Batch sparge question

[Should drink more]

After another brew where I obviously didn't quite get the correct mash temp, I've started getting the kit together for a Herms system. To be honest I also like the challenge of building it.

Looking at all the threads about Herms it seems to be an easier plumbing proposition to go with batch sparging.

What has never been quite clear is whether I should completely drain the mash tun before the first sparge water addition and /or if I should drain it inbetween first and second water additions. Should I drain it only so much as to leave the grain bed covered. Leaving the grain bed covered seems to be really important in fly sparging.

I did some quick maths and it suggested that if I don't completely drain then my efficiencies will be really crap. Either that or I'll have a large volume to boil down.
Any comments? Thanks.

[andyp]

There are different ways people use but perhaps the most suggested way, and the way I use, is to add sparge water to the mash, stir and wait a mo', recirc. a bit. Then drain it fully, add the remaining sparge water, stir, wait for a mo', recirc. a bit, then drain fully. Aiming to drain roughly equal amounts of wort from each batch.

People will suggest variations but this works very well for me. I use the daab's calculator to work out amounts.

[ChrisG]

When I did it, I drained the mash first then added the first batch sparge water mixed up the grains and left for 10mins. Drained this fully then repeated.

[Gurgeh]

i just have enough liquor for 1L/Kg PLUS the volume of the first batch for the mash.

The HE for the HERMS sits in the HLT with the second batch of liquor.

It's simple to calculate, keeps the mash from sticking under that small suction and I get 75-80% mash efficiency.

[Should drink more]

Thanks for the replies. It seems I do need to drain the tun completely.

If it's important to keep the grain bed covered when fly sparging then why is it Ok to expose it when batch sparging. What defect am I risking or is the risk basically negligable?

[Aleman]

With fly sparging you need to keep the grain bed 'floating', so you need to keep the liquid level at or just below the surface of the grain. When Batch sparging you are draining the tun adding more water and stirring it all up again . . . the risk of a stuck sparge through a compacted grain bed is very much reduced.




And having said all that the amount of stirring that occurs in a HB sized mash is pretty much guaranteed to knock all the air out anyway The difference between a mash that has been made through stirring the grain in the water and one from a Steeles masher is surprising . . . the grain settles much less in the latter.