Stainless sparge arm = let down!!!

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.

Rugrad02

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2012
Messages
207
Reaction score
13
Location
Wilmington, NC
I bought a Stainless Sparge arm today from my LHBS. You know, the one that spins??? I know, you don't really need such fancy things but I have always wanted one. I got a good deal on it and it was kind of a splurge for me. I'm not the type of person that usually gets sucked in to gimmicks but the nerd in me couldn't resist.

I had been using a small section of hollowed out brew spoon attached to my silicone tubing. The spoon section was about the length of a AA battery. I used a drill bit to hollow it out and then drilled 4 tiny holes in the sides so that the water shoots or trickles out in a + pattern. It worked well enough but I started to get concerned with channeling because the water shoots in the same constant direction over the grain bed.


So, I gave in and bought this sparge arm. It came with a white plastic plank with a hole screwed in the middle, a section of brew hose and clamp and the stainless sparge arm. At the end of each side of the rotating arms were a black cap that didn't even appear to be made from a food safe material. I'm guessing some sort of PVC and I question what will happen to them when warmed to sparge water temps.

I hooked it up, like I normally would and gave it a go with water. I slowed my valve down until the arm was close to stopping. The flow rate was still too fast. It took only 14 minutes to go through 4 gallons of water. The idea of the arm is fantastic but the design is not up to par. The arm seems to be held together by a wire and is anything but smooth. The thing works like a champ when the valve is open at full but what's the point? Slower sparge is better right?

I could let the water simply trickle out of the arm slowly and without spinning but then I once again run the risk of channeling. Any ideas on what to do with this thing now? Is there a way to improve the function myself? Any thought would be appreciated.
 
Using a pump or gravity? I've got an old copper version of that sparge arm that works fantastic with a pump, not so well when using gravity.
 
I'd definitely return. I use a glass pitcher and pour manually always keeping the water level above the grain. I consistently get 75% efficiency and have no desire to get more. I do have to keep an eye on it but you would anyway.
 
use a hose and keep an inch of water above the grist... no channeling.

I'd sell gimmicks but they're so... so... well you know, gimmicky.
 
I use the silicone tube on top of the grain bed and keep 1" of water above the grain. I get 80% efficiency.
 
I did the silicone thing for a while but I noticed that over the course of the mash recirculation and sparge that it would slowly bury itself down about 2" into the grain bed. My next step was to hang the end off the mash tun lip with a piece of stainless wire. I finally went with the locline and no looking back.
 
I did the silicone thing for a while but I noticed that over the course of the mash recirculation and sparge that it would slowly bury itself down about 2" into the grain bed. My next step was to hang the end off the mash tun lip with a piece of stainless wire. I finally went with the locline and no looking back.

I had the same problem once. The trick that fixed it for me was to have enough silicone tubing down on the grain bed, coiled about 75% around the MT to create enough surface area so that it wouldn't sink.
 
Back
Top