Sparging Question

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

ZenFitness

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2013
Messages
130
Reaction score
4
As I understand it, the two basic methods of sparging at home are fly sparging (basically sprinkling water over the grain bed at a slow rate consistent to what is draining out into the boil kettle) and batch sparging (draining the mash tun, refilling it with sparge water, mixing the grains, let them settle, then drain).

Question - I have a 10 gallon water cooler mash tun and another 10 gallon cooler for sparge water. If I run a hose from the sparge water cooler to a piece of punctured tinfoil on the top of the grain bed in the mash tun and introduce sparge water very slowly, is that considered a form of fly sparging?

Or am I confused here? :)
 
Yes, that is a form of fly sparging. I'd ensure the hose is food grade, and you may want to consider a sparge arm that's a little sturdier than tin foil.

I batch sparge in my 10 gallon round cooler because I great efficiency, it's easy, and it takes less time than fly sparging. Nothing wrong with fly sparging though if that's what you want to do.
 
Not sure the cooler will make a good HLT... usually, fly spargers use very hot water, and those coolers will deform/impart plastic taste at higher temps. Better read up on that.
I batch sparge, but still, I use a SS kettle with electric hot water tank element installed for a dedicated HLT. Might think about using a metal pot instead.
 
Not sure the cooler will make a good HLT... usually, fly spargers use very hot water, and those coolers will deform/impart plastic taste at higher temps. Better read up on that.
I batch sparge, but still, I use a SS kettle with electric hot water tank element installed for a dedicated HLT. Might think about using a metal pot instead.

Coolers work fine as HLTs, and many of the online hone brew shops sell two cooler systems as a HLT/MLT combination. I've noticed no plastic tastes with my home depot cooler and they are sold for hot water as well as cold water tanks.

Fly sparge water shouldn't be much above 175f, to give 168f or so in the mash tun.
 
Back
Top