[balto charlie]

I am not saying I have the ultimate technique. All I am saying is that the sg numbers were big. I do not brag about numbers. I was surprised by the numbers. If the numbers are right then I am not throwing out any hard earned mash.
Perhaps it is 'mashing in a bag'.

 

[balto charlie]

No sparging isn't about saving time or trouble its about getting a better quality better tasting wort for low gravity beers......

That is why I was making this. Then I was impressed with the efficiency. Initially I was turned off by the low efficiency numbers some have posted. However, there were enough brewers that show high numbers with this method.

 

[mredge73]

I agree, the myth with no sparge is that you will lose 10-25% efficiency but I have found this myth to be busted.
For me this saves about an hour and a lot of hassle while resulting in a superior product.
And I can deal with loosing 5% efficiency from a $8-$10 grain bill.

 

[HangLoose]

No sparging isn't about saving time or trouble its about getting a better quality better tasting wort for low gravity beers, IMO at least. I'm still getting 75% efficiency as opposed to my 80% when I batch sparge on a regular gravity beer so I don't consider it a waste if the body and malt flavor are really better. Having said that I don't really have any low-gravity batch sparged beers to compare against the no sparge low-gravity beers I've done so it could all be in my head.

Oh. That makes sense. I didn't know there was supposed to be much difference in the flavor or body with no sparge. I do agree that the endless quest for efficiency is silly for most of us, especially if it doesn't make better beer.

 

[cheezydemon3]

do you really get all of the little bits out with a bag? How do you get them out if you don't sparge?

I just bet that all of those fine little bits that filter out through sparging get through the bag.

No big deal?

 

[Piratwolf]

do you really get all of the little bits out with a bag? How do you get them out if you don't sparge?

I just bet that all of those fine little bits that filter out through sparging get through the bag.

No big deal?

Man, cheesy, you seem pretty laser-focused on provoking a disagreement. Might be best to just accept that many people just don't care about efficiency or sparge methods or any of that, and that's cool.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Man, cheesy, you seem pretty laser-focused on provoking a disagreement. Might be best to just accept that many people just don't care about efficiency or sparge methods or any of that, and that's cool.

Man piratwolf, I was asking a legitimate question.

I even started a thread to find the answer. evidently the bits and tannins are no big deal. That answers it.

 

[Piratwolf]

Man piratwolf, I was asking a legitimate question.

I even started a thread to find the answer. evidently the bits and tannins are no big deal. That answers it.

My apologies, sir!

 

[balto charlie]

do you really get all of the little bits out with a bag? How do you get them out if you don't sparge?

I just bet that all of those fine little bits that filter out through sparging get through the bag.

No big deal?

I didn't use a bag but when I squeezed the grain small pieces came through my screen and hose. I use a homemade bazooka tube. Not certain I will squeeze again but if I do I will run the hose through a secondary screen into the BK. If I do squeeze again I will take SG pre and post squeeze. First I want to see if the brew is decent.

 

[cheezydemon3]

My apologies, sir!

No worries!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/biab-no-sparge-tannins-bits-326187/

I didn't use a bag but when I squeezed the grain small pieces came through my screen and hose. I use a homemade bazooka tube. Not certain I will squeeze again but if I do I will run the hose through a secondary screen into the BK. If I do squeeze again I will take SG pre and post squeeze. First I want to see if the brew is decent.

The concensus seems to be that the little bits settle out and are no big deal.