Having followed a link on one thread about something or other I got to a page about "No Sparge" brewing and after reading it I'm a little bit excited...
the page is here http://www.allaboutbeer.com/homebrew/24.1-mashing.html
I originally thought you had to "wash" the sugars out of the grains but apparently you only need to "soak" them out hence the mashing, if I'm not totally bonkers in thinking I could add a strainer and a tap to a spare fermenting bucket and insulate the heck out of it to make a LARGE mash tun?
If I'm not totally bonkers I plan to make something like "DaaB's False Bottom Mash Tun" and fill it up with 5 gallons of strike temperature water before adding the grains and letting it well alone for 60 minutes and then drain it into a 2nd fermenting vessel, taking off some of the wort to boil in a stainless stock pot with the hops (whatever recipe is required) on a normal stove and Ice Sink cooling it then adding this back into the FV before letting it all cool to pitching temperature.
What does everyone think...
Am I mad or is this a well known technique that I've been blissfully unaware of up until now?
No Sparge Brewing?
- Aleman
- It's definitely Lock In Time
- Posts: 6132
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:56 am
- Location: Mashing In Blackpool, Lancashire, UK
As I said in the earlier post it is an inefficient way of brewing, but a great way of producing top quality wort. You do have to allow for significant losses I have achieved 60-65% no sparge on occasion, but think that 50% is a much more likely result. What you have to remember is that it is No Sparge brewing NOT reduced Volume brewing. As you take whatever liquor that runs off from the mash and dilute it to the desired preboil gravity, before boiling, so you still need a full capacity boiler.