sparging

[DRB]

Can some please confirm if this is the right way.Mash grains, open tap on mash tun to run off couple of litres and put back in,run all wort from mash tun,open tap on boiler, I opened about half way not allowing the full flow began sparging leaving tap on mash tun half open.(when I was mashing I tended to get a water line above the grain in the tun is that right or shouldn't there be any water visable above the grain)

[deadlydes]

sounds like your sorted.
when sparging on the fly (like you are) most ppl tend to keep an inch or two of water above the grain level.
this helps prevent a stuck mash

[mysterio]

It sounds like you're fly sparging, in which case your method sounds fine. If you're using a sparging arm, I tend to set the flow so the arm just spins as slow as it will go, and set the out-flow from the mash tun accordingly.

It's best to have the water line just on or above the grain bed, up to an inch above. If you have the water line significantly above the grain bed then the weight of the water may cause 'channeling' and an inefficient sparge.

[DRB]

So is a reading of 1048 and about 12 litres using 1830g pale malt,90gwheat,160g crystal a bit much to expect,should I have been using more grain.

[deadlydes]

well roughly on 80% eff i would expect 1040 on 12 litres.
what did you actually get?

[DRB]

only about 8 litres at 1038

[deadlydes]

thats only about 50% eff
what exactly did you do? perhaps if you explain fully i/we may be able to help
what was the SG on the first runnings? when did you stop collecting? how much water in the MT?

[DRB]

after sparging I had 12 litres at 1032,after boiling only had about 5 litre of wort left but it concentrated down to about ,can't rally remember say about 1058/68 but by the time i added more water to get my volume back up it went down to 1038 at about 8 litres so I left it at that.

[DRB]

So my sparging seems all right ,but I did stop sparging when the run off reached 1010 so I should go to 1006 ,so I dont have to worry to much about the reading after sparging as by the time you boil it,it concentrates down and by adding water reaching your desired fg.

[Frothy]

I've not done an all grain yet so don't take too much notice - was your sparge water a good temperature? ~ 77oc?

Matt

[DRB]

I didn't take much notice of the temp of the sparge water, I think that I read on the old forum that it wasn't that important,so I just boiled up let sit for about 5 min and sparged,please corect me if i'm wrong though.

[deadlydes]

i always sparge at 80C

[Jim]

DRB, while the sparge water temperature isn't critical like the mash temperature, you still need to make sure it's somewhere around 70 - 80C. Too cool and it won't rinse out the sugars effectively, too hot and it can leach tannins from the grain.