Batch Sparging and Mash Out

[fotog]

I listened to the Denny Conn Show, which was great by the way.
Denny, I think, didn't mention a mash out when doing batch sparging. I've tried a mash out, but cannot get my temp up to 170 with the mash water at boiling.
Should I just skip this step. I've been using Pro Mash to figure out my water additions, which I got from the BrewBoard FAQ, which includes a mash out in the calculation. How do I compensate if I don't go with a mash out?
I know this is probally simpler than I'm making it, but I'm a little slow like Justin
Thanks,

Rob

[BigBadBrad]

I just finished listening to the archive of the Pragmatic show. Awesome. I think Denny made a point of just making sure that your batch sparge water does not make the grain go above 175 so you don't risk extracting tannins. If your sparge water is at 175, after you add it to your grain your mash will probably stabilize around 168, which is perfect. Don't worry about the mashout.

I want to try batch sparging since I have fly sparged since going all grain. I need a larger mashtun first though.

Brad

[Denny]

I do a mashout when I can and don't worry about it when I can't. It has a bit of value in terms of reducing the viscosity of the wort, but it's in no way a deal killer if you can't or don't do it.

[fotog]

Thanks Denny and Big Bad Brad.

[beer_bear]

I am a bit of a noob when it comes to AG brewing, so, mash out? I have heard of it in ProMash, but I'm not sure how to do it. Do I really need to do it? Or is it something that is just one of those things that you do because you can? I know about sparging, but I have only heard about mash outs.

[bub]

don't worry about mash out... it is silly... in my oppinion
BUB

[Speyedr]

don't worry about mash out... it is silly... in my oppinion
BUB

You can tell he's a Parent... "'cause I said so... DAMMIT!"

Mash out is raising the mash temp up to about 168f for about 10min (don't go over 170f) to kill the remaining enzymes and "fix" your wort sugar profile at the end of the mash. It will also help to liquify the sugars for a smoother runoff than you would get at 154f.

If you are fly sparging for 45 min to an hour, the enzymes in the mash can keep converting during the sparge if you don't mash out. If you are doing a Batch Sparge and heating the wort to a boil as you sparge, you don't need to worry about it as this will "fix" the sugars.

As Bub and Denny said though, don't worry about it unless you want to...

Rob

[Thirsty Boy]

I want to try batch sparging since I have fly sparged since going all grain. I need a larger mashtun first though.

Brad, why do you need a larger mash tun? I have a tiny mash tun and have no problems batch sparging. You just do more than one "batch". For example; on my (admittedly really small) system I do this

- Mash around 3-4kg grain with 7-9 litres of strike water
- Vorlauf and drain 1st runnings to kettle. Usually around 4-5 litres
- Add 6litres of sparge water, stir, vorlauf, drain 2nd runnings (basically 6litres) till the mash tun runs dry
- Add 6litres of sparge water, stir, vorlauf, drain 2nd runnings
- This fills my kettle (also tiny at around 16litres)

So I am batch sparging for a kettle volume 1.6 times the total volume of my 10 litre mash tun.

So if the scale thing holds up, you should easily be able to do kettle volume for a 5gallon batch in as small as a 20quart mash tun

I actually thought about trying fly sparging, but thought that I would need a bigger mash tun, but then I did it (in an unplanned fashion) the brew before last and it worked OK.

Dunno really, I'm only on my 5th AG brew. But thats how I'm doing it and it seems to be going OK