Fly Sparging?

[EarlyAmateurZymurgist]

When did the term "fly sparging" enter the homebrewing lexicon? I was an all-grain amateur brewer from 1993 until I decided that I needed to take a break from the hobby in late 2002, and I never heard the term used during that period of time. Everyone that I knew referred to the process as "continuous sparging" (or simply lautering), which is the term used by professional brewers.

 

[HollisBT]

Lautering is the act of seperating the wort from the grain, and is not exactly related to sparging (although the two processes can happen simultaneously).

 

[ShaineT]

It simply caught on because its more catchy sounding than the 4 syllable word, "continuous".

 

[EarlyAmateurZymurgist]

Lautering is the act of seperating the wort from the grain, and is not exactly related to sparging (although the two processes can happen simultaneously).

True enough, but sparging is an integral part of the lautering process in most brewhouses. Batch sparging was nowhere near as popular back in the nineties as it is today because it is less efficient than continuous sparging. When someone used the term "lautering," it was assumed that he/she was using continuous sparging (with the exception of RIMS users).

With that said, I am just curious as to the etymology of the term "fly sparging." It is clearly a term that entered the amateur brewing lexicon during my hiatus from the hobby.

 

[BigEd]

When did the term "fly sparging" enter the homebrewing lexicon? I was an all-grain amateur brewer from 1993 until I decided that I needed to take a break from the hobby in late 2002, and I never heard the term used during that period of time. Everyone that I knew referred to the process as "continuous sparging" (or simply lautering), which is the term used by professional brewers.

It is just "sparging" but the introduction of the homebrewing procress known as "batch sparging" (which isn't sparging but multiple lauters ) led to the use of the "fly" addition to help differentiate the two processes. As in the question, "Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?", words aren't always what they seem to be on the surface.

 

[Wynne-R]

Every pastime has to have stupid baffling terms for everyday things. In tennis, love means nothing (pun intended). A bicycle’s front sprocket is a ‘chainring’ and the rear ones are ‘cogs’. In basketball, some idiot decided a three point shot was ‘downtown’. Don’t get me started about Cricket.

Personally I think ‘fly sparging’ should die die die. Take ‘swamp cooler’ with you.

I guess my vote doesn’t count for very much.

 

[brewkinger]

I am fairly new to this hobby, but I thought that I read somewhere once or twice that is was sparging "on the fly" or continuous sparging and the combination led to fly sparge.
Makes sense to me.

 

[JustBrewinAround]

I think it has to do with the billion flies that want to enter my brew pot while I'm fly sparing. I spend the entire hour or so in my oven of a garage waving my hands over the brew pot trying to keep them out. I live close to a couple of dairies so there's no shortage of them and they all love some fresh, sweet wort..

 

[EarlyAmateurZymurgist]

I think it has to do with the billion flies that want to enter my brew pot while I'm fly sparing. I spend the entire hour or so in my oven of a garage waving my hands over the brew pot trying to keep them out. I live close to a couple of dairies so there's no shortage of them and they all love some fresh, sweet wort..

:rockin:

 

[Denny]

I started brewing in 98 and the term fly sparging was being used then. Batch sparging was just starting to be talked about. I was one of the earliest adopters.