I'm going to fly sparge for the first time and really want to try and get it right. My question is after I mash for 60 minutes do I need to mash out at 168 and drain the mash tuns first running of just enough so I have 1-2 inchs of water covering the grain bed before I start the fly sparging process.

Thanks I really appreciate the help.

You wanna have the one or two inchs of liquid on top. If you don't the drips from your sparge arm could form channeling in your grains and your efficiency drops because your not washing the sugars from te grain thoroughly enough.
I pretty much used to stand at my sculpture and feather the HLT and MT valves but I don't worry about it as much anymore...
As for the mash out.... If you have the ability to do one, do it. This will just make your brews a little more consistent.

Good luck to you sir, in your fly sparging endeavors!


Josh

Thanks!

liquid on top indeed. And that level of fluid on top sort of completely eliminates the need for any sort of rotating arm doesn't it?

I wonder who first came up with the fly sparge. I wonder if they even considered a batch approach. God knows that years ago there was no shortage of water (not that there is now, but they make you pay for it and then they nag you about using the single most plentiful thing on the planet). Maybe there was a shortage of labor to chop the wood to boil the water? Maybe that was the reason for the fly sparge?

Any one know when and who invented the process?

I used to fly sparge but after listening to tue Denny Conn episode, I switched to batch sparge.... Super simple...


Josh

However, after reading Gordon Strongs new book, it seems silly to keep a thin layer of water over the grains, since ANY level of water, two inches or ten inches, above the grain bed functions as a continuous sparge, especially if using a false bottom rather than a steel braid to run off the wort. For me, I just vourloff until clear with a long enough hose that all I have to do is raise it above the fluid level of my mash tun to stop the flow (a liquid can't drain higher than the level of itself) and pour back the wort to recirculate, then when it runs clear into my boil kettle (still about 6 to 8 inches above the top of the grain) start adding sparge liquor a quart at a time, using a plastic measuring cup) just floating it over the wort so I don't disturb the grain bed too much. Given that you have about a foot of mashed grain in a 5 gallon round cooler tells me it's just about impossible to REALLY disturb the grain bed. The thought that changed my mind about continuous sparge was the idea that you had to drain wort before adding sparge liquid. THAT SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE! I just keep my mash tun full until I have used up the volume I calculated (using Promash) of my sparge water to reach the target pre-boil volume of my beer. I check my pre-boil gravity to make sure I'm on the right track before I start the boil. Usually I'm a few points too high, gee what a problem to have...

my two cents,
Alan

I brewed Saturday using the sabco method of fly sparging where its just a silicone tube in the mlt SLOWLY bringing in water. Seems to work well. I was at 75% eff. However my false bottom foundation water is about 3 gallons I know alot.

I'm wondering if it would hurt if I drained off about 2 gallons leaving the grain bed a little dry and then let the fly sparge begin. I only sparged with about 3 gallons for about 25 minutes since I knew I had another 4 sitting in the MLT already.

Could I drain the MLT first like a batch sparge and then begin fly? I use a rims so I'm always recirculating throughout the mash rest.