To Squeeze and How Much To Squeeze

[balrog]

I find just patiently letting the bag drain over the kettle for 20-30 minutes yields all but a few ounces.

I'm a patient drainer too; and I like to think it promotes WilserBrewerBag longevity.

Don't squeeze. Spin.

This. Is. AWESOME idea. We just need one of them late night TV Ronco 15# wet grain sized salad spinners.

Or, feeling adventurous, risking life, limb and the need to sleep on the couch for the rest of our marriage, try using the washing machine spin cycle...

 

[TheMadKing]

Thanks.

I have been using the Priceless calculator. I just enetered the amounts for my last batch and if I enter 2 gallons for sparge it will still give me the same amount for "Total Water Needed". I imagine that I need to subtract the 2 gallons from that and that would give me my starting amount and still be at 1.69 qt./lb.

Now with the starting amount being 2 gallons less, that has to affect the strike temp?? May need to adjust for that.

Yes, your strike temp will need to be higher because your strike water has less volume (and therefore mass) to retain heat.

 

[Bigarcherynut]

Yes, your strike temp will need to be higher because your strike water has less volume (and therefore mass) to retain heat.

With that, I may be able to use the numbers the program gives me. Currently with my setup it's been a bit high. Next batch I'll try the strike temp given and see how it works.

 

[TheMadKing]

With that, I may be able to use the numbers the program gives me. Currently with my setup it's been a bit high. Next batch I'll try the strike temp given and see how it works.

With the priceless calculator there is a field for sparge water, so as long as everything else is accurate and you put your 2 gallons of sparge water in there, your strike water temp should be fairly accurate.

 

[Bigarcherynut]

I don't mean to take this thread in a different direction but I feel there are people posting on this thread that could answer this.

Seeing I'm new to all grain and BIAB I've been doing some reading on this but want to know your feelings. I'm understanding some on unfermentables in the wort. With what I've read my longer mash times will create a sweeter beer. Since I'm brewing Porters and a Stout now I'm not worried. What I'm seeing is my FG's are not getting below 1.028 with an OG of 1.07's and 1.064. I don't have my old frig converted to a fermenter yet so working at keeping my temps right on the 3 fermenters. Could this be just the unfermentables keeping the gravity readings up? The way it's looking my ABV will be lower than when I did these recipes with extract.

Thanks.

 

[Bigarcherynut]

With the priceless calculator there is a field for sparge water, so as long as everything else is accurate and you put your 2 gallons of sparge water in there, your strike water temp should be fairly accurate.

See it now. Was thinking backwards. Less water higher strike temp needed.

Thanks.

 

[TheMadKing]

I don't mean to take this thread in a different direction but I feel there are people posting on this thread that could answer this.

Seeing I'm new to all grain and BIAB I've been doing some reading on this but want to know your feelings. I'm understanding some on unfermentables in the wort. With what I've read my longer mash times will create a sweeter beer. Since I'm brewing Porters and a Stout now I'm not worried. What I'm seeing is my FG's are not getting below 1.028 with an OG of 1.07's and 1.064. I don't have my old frig converted to a fermenter yet so working at keeping my temps right on the 3 fermenters. Could this be just the unfermentables keeping the gravity readings up? The way it's looking my ABV will be lower than when I did these recipes with extract.

Thanks.

The amount if unfermentables in your wort is more related to the grain bill and adjuncts that you use.

Usually high FG's like that are a result of recipes using too much crystal malt or lactose.

The length of mash shouldn't affect your fermentability much, but your mash temperature does. A longer mash can boost conversion efficiency though

A higher mash temperature (152-158F) will result in more complex starches and fewer simple sugars, while a cooler mash temp (146-151F) will result in a highly fermentable wort.

So if you do a 90 minute mash at 153F you're going to end up with a medium- to - full bodied beer with a higher FG than if you did a 90 minute mash at 149F.

Does that answer your question?

 

[TexasWine]

I do have a pulley system. All I need to do is make a spreader to hold the bag open and I'm good to go. Is 168 degree the normal for sparge water? Using the Priceless calculator that's the default temp.

Thanks.

Hot (168°F) or cold, doesn't matter. It won't impact efficiency. The advantage of going with hot sparge is that it's a faster brew day compared to doing to cold sparge.

 

[Bigarcherynut]

The amount if unfermentables in your wort is more related to the grain bill and adjuncts that you use.

Usually high FG's like that are a result of recipes using too much crystal malt or lactose.

The length of mash shouldn't affect your fermentability much, but your mash temperature does. A longer mash can boost conversion efficiency though

A higher mash temperature (152-158F) will result in more complex starches and fewer simple sugars, while a cooler mash temp (146-151F) will result in a highly fermentable wort.

So if you do a 90 minute mash at 153F you're going to end up with a medium- to - full bodied beer with a higher FG than if you did a 90 minute mash at 149F.

Does that answer your question?

Yes it does. Perfect.

Thanks Much!

 

[wilserbrewer]

try using the washing machine spin cycle...

Too late, it's already been done....

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96RXpiu73Mc[/ame]

 

[wilserbrewer]

I'm thinking of now trying some type of sparger to see what it will do to my numbers which from what I read should increase. Now the million dollar question. What would be my best option.

A dunk type or what I would think would be easier would be to lift the bag out of the wort, open it up and poor the sparge water over the grain. Now the other part of the question, how much water?

Thanks all.

Surprisingly, you don't need to open the bag to pour sparge water over the grain. The bag is so pourous that merely slowly pouring water over the top of the grain bag nicely runs rught through the grain. I was surprised how well this works, I anticipated the water cascading over the outside of the bag, but it doesn't.

With regards to "how much water", it is much easier to sparge to a desired volume than calculate, or should we say approximate it....sorry priceless

I tend to use a pour over sparge more as a preboil volume adjustment rather than a means to improve "chase efficency"