Am I doing the sparge wrong?

[Wicing]

Hi,
I brewed with BIAB in a 36L-pot for a couple of years. To make it possible to brew bigger batches and to be able to pre-heat the mash-water with timer I recently bought a Robobrew 65L.
My first batch included quite an amount of flaked torrified rice and the mash got stuck. I fixed it by stiring the mash during sparge (maybe this wasn't a good idea but I didn't know what to do.
Anyway, today I made my second batch on this unit. I thought this time with just pale malt and cara gold that it will flow better through the mash. And it did. I see here and there people say that the sparge should take about an hour. For me it took maybe ten minutes this time. As soon as I lifted the maltpipe the wort started to flow very easy through the grist. I added sparge water liter by liter and was all the way through in a couple of seconds. My SG-readings was as expected so I can't see that this fast sparge caused any problem.
Am I supposed to wait between water addings during the sparge and let the sparge take longer that way? Or is the malt to chunky crushed and the flow through the grist SHOULD take longer time? Wouldn't that be seen in my SG-readings then?

 

[IslandLizard]

There are different ways of sparging.
Fly sparging typically takes an hour, and has to be done a certain way to extract the most sugars from the grist.
Batch sparging tends to be much faster and easier for batches under 5-10 gallons.

BIAB, which includes Grainfather, Robobrew and other such "urn-based" systems, are typically based on a full volume mash, not requiring the use of a sparge per se. Or only a small one, like a squeeze, pour over, and squeeze again, or a (small) dunk sparge. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't incorporate a sparge. Go for it!

 

[Wicing]

Thanks. No need to worry then
Another question, maybe a little off topic, how is the wort "supposed" to leave the robobrew and be transferred to the fermenter? There is a ball-valve at the bottom of the unit that I've been using so far. I make a whirlpool during the cooling and let the trub settle in a cone and I can transfer a quite clear wort through the ball-valve. But...there is a couple of liters in the deadspace below the false-bottom. This can be reached by instead pumping the wort out with the pump. At first I thought these liters is supposed to be left and washed out but according to the volumes I get in brewfather the fermenter-volume fits much better with these liters included.
Any thoughts?

 

[Ralphie0523]

Thanks. No need to worry then
Another question, maybe a little off topic, how is the wort "supposed" to leave the robobrew and be transferred to the fermenter? There is a ball-valve at the bottom of the unit that I've been using so far. I make a whirlpool during the cooling and let the trub settle in a cone and I can transfer a quite clear wort through the ball-valve. But...there is a couple of liters in the deadspace below the false-bottom. This can be reached by instead pumping the wort out with the pump. At first I thought these liters is supposed to be left and washed out but according to the volumes I get in brewfather the fermenter-volume fits much better with these liters included.
Any thoughts?

There are different ways depending on preference and Other equipment. I spare by putting the mash cap piece on the malt pipe and pouring water over. It get about the same time for sparge, sometimes slower if using a lot of grains that would lead to a stuck sparge. No sparge I have also done but I don’t like it as much from a personal preference point of view.

As far as getting the wort out you can pump or go through the ball valve. I tip the unit to get everything out the ball valve, but have seen others run wort through the pump and chiller and into the fermenter. I will say there is probably no wrong way to get it out unless it doesn’t make it into the fermenter or is exposed to contaminants haha.

 

[bracconiere]

i just had a thought for a product upgrade......if they incorporated a way to like close the drain screen like a flour sifter sorta thing.....you could batch sparge, lift the basket, drain...then close the screen, and add your sparge water let it sit for like 20-30 minutes then drain again.....


just thought i'd share a random thought..... ff topic: (damn, doesn't work anymore)

 

[Sammy86]

Thanks. No need to worry then
Another question, maybe a little off topic, how is the wort "supposed" to leave the robobrew and be transferred to the fermenter? There is a ball-valve at the bottom of the unit that I've been using so far. I make a whirlpool during the cooling and let the trub settle in a cone and I can transfer a quite clear wort through the ball-valve. But...there is a couple of liters in the deadspace below the false-bottom. This can be reached by instead pumping the wort out with the pump. At first I thought these liters is supposed to be left and washed out but according to the volumes I get in brewfather the fermenter-volume fits much better with these liters included.
Any thoughts?

I use the pump, attach the arm to my counter flow chiller into the fermenter...nice 62 degree wort ready for pitching yeast!

 

[Wicing]

I use the pump, attach the arm to my counter flow chiller into the fermenter...nice 62 degree wort ready for pitching yeast!

Do you experience any trub in the wort by doing this? Theoretically I guess the trub-layer on the false-bottom should filter the wort before it reaches the deadspace?

 

[Sammy86]

Do you experience any trub in the wort by doing this? Theoretically I guess the trub-layer on the false-bottom should filter the wort before it reaches the deadspace?

I didn't experience very much trub at all...it was beautifully clear wort into the fermenter...

take a look

 

[VikeMan]

Batch sparging tends to be much faster and easier for batches under 5-10 gallons.

I once batch sparged a 15 barrel batch, but I will not claim it was easy.

 

[acidrain]

You will get different opinions on this, but I will say that trub is not a problem, and is actually beneficial to the yeast.
Pour all the wort, trub and all into the Carboy and pitch the yeast. It will do it's thing, then you can cold crash and much more effectively draw the clear beer off the trub.