So tired of crummy efficiency...

[McKnuckle]

Pour it in, stir well, vorlauf, then drain quickly to kettle. Letting the batch sparge volume sit is not productive.

 

[estricklin]

Hey guys, on the batch sparge, do you let your second batch or whatever you call it, set in the tun any length of time or just pour the sparge water in, stir like crazy, and drain?

Kind of up to you, I've let it sit for 5-10 minutes before, not really on purpose. Main thing is just to stir...stir...then stir more.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Awesome guys!

 

[estricklin]

Awesome guys!

Oh and lastly, going to Cardinals games will probably improve your mash efficiency.

 

[d3track]

Pour it in, stir well, vorlauf, then drain quickly to kettle. Letting the batch sparge volume sit is not productive.

Agreed, I haven't noticed any benefit to letting it sit - and that's what I've seen from Yooper and Denny comments

 

[azscoob]

Agreed, I haven't noticed any benefit to letting it sit - and that's what I've seen from Yooper and Denny comments

I let mine sit a few minutes to let the grain bed settle, and then drain as fast as I can without getting grain its in my runoff.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Don't you have to vorlouf after you stir it on your second sparge?

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

I would so your collecting clean wort. Not the biggest deal in the world but it's not much effort either.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

I would so your collecting clean wort. Not the biggest deal in the world but it's not much effort either.

OK awesome. I love vorloufing anyways so that'll be cool.

Can't wait to try out batch sparging on my next brew.

Also, I should have beer Smith by tomorrow so I'll be spending the evening getting accustomed to it and setting up my system in it.

 

[jonny24]

One thing you can do to help with accuracy is measure your gravity and volume pre-boil. It won't be your OG but it will tell you exactly how much sugar you got out of the mash.

How are you measuring volume?

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

One thing you can do to help with accuracy is measure your gravity and volume pre-boil. It won't be your OG but it will tell you exactly how much sugar you got out of the mash.

How are you measuring volume?

I'm definitely going to start taking pre boil gravity readings. Especially as I continue to fine tune my system.

I have (as dumb as it sounds) been eye balling it. I haven't taken any of it nearly as seriously as I should still being newer at brewing. Don't get me wrong, the beers have turned out decent, but I'm not at that point yet where I can look at something and be like "oh that'll work, no problem".

 

[jonny24]

I'm definitely going to start taking pre boil gravity readings. Especially as I continue to fine tune my system.

I have (as dumb as it sounds) been eye balling it. I haven't taken any of it nearly as seriously as I should still being newer at brewing. Don't get me wrong, the beers have turned out decent, but I'm not at that point yet where I can look at something and be like "oh that'll work, no problem".

Currently what I do is use 5 gallon buckets that have markings on them. They came with up to 3.5 gal marked in quarter gal increments, and I just extrapolated more lines up the side. So in between the 1/4g line I just eyeball. I use that to gather my water, and between the mash tun and kettle just to measure volumes.

I'd like to use the litre marking, but so much is posted in Imperial that it's easier to just go with it rather than convert a million things.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

For sure! I took a gallon jug and put gallon and liter marks on it so I'll at least know what I'm filling my kettles to etc. I want to get a dip stick with markings on it or a sight glass, but so far, I know where my 7gal, 6.5gal, 5gal, and 4.5 gal marks are at on my brew kettle so for that, for now, I'll probably eye ball still