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Author Topic: batch sparge water, how much will fit  (Read 4947 times)

Offline Kaiser

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #15 on: November 29, 2010, 12:25:38 pm »
Do you think you could post some of the mash water, sparge water volumes and grain weights that you know work in the 5 gallon mash tun?

The largest beer I brew is my Doppelbock which takes about 6.5 kg of grain and ~16 l of mash water. This really fills the mash tun to the brim. The key with large beers is to get good efficiency in order to keep the grain weight lower. But the resulting thick mashes don't necessarily get good efficiency as easily as thinner mashes.

Quote
I am trying to see if I have this figured right.
Over on the HBT forum some folks are trying to explain to me how with smaller grain bills they need to double batch sparge and with larger ones they can do a single? This to me is totally counter intuitive. Larger grain bill means more water and more grain taking up room in the mash tun. So how does a larger grain bill lend itself to a single batch sparge?

No, that doesn't seem right.

Kai

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2010, 12:49:11 pm »
Over on the HBT forum some folks are trying to explain to me how with smaller grain bills they need to double batch sparge and with larger ones they can do a single? This to me is totally counter intuitive. Larger grain bill means more water and more grain taking up room in the mash tun. So how does a larger grain bill lend itself to a single batch sparge?
This makes sense if they are talking about making beers of the same gravity.  They'll be leaving a lot of sugar behind in the mash tun by doing a single batch sparge, but can easily get as much sugar in the boil kettle as doing two batch sparges with less grain.  I don't know if that is what they're talking about though.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline dzlater

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #17 on: November 29, 2010, 01:56:27 pm »
I think I figured out what they are trying to tell me.
10 lbs grain 10 gallon batch 1 quart per lb= 2.5 mash 8.8 sparge
20 lbs of grain 10 gallon batch 1 quart per lb=5 gallons mash 7.6 sparge
30 lbs grain 10 gallon batch 1 quart per lb=7.5 gallons mash 6.4 sparge
40lbs grain 10 gallon batch 1 quart per lb=10 gallons mash 5.2 sparge
so as the grain weight goes up the mash volume  increases and the sparge volume decreases
Looking at it like this makes sense but still doesn't seem right.
I really need to find a job so I will stop obsessing over this stuff. :)
« Last Edit: November 29, 2010, 01:59:29 pm by dzlater »
Dan S. from NJ

Offline bluesman

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #18 on: November 29, 2010, 01:57:36 pm »
The general rule that I use for a five gallon batch. Add an extra gallon for every 10lbs of grain and another gallon for each hour of boil time. So for a five gallon batch of beer using a total of ten pounds of grain.

5gal + 1gal/10lbs grain + 1gal/hour of boil time = 7gal total water volume

Keep in mind that this calculation is a rough estimate. Hops will also retain some water as well.
I typically split the total water 50/50 between the mash and the sparge.

« Last Edit: November 29, 2010, 01:59:18 pm by bluesman »
Ron Price

Offline richardt

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #19 on: November 30, 2010, 12:15:03 am »
How about for a 10 gallon batch?

Offline malzig

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #20 on: November 30, 2010, 06:06:05 am »
I think I figured out what they are trying to tell me.
10 lbs grain 10 gallon batch 1 quart per lb= 2.5 mash 8.8 sparge
This is the mistake they're making, in my opinion.  I recommend upping the qts/# with smaller grain bills.  Generally, I add enough water to the mash to get half my volume from first runnings after absorption.

For example, for 10# in a 10 gallon batch, assuming 1.2 gallons absorbed and 1 gallon boiled off:
6.7 gallons mash water, for 2.68 qt/#.
5.5. gallons sparge water.

If the 2.68 qt/# makes you nervous, then mash in with 5 gallons, for 2 qt/# and add the remaining 1.7 gallons as a mashout or to the sparge.

Offline dzlater

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #21 on: November 30, 2010, 06:50:22 am »
I think I figured out what they are trying to tell me.
10 lbs grain 10 gallon batch 1 quart per lb= 2.5 mash 8.8 sparge
This is the mistake they're making, in my opinion.  I recommend upping the qts/# with smaller grain bills.  Generally, I add enough water to the mash to get half my volume from first runnings after absorption.

For example, for 10# in a 10 gallon batch, assuming 1.2 gallons absorbed and 1 gallon boiled off:
6.7 gallons mash water, for 2.68 qt/#.
5.5. gallons sparge water.

If the 2.68 qt/# makes you nervous, then mash in with 5 gallons, for 2 qt/# and add the remaining 1.7 gallons as a mashout or to the sparge.
I agree.
I just threw those numbers out there to illustrate the point they were trying to make. I agree with adjusting the mash water grain ratio. I would rather up the mash water and do one batch sparge, then hold hard and fast to quarts per pound rule and do double sparge.
Nobody actually said to use those numbers.

Dan S. from NJ

Offline richardt

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Re: batch sparge water, how much will fit
« Reply #22 on: November 30, 2010, 06:54:35 am »
Perhaps for a Berliner Weisse-that's a pretty watery beer for a 10 gallon batch (calc OG = 1.027, assuming 75% efficiency). ;)  
JK--I know it is a hypothetical example just to illustrate a point.

Most 10 gallon batches would have around 22 pounds of grain (calc OG = 1.059, assuming 75% efficiency).

Using Ron's math, it seems 10 gal + 2.2 gal + 1 ga/hr boil = 13.2 gallons of water for a 10 gallon batch using 22 pounds of grain.
Hmm... for some reason, my beersmith program seems to tell me I need to use more than that (15-17 gallons).  I'm not sure why.