Vorlauf or no vorlauf?

[tellyho]

I run a quart out to make sure there's no serious junk (slotted copper manifold), then let er rip.

 

[501irishred]

I MIAB, and use a pump to recirculate (vorlauf) for ten minutes once the mash is done. Yes I know it could be done faster, but the ten minutes gives my sparge time to heat, and me to go pee or refill the coffee. Brewday is so push-button now that if I changed it the stars would collide and the world would end. Or that's what the voices in my head say.

im just glad to see I’m not the only one that drinks coffee while brewing (beer)!

 

[cmac62]

You don’t need to vorlaugh as long as your using liquid yeast.

...unless you’re doing LODO

Next subject please........

What does liquid yeast have to do with vorlauf?

 

[Moose_MI]

Not a frickin thing... Or .... maybe everything ?

We’ll know when Brulosophy does the exbeeriment....stay tuned and DONT TOUCH THAT DIAL!

 

[seatazzz]

im just glad to see I’m not the only one that drinks coffee while brewing (beer)!

Coffee until the boil is on...then I'm sampling whatever I've got on tap!

 

[seatazzz]

It's not just detrimental to the grain bed, but also the pump. Throttling flow to a centrifugal pump on the inlet side can cause the pump to cavitate, which creates lots of small bubbles. These bubbles are abrasive to the impeller, and other internal parts, and prolonged cavitation will damage the pump. Doesn't matter whether the flow is restricted by the grain bed, or an input side valve, the effect is the same. So what you need to do is throttle the pump on the outlet side - to a flow rate below the grain bed limited flow rate.

Pumping faster than the grain bed will allow can also cause air ingress into the volume below the grain bed, in which case the pump will be sucking air. This can also damage the pump.

Brew on

I agree with the above. I throttle the flow at the mash tun, not the pump; start it out full blast, then slowly turn the valve down until it's where I want it. Seems to set the grain bed just right without causing problems. I haven't had a stuck mash in yonks, and I mill as fine as my mill will go.