Sparge Speed

[jamen46]

I am a batch sparger and I am still a little foggy as to why it is so much better to drain the sparge so slowly. I've heard and read people saying it is to get more sugars off of the grain, but I don't think it has any effect. I feel like the longer you let the grain sit in the sparge water, the better the effect. The sparge water is going to dissolve the sugars left on the grain. Once the sugars are in solution, they don't separate. So, the drain speed should have nothing to do with it.

 

[bobbafett]

You will get a higher efficiency if you sparge very slow. I do 10 gal and take 1 hour to sparge. I get high 80's for my efficiency. I did 24# grain and pretty-boil 13 gal with 1.090.

 

[jamen46]

^ Yes, but why do you get higher efficiency? What is your efficiency like if you sparge faster?

 

[Brewnoob1]

I've read that it makes very little difference. However, I haven't put it to the test as I only have a half dozen AG brews under my belt and still working on efficiency. Only thing I've done is Fly Sparge against Batch Sparge. Seems to not be very different between those two methods at least for me. I personally drain what I'd call medium. Not full open but not just barely open either. I do about a 1/4 open on the ball valve. Works for me.

 

[brewmadness]

I think it may depend on your mash tun setup. Whether you are using a braided line, manifold or false bottom. I use a braid and tried opening the valve near full during a sparge noticed definite channeling. Slower drain you will get a more even flow through your grain bed. That may not be as much of an issue if say you were using a false bottom, but I'm not sure. Maybe someone using a false bottom can chime in?

 

[amandabab]

I feel like the longer you let the grain sit in the sparge water, the better the effect. The sparge water is going to dissolve the sugars left on the grain. Once the sugars are in solution, they don't separate. So, the drain speed should have nothing to do with it.

correct on both points when batch sparging.

 

[davekippen]

And another senior member posted in another thread the other day that they only see an efficency difference due to the amount of stirring during the batch sparge. They said the time the grains sit in the sparge water or the speed of draining had little effect, but if they stirred for one minute vs 5 minutes, there was a large efficiency difference. Sounds like there is really no definitive answer at this point.......

 

[amandabab]

the time the grain sits in the sparge water really only needs to be long enough to bring the whole bed up in temp and stabilize. at least that much time, but a lot more time isn't really needed. Stirring it well helps to both saturate all the grain and raise the temp of all the grain evenly.

drain speed doesn't matter though, and channeling around a braid doesn't matter because what is flowing is a sugar solution anways.

 

[jamen46]

the time the grain sits in the sparge water really only needs to be long enough to bring the whole bed up in temp and stabilize

I don't necessarily agree. It takes some time for the sugars to become dissolved. What that time is, I don't know, but I would imagine it is a little bit of time.

And again, this is only batch sparging.

 

[Xpertskir]

Denny...One of the most prolific batch spargers on here will soon enter and say "once you are done vorlaufing, open it all the way..it makes no difference"