[denny]

Agreed, Matt.

[ccarlson]

I rarely get my mash temp hot enough to denature anyway, but the other advantages of heating the mash (eliminating stuck sparges, improved efficiency, etc) make it worth the effort.

[tschmidlin]

I rarely get my mash temp hot enough to denature anyway, but the other advantages of heating the mash (eliminating stuck sparges, improved efficiency, etc) is still worth the effort.

If you believe that to be true.  I've begun to question if I've ever really checked my efficiency rigorously enough to compare the two, and have never had a stuck sparge so . . .

[ccarlson]

I rarely get my mash temp hot enough to denature anyway, but the other advantages of heating the mash (eliminating stuck sparges, improved efficiency, etc) is still worth the effort.

If you believe that to be true.  I've begun to question if I've ever really checked my efficiency rigorously enough to compare the two, and have never had a stuck sparge so . . .

I've tried it many ways and have kept fairly good notes. I have no doubt that it helps. Preventing stuck sparges is pretty subjective, but the efficiency increase is based on numbers.

[tygo]

I've experienced slightly higher efficiency when bumping up the temp at the end for a 15-20 minute rest.  However, I experience that bump whether it's at 160F or 170F.  Also, I haven't eliminated the possibility that the efficiency bump is due more to giving it a good stirring while stepping up the temp than the temp itself.

[tschmidlin]

Right, is the bump in efficiency due to the temp rise, the stirring, the longer mash . . . all of them?  I haven't tested it rigorously, and I suspect most people haven't either.

[denny]

Based on Kai's experiments using cool water to sparge without an efficiency loss, I've come to believe that efficiency increases due to adding hot water to the mash happen because of increased conversion from the hot water.

[ccarlson]

Based on Kai's experiments using cool water to sparge without an efficiency loss, I've come to believe that efficiency increases due to adding hot water to the mash happen because of increased conversion from the hot water.

Are there other cold water sparge experiments that Kai or yourself ran, or is it just the one that's posted on his site?

[denny]

I'm pretty sure the only one Kai has done is on his website.  I didn't do ant formal experiments, but I did try sparging with 60F water a couple times just to see what happened.  I got the same efficiency that I do when I brew that recipe with hot sparge water.  In that recipe, even using hot sparge water, the mash temp never gets above about 158.

[ccarlson]

I'm pretty sure the only one Kai has done is on his website.  I didn't do ant formal experiments, but I did try sparging with 60F water a couple times just to see what happened.  I got the same efficiency that I do when I brew that recipe with hot sparge water.  In that recipe, even using hot sparge water, the mash temp never gets above about 158.

Interesting. That's not at all what I, or a fellow brewer experienced. Oh well, I'll stick with something that I know works.

[denny]

I'm pretty sure the only one Kai has done is on his website.  I didn't do ant formal experiments, but I did try sparging with 60F water a couple times just to see what happened.  I got the same efficiency that I do when I brew that recipe with hot sparge water.  In that recipe, even using hot sparge water, the mash temp never gets above about 158.

Interesting. That's not at all what I, or a fellow brewer experienced. Oh well, I'll stick with something that I know works.

I'm definitely not planning on making sparging with cool water a regular part of my brewing!  I was just curious about what would happen.

[tschmidlin]

I'm pretty sure the only one Kai has done is on his website.  I didn't do ant formal experiments, but I did try sparging with 60F water a couple times just to see what happened.  I got the same efficiency that I do when I brew that recipe with hot sparge water.  In that recipe, even using hot sparge water, the mash temp never gets above about 158.

Interesting. That's not at all what I, or a fellow brewer experienced. Oh well, I'll stick with something that I know works.

I'm definitely not planning on making sparging with cool water a regular part of my brewing!  I was just curious about what would happen.

It would just take that much longer to come to a boil.

[denny]

It would just take that much longer to come to a boil.

Yep.  It's not a practical thing to do.  Just an experimental exercise.

[Will's Swill]

I think it would simplify my process to use cool sparge water - I wouldn't have to use my kettle as an HLT during the sparge, and I wouldn't have to deal with heat loss from the sparge water.  Maybe I'll give it a try.  Any reason not to use cool water for sparging, assuming there's no impact to efficiency and that I wouldn't mash out anyway?

[tschmidlin]

Well, for me I would heat it anyway so it would boil faster, but if that doesn't bother you then it's worth a try.