Fly Sparging Idea

[beer_bear]

See, It's this kind of thinking that is going to really confuse a newbie like me. I'm still trying to figure out how much water to put in the mash tun and the HLT. Then here you guys go coming up with ideas that, in my under experienced mind, sound good. I'm thinking about trying all this new stuff before I even master the basics. The reality is though, I love the thought processes because I have more to think about as far as future processes. I'm glad to have such a valuable pool of info to pull from though. Thanks Guys.

[Speyedr]

HSA is a myth!!!

Don't tell me, I'll bet you're against adding Fluoride in the water too...

Flouride casues Communism Doc... you know that...

[mmayer]

They just want you to think it's flouride!!

[Spidey]

If you used clear tubing from the mash tun to the brew kettle, my guess is that you would be able to observe if/how much air was getting into your system. Air bubbles would be getting trapped in the line, etc. This might help give you an idea of how much aeration you actually get. I would think it should be just minimal though since the open line is only to prevent siphoning. Positioning of the open air line is going to be critical; make sure it's on the "up-side" of the line so the moving liquid doesn't pull air into the tube. Take all this with a grain of salt since I've only brewed extract, but I like your idea. Let us know if it works.
-Greg

[codewritinfool]

I was listening to the 06/19/05 show (the third show) and Morgan from EJ Phair described something he called a "swan arm" that sounds exactly like this idea. The word "swan", if that's what he said, seems appropriate too.

He said it was described to him by a homebrewer and he thought it was a good idea so he tried it.... says it works great.

He said it reduces pressure on the mash, but that part I don't get since the net flow rate through the mash would be the same with or without it.

Sounded to me like he uses this idea on a regular basis. I'm going to email him to comment on it.

[morgan]

Hay guys,

This does work like a swan arm. I have a sight gauge on my mash tun which would work like the run off tube being vented to atm. The only risk that I see with HSA would be if the flow reached such a speed to start a venturi and start to suck air in with the wort, which would want to be avoided. I have since then stopped using that method, for no other reason than trying both ways and not noticing much of a difference, but I see no problem with the second diagram, as long as the brewer cut off H.L. early enough to drain mash tun near completly, to get full volume in kettel, with out over sparging and pulling out tannins, because of lowered ph.

[codewritinfool]

Aha! I invented the swan arm! Oh, wait. Nevermind.

[hopbumpingbrewer]

HSA is still a huge question mark for me. I try never to spash.

But check this out:




This is a picture I took of first running from the lauter tun at Anchor Steam on a guest brewer day I got to do.

Would you call this HSA? They don't seem to care about it.

Carlo