Sparge temp question

[Docjowles]

Short version: should your sparge water be below 170, or should the grain and water end up below 170 after you stir in the sparge water? Batch sparge method.

Long version: I was brewing a 5 gallon all-grain oatmeal stout today on the high end of the style, so a lot of grain. By far the darkest AG beer I've done. I've figured out I get way better efficiency by sparging hot so I heated my batch sparge water to 185. I sparged hot today and my hydrometer samples taste super grainy and tannin-y. Is that just what dark-ass wort tastes like or do you think I sparged too hot? After stirring in the 185 water the mash sat at just 165. Thoughts?

Edit: recipe was from brewing classic styles

9.6 lbs maris otter
1lbs flaked oats
.75 biscuit malt because LHBS didn't have Victory
.75 300L chocolate malt
.5 Crystal 80L
.5 Roasted barley 300L

 

[HItransplant]

short version: the mixture should be below 170 after you add sparge water (im assuming a batch sparge here).

Long version: no, I dont think you sparged too hot.. 165 sounds fine.

not sure about your flavor, maybe someone else has another idea.

p.s. recipe sounds nice

 

[rshosted]

I had a similar experience to you when I started. I was taking my sparge water up to 170, and finding it was below 155 when I measured the grainbed. Since then, I've taken my water up to 195-200 (usually starting around 200 to get the temp and let it cool to 190-195). I've found this substantially increases my yeild and my target SG is right on usually.

One thing I do, is leave a wire thermometer probe just below the surface of the grain and watch that temp. If it gets too hot, I'll add a gallon of cold water to my sparge water to bring it down.

I would guess if you are not raising the temps higher than you said, that is probably not imparting tannins to your beer. Ultimately, you'll need to taste the finished product to see. You might find you lose a lot of the tannin flavor with a good cold break (when you cool it and it precipitates a lot of the proteins.)

If you are noticing Tannins are too much, I would look at your water profile, specific to your PH. I always cheat and use 5.2 (which there are novels of debate over). I know it's a cheat but I don't always want to figure out all the chemicals since I use R.O water.

Let us know how it works out for you!

 

[rshosted]

Also, I just saw you are doing a 5 gallon batch so my suggested temps might be a little high. if I were doing a 5 gallon I would probably try 180-185 sparge water as 5 gallon of grain will heat up faster.

Cheers!

 

[Docjowles]

Thanks for the input, sounds like I am doing it correctly. Like you said my efficiency went up a good 9-10 points after I started sparging hot so I am reluctant to give it up We'll see what the finished beer tastes like. Maybe the flavor was just the roasted barley or something, never used it before.

 

[HItransplant]

Thanks for the input, sounds like I am doing it correctly. Like you said my efficiency went up a good 9-10 points after I started sparging hot so I am reluctant to give it up We'll see what the finished beer tastes like. Maybe the flavor was just the roasted barley or something, never used it before.

doc,
are you using a strike water temp calculator? or just guessing about what temp water to add for a certain grainbed temp.

if not, you may want to check one out... they take the guesswork out of strike water temp, and give you more consistent mash and sparge temps.

 

[Docjowles]

I use beersmith for mash in calculations, but didn't do any for the sparge water. I just stuck my thermometer in after stirring the sparge water in and it read 165.

 

[HItransplant]

I use beersmith for mash in calculations, but didn't do any for the sparge water. I just stuck my thermometer in after stirring the sparge water in and it read 165.

Id use it for sparge temp too, just my $.02