Sparge questions

[Pete08]

(make that question)
I'm planning to go AG real soon due to a couple of reasons, one of which is a good deal on two row. Anyhow, a fellow I bought some kegging items from gave me the low-down on his procedure for AG. After mashing, he slowly runs the liquor into a pan, then repeatedly sparges with it before pouring it into his keggle for the boil. He says he slowly pours his liquor over the grain bed about ten times. I have no reason to doubt his procedure, just haven't heard of it.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[BigKahuna]

Sounds like a very over done Vorlauf. I assume it's an old guy, and I also assume he's the type of guy that's been brewing his own beef for a few decades, and never thought to check with anyone else on what may be best.

You should use the google search here on HBT and search Batch Sparge, also search Fly Sparge, and see what you can learn...I spent 3 days reading day and night before I really understood it and decided which way to go.

 

[Pete08]

I understand he got the technique from a fellow that homebrewed for a while, then amped up and kegs his large batches for local pubs.

 

[cactusgarrett]

He's spot on in vorlaufing, though, as BigKahuna said it might be overkill. I vorlauf around 1gal prior to collecting each batch of runoff, and that seems to do it for me, depending on the grainbill. I would rather error on the side of over-vorlaufing than under-vorlaufing, if that's worth anything.

 

[Bobby_M]

Just to make sure you know, there's more to sparging than what you're describing. Pouring the wort back on top of the grainbed is vorlaufing. After you do that, you either drain the tun fully, then stir in new fresh sparge water (batch sparge) or trickle the sparge water in as you slowly drain the tun (fly sparge).

 

[Pete08]

Just to make sure you know, there's more to sparging than what you're describing. Pouring the wort back on top of the grainbed is vorlaufing. After you do that, you either drain the tun fully, then stir in new fresh sparge water (batch sparge) or trickle the sparge water in as you slowly drain the tun (fly sparge).

I have been studying techniques lately, and find your all grain primer very useful, thanks btw. This is precisely why I'm asking, I knew there was more to sparging. I have done mini-mashes using Deathbrewer's procedure. Maybe the fellow didn't understand my question about the sparge water?

 

[Bobby_M]

Brewing has a lot of jargon "tech specific terminology" and sometimes brewers that try to communicate about technique have a slightly different understanding of that jargon. As far as I know, all the stuff in my primer is based on generally accepted words that I see around here and in all the brewing books.

 

[tdavisii]

sounds like vorlauf times ten to me. I usually vorlauf once then sparge.