Batch sparge and Doc Scott

[nolvar]

I think he must be doing something wrong... The time savings in the the runoff, and mine is done in maybe 15-20 min for a 10 gallon batch, if that long. Efficiencies may suffer some, but mine was at %77 for that last batch. Maybe he wasn't using a blue mash tun, I hear that can effect a lot!

[ionia_ales]

I use a blue mash tun, and love it, but I haven't dropped below a 45 minute mash with a bit of recirc, it gets the job done.

[Bugeater]

The blue mash tun must be the secret. My blue mash tun consistently gives me 75-80% efficiency on my batch sparges and only drops 2-3° during a 60 minute mash. Dr. Scott needs to get a different color.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[Dr Scott]

Nope, no blue mash tun.

I haven't tried to batch sparge on my current system. (My last system had an orange mash tun.)

I was looking for a way to cut down the brew time, and I wanted to try a new brewing procedure. So I thought I'd try a batch sparge. It was faster, but it didn't change the time significantly enough for me to change my sparge procedure (on that system anyway) in fact it had more steps! Truth is, if I was still brewing in buckets or using a square cooler, I would probably batch sparge.

With this new system, fly sparging works very well and runs almost unattended, w/ efficiencies in the low 90s.

All set-ups are different, and certain procedures will work better on some systems than on others. I don't advocate one sparge method over the other. Think of it as more tools in your "brewing toolbox"

[Danno]

Dr Scott has found the answer. Batch sparging hardly saves any time (conversion has nothing to do with the time savings). If you have a recirculating system and a gravity or pump fed sparge, it's a lot less hassle than a batch sparge. Without the auto sparge, I might batch sparge as well.

[nolvar]

That does make sense, different equipment and time you have to attend to the system. I think as my system expands and gets more complicated/automated that I may end up fly sparging. But I will still keep the blue mash tun for efficiencies sake.