| | | | | has been added, since it's been added to the mash |
| Picking up where we left off. | | | | before runoff has begun, we can more properly think |
| We will also go into Sparging or Vorlauf. (It means | | | | of it as a mash infusion, rather than a sparge |
| "To run off" in German) | | | | addition...hence the name "no-sparge". This method is |
| Fly Sparging VS Batch Sparging and No Batch | | | | the easiest way to mash, but at the expense of |
| Sparging in greater detail. | | | | poor extraction, typically 50%. The advantage, |
| Now we know about kettles, As before the bigger | | | | though, is that because all the sugar from the mash |
| the better. | | | | is in solution from the agitation of adding the water, |
| Fly Sparging | | | | lauter design has minimal effect. |
| The usual way most brewers sparge is continuous | | | | Batch Sparging |
| (also called on the fly, or fly) sparging. In this method, | | | | Batch sparging is like partigyle brewing or the English, |
| after vorlauf, the wort runoff is begun and water is | | | | but instead of a separate beer being made from |
| added to the mash tun at the same rate as the | | | | each runoff, the runoffs are combined into a single |
| runoff. It's important to go slow so as to extract the | | | | batch. In batch sparging, mashing is done at the |
| maximum amount of sugar and not compact the | | | | normal ratio ofanywhere from 1 to 1.3 qt./lb. After |
| grainbed, which would stop the runoff. Lauter design | | | | conversion, the sweet wort is recirculated as normal |
| is also highly important in fly sparging. Your lautering | | | | and the mashtun is completely drained as quickly as |
| system must allow no channeling, or the sparge liquor | | | | possible, and an addition of sparge water is added. |
| will "drill" straight down through the grain bed in only | | | | This is stirred into the mash, allowed to rest for a |
| one or 2 locations and leave the rest of the mash | | | | few minutes,thoroughly stirred again, and after |
| unrinsed. Because the buffering power of the grains | | | | recircul;ation is once more drained as quickly as the |
| in the mashtun is continually being diluted by the | | | | system will allow. Sometimes, multiple batches are |
| sparge water, it's necessary to monitor the pH of | | | | added if necessary or an additional infusion is made |
| the runoff. Too high a pH will cause the extraction of | | | | before the first runoff is begun. The advantages of |
| tannins and polyphenols, compromising the quality of | | | | batch sparging are no (or reduced) worries about pH |
| the beer. To counteract this, it is often necessary to | | | | because you're not continually diluting the buffering |
| acidify the sparge water to keep the pH of the | | | | power of the grains, inefficient lautering systems |
| runoff below 6. Because the runoff may take an | | | | don't really affect the extraction rate since the |
| hour or more, many brewers do a mashout step in | | | | sugars from the grain are in solution, a mashout is |
| an attempt to denature the enzymes and prevent | | | | seldom necessary (though may still bedesirable) since |
| further conversion from taking place while the sparge | | | | the wort will be in the kettle more quickly and |
| is happening. However, this method will usually yield | | | | enzymes denatured by boiling, and extraction rates |
| the highest extraction from the grain. | | | | that range from slightly less to slightly more than fly |
| No Sparge Brewing | | | | sparging. The more inefficient your lautering system |
| A no sparge brew has the entire volume of "sparge" | | | | is for fly sparging, the bigger the gain in extraction |
| water added to the mash and stirred in before any | | | | you'll see from batch sparging. |
| runoff has taken place. Even though additional water | | | | |
