How Do I Sparge Grains in a Partial Boil with a 5 Gal Pot?

[fgcguitar]

I've been doing partial boils in a single 5 gallon pot and I'm unsure of what to do with my grains when I remove them. I've been using a normal household kitchen strainer and have been running it through the mash multiple times (10-15) to remove the grains and then rinsing them back into the pot. The problem is I've been ending up with low starting gravities (1.040-1.020) and my beers have been relatively week in flavor.

I wasn't sure if the low gravity/low flavor was due to the way I was sparging the grains (I have been using cold water but just learned that I should use water that's closer to 170F) or was due to needing a finer crush. As far as I can tell it seems like my problem is related to one of these two factors. Is one more than the other a contributor to low gravity and low flavor?

Sooooo, what am I supposed to do each time I pull out a strainerful of grains? I figure at the minimum I let the liquid drain back into the pot, but should I squeeze or press the grains in an attempt to get more the liquid out? Should I even be sparging these grains? If so, how much water should I use total? Is using a strainer this way just a bad idea all together? If so, what would be a better method for removing my grains?

Any advice would be enormously appreciated!

Thanks a million,
Adam


Here's my next recipe if it helps at all:

BELLS TWO HEARTED CLONE

5 Gallons, extract with grains
OG=1.062 FG=1.008 Bitterness=46IBUs
Ingredients:
7.5# Light extract syrup
.5# Crystal malt (20 Lovibond)
.5# Aromatic or dark Munich malt
All Centennial to be 9.9%AA
7.5 AAUs Centennial hops
5 AAUs Centennial hops
15 AAUs Centennial hops
9.9 AAUs Centennial hops
1tsp. Irish moss
White Labs California ale yeast

Step by step
Steep specialty grains in 3 gallons of water at 150 degrees for 45 minutes.
Remove grains, add light extract syrup.
Bring to a boil for 30 minutes, then add 0.75 oz. of Centennial.
Boil 40 minutes and add 0.50 oz. of Centennial. Boil for 5 minutes.
Cool to 70 degrees, transfer to fermenting vessel with yeast. Ferment at 68 degrees until complete (7-10 days).
Transfer to secondary with 1 oz. of Centennial. Hold one week, rack into bottles or keg with corn sugar. Age for a few weeks.

[BDawg]

7.5 lbs of LME gives you roughly 36 * 7.5 / 5 = 54 ==> 1.054.

.5 lb each of Crystal 20 and Munich will only yield about 35/5 = 7 gravity points or an additional 1.007 at 100% efficiency (which you would never get, that's what they get in the lab).

Assuming you might get 75% efficiency in your steep with a sparge (AG brewers are happy if they do, then that means you would be getting 5.25 gravity points or the equivalent of raising your OG by 0.00525. At only 50% efficiency without the sparge, you would be getting 3.5 gravity points, or the equivalent of 0.0035.

In other words, you are picking nits over the difference between

1.054 + .0035 = 1.0575 VS 1.054 + .00525 = 1.05925

Add an extra couple of oz of DME and don't sweat it.

It's not worth the bother. Besides, if you sparge with hot, high pH water, you can actually start to extract tannins from the husks, which will damage the final product far more than losing a point or 2 from your OG.

As far as your low gravity measurements, are you stirring the wort fully after adding your top off water but before you pull your sample for measuring gravity? You may only be measuring the diluted top off water on top, as opposed to a full mix.
HTH-

[thatguy314]

The only steeping grain that will give you any sugar is the 1/2# of crystal malt, which is pretty negligable for your recipe. I wouldn't worry about efficiency. That said, you're expecting 87% attenuation off of extract, that's probably only about 75% fermentable. I would trade out a pound or 2 of extract for table sugar if you want it particularly dry. As of right now, I'd expect you to finish closer to 1.015-6.

And if you really want to improve your flavor, remember munich (or Vienna, which is what I believe Bell's actually uses) are not true steeping grains, they need to be mashed! Here's how I would alter your recipe

Partial Mash
2# Vienna Malt
1# Crystal 20
2# Pale Malt

Heat 2 gallons of water (8 quarts) up to 158-60 degrees F. Put in one half tsp of gypsum. Wrap in a blanket. Let it sit for an hour.

Taste--it should be sweet, and not too cloudy. Put a grain bag in a collander and place over your boil kettle. Pour the grains into the collander. You're probably only going to get around 1 gallon out. The liquid should run out. Slowly pour hot water over the grains a few times (to the tune of around 2 gallons). That's a partial mash. Very easy.

Now bring up your water to your desired volume, and put in the malt extract for the remaining fermentables. 4# of LME should be sufficient to get you around 1.060. Put another 0.5 tsp of gypsum into the boil pot. Stir it up well. You'll find this will make a much tastier beer, and closer to 2-hearted i think.

[fgcguitar]

Thanks so much guys!!! I'm off to the store to pickup a couple more ingredients. I'll let you know how it goes!

Adam