How I learned to stop worrying and love the Batch Sparge

[hopshead]

shit... my efficiency was worse than before. under 60%.

Are you cracking the grain? just kidding, I know you are.

I have read this entire thread and my process closest matches that of Bugeater's. I would suggest you get one of your patrons that batch sparges their all grain recipes watch you brew to see if anything stands out to them. Throw in some free ingredients if you have trouble getting takers....

[krizwit]

I dont understand how you can be getting under 60%. Maybe your volumes are off?

I have done several no sparges batches and I get 58-62% efficiency. If you drain your MT, then fill it up with enough water to hit your preboil volume, stir, vorlauf and transfer, you should hit at least 70%.

I am guessing that you may not be draining your MT enough on the first transfer to the kettle and then you add too much water to the MT when you sparge so that you leave a lot of sugars behind in the MT.

[Wutz]

i do stir

i am not letting it sit.

okay, there's one issue.

I'm running off relatively quickly, maybe 3/4 of the way. how slow should i run off?

my water that i infused was 190 in the kettle, so after i pumped it up to the mash tun it was aound 185.

Stir a lot, lot, lot. I'm pouring he water in then stirring the shit out of it to make sure that every kernel of grain has been jostled enough to want to give up the sugars it might still be holding on to.

If I remember correctly, letting it sit for a few minutes helps the sugars "dissolve" into the liquid. I rest for at least 15 minutes when I sparge. Maybe try running off a little slower, too. Maybe running out quickly plus not letting it rest is what's not letting the sparge water pick up the remaining sugars.

I can't think of anything else. I'd be wary of sparging with too hot of water. I'm not sure what temp your grain bed raises to after you throw 185º water at it, but I'd suggest making sure it doesn't get too high (which you probably already know, I'm just making sure you know it in case you don't). I'm doing a mashout so my grain bed is near 168º when I run out my mash the first time. If I dumped 185º sparge water on it, it'd be too hot.

Good luck. Batch sparging works for some of us so it should work for you, too. If you try it again, let us know what happens.

[slanted & enchanted]

thanks guys. Today I re-calibrated all my equipment as far as volumes go (i use basically a dipstick). I was off a bit, but not too bad. I'm going to cement some of my mash tun manifold together so a good whack won't knock it off, I was a bit leery before about really getting in there because i didn't want to dislodge it.

I'll still brew on my fly sparge system saturday, but i'll hit the cooler again wednesday. I'll definitely chime back in. You guys gave me some good info, hopefully it'll solve my issues.

hopshead, i was thinking the EXACT same thing. I'm going to invite one of our "senior" (i mean old) customers to come in and brew with us for free dinner and drinks at the irish pub down the street, that is, if i fuck up my next batch. A lot of time things don't "stick" for me until i SEE it.

[Cliff]

Batch is the only way I've done it.

[slanted & enchanted]

Okay guys. I went back to my old ways, did a 13 gallon batch of oatmeal stout Saturday in my converted kegs, and fly sparged. 80% efficiency.

So I think I can rule out anything pre-mash, like grain crush, etc.

Batch sparging an American brown in the cooler Wednesday. My plan is to stir a shitload more, let it rest for 10-15 before sparging, and just keep a REAL CLOSE EYE on my liquid volumes, which should be easier since I weighed out individual gallons and filled my vessels, then marked a dipstick.

Keep your fingers crossed.

[Fremont Brewer]

Are you using SS braid? If so, how high above the bottom of the vessel is the outlet valve?

I had efficiency problems with my mash tun with SS braid. I had a round igloo cooler with the outlet valve about 2 inches above the floor. In my case, the braid either being crushed by the mash, or floating up in the mash. I was getting inconsistent mash efficiencies.
I might as well had just a cooler with a hole in it. My SS braid was sometimes worthless.

I have since made a CPVC pipe manifold. Cheap and easy. My efficiency has improved and is more consistent.

just a thought.....

[slanted & enchanted]

I have a cpvc manifold as well, fremont.