An hour to fly sparge?

[sandyeggoxj]

How do people take an hour? I try to run as slow as possible and I still do it in about half hour tops. I typically brew 10 gallon batches but I have 30 gallon kettles and could do up to 20 gallon batches. I use the triclamp sparge arm from stout kettles that came with my vessels.

 

[LandoLincoln]

How do people take an hour? Well, that's easy. A slower flow rate than you're doing.

I typically do 10 gallon batches as well and I'd have to go back to my notes to see how long mine are taking. But 45 minutes to an hour is in the ballpark. I've been getting an 89% brewhouse efficiency lately. I'm pretty new to fly sparging and my efficiency has been bouncing around. Still trying to work out a routine.

 

[Spartan1979]

I just aim for 20 minutes for my 5 gallon batches. I don't mind the lower efficiency to save time. But I could see an hour for 10 gallons.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Huh. Well my brew house efficiency is right At 80%. I'm okay with that. I guess the issue is my sparge arm. If I go super slowit just trickles right down in the middle of the grain bed and doesn't go out the edges. I'm concerned about channelization from the force of the water striking right in the middle.

I usually keep around an inch or so of water on the grain bed while sparging.

 

[jsmcclure]

Just started using the Blichmann autosparge. Expensive but sure makes it slick. I just crank my pump down to a trickle and the sparge runs about 45-60 minutes for 5 gallons. No need to balance inflow and outflow

 

[Cyclman]

I am not a believer (until proven wrong) in sparge arms. If you float 1" of wort over the grain bed, I don't see the purpose. I take 45-60 minutes to sparge, consistently.

 

[FuriousE]

My sparge on a 5 gallon batch is about 60 minutes. Agree with the above poster who says if you're keeping an inch or two of water above the bed, it doesn't matter where the trickle of water goes.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I am not a believer (until proven wrong) in sparge arms. If you float 1" of wort over the grain bed, I don't see the purpose. I take 45-60 minutes to sparge, consistently.

There is no purpose, but they do the job, they look cool and they kinda look like what the pros use in their giant tanks.

 

[pvault98]

I don't care as much about the liquid going into my mash tun as I do the flow rate coming out. I set it to .8L per minute out and just try and keep the mash tun with an inch or so of water on top. The floating sparge arm (don't have one but plan to get one) just simplifies having to regulate the flow in two places and allows me just to focus on the rate going into the kettle. At .8L/min I get a consistent 73% efficiency on 5gal batches, however I need to increase the rate on 10 gal batches to prevent getting too high of an efficiency.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I don't care as much about the liquid going into my mash tun as I do the flow rate coming out. I set it to .8L per minute out and just try and keep the mash tun with an inch or so of water on top. The floating sparge arm (don't have one but plan to get one) just simplifies having to regulate the flow in two places and allows me just to focus on the rate going into the kettle. At .8L/min I get a consistent 73% efficiency on 5gal batches, however I need to increase the rate on 10 gal batches to prevent getting too high of an efficiency.

You have a flow meter set up on your mash tun?

Dang.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I'm getting 94% efficiency with a 40-45 min fly sparge. eHERMS setup, 90 minute boil, .040" mill gap, pH and water adjustments.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I'm getting 94% efficiency with a 40-45 min fly sparge. eHERMS setup, 90 minute boil, .040" mill gap, pH and water adjustments.

What size batch and is that total efficiency or mash efficiency?

 

[Tiber_Brew]

11.25 gallons final volume before chilling, brew house efficiency.

 

[pvault98]

You have a flow meter set up on your mash tun?

Dang.

No, unfortunately not. I just use a nalgene bottle and a stop watch when I start lautering, it just takes a minute or two to get it dialed in and then I check periodically by looking at my sight glass and elapsed time. It is really minimal effort and works consistently for me.

 

[LandoLincoln]

No, unfortunately not. I just use a nalgene bottle and a stop watch when I start lautering, it just takes a minute or two to get it dialed in and then I check periodically by looking at my sight glass and elapsed time. It is really minimal effort and works consistently for me.

Ohhh. You use MATH.

Cheater.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Ohhh. You use MATH.

Cheater.

Fark-like typing detected.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Well, I came close today. I ran my fly sparge for about 55 minutes. Not bad I guess. I calculated my recipe with 75% total efficiency and got a little more than that. I haven't figured out how much more yet. I was shooting for 1.050 and hit 1.052. So a slight bump. 90% belg pils and 10% white wheat.

 

[Smellyglove]

I fly sparge for 90 minutes (6.6 gallons in fermentor). It's just the way I've been doing it, not extracting great efficiencies either, about 80%. I guess I can shorten the time? I sparge and drain until the tun is empty.