Beer Forum

I recent;y switched from batch sparging to fly sparging since someone bought me a blichmann auto sparge. I'm getting way less efficiency it seems though. Any advice or tips would b good

How long does it take you to sparge? if you treat it like BIAB and just go wide open you will def drop way low in eff...

With fly sparging you will want to maintain a steady but slow flow of wort out of the mash tun and an equally slow trickle of hot liquor into the mash (evenly spread or at least not gouging into the grain bed). The whole fly sparge process should take 60 to 90 minutes. From what you briefly described, I am guessing that you are fly sparging hot liquor into the mash tun and draining wort out at rates that you used during batch sparges ... not going to work well and your pH is going to get screwed up quickly and the beer will be super grainy/astringent.

With fly sparging (as opposed to batch), there are a few additional things that you will want to monitor.

First is the flow rate ... slow and steady. For a 5 gallon batch, shooting for a 1.5 gallon wort collection rate per 15 minutes should be ok.

Second, as you approach your target volume, take gravity reading on the wort you are collecting. If you get down to the 1.012-1.010 range, stop your sparge. It is really the pH that you are worried about, but tracking the gravity gives you an idea of when you are in the "danger zone" of extracting lots of unwanted tannins from the grains. Use DME to adjust gravities up or dilute to adjust down.

Third, there is no good reason not to hit your target gravities when fly sparging (once you figure out your system). I generally set my recipes for an efficiency 2-3% under what I actually get. That way I can monitor the wort's gravity as I near post-post boil volume. Often, I have all the sugar I need from the mash once I have collected 10 gallons on an 11 gallon batch and then just dilute up to the pre-boil volume. Run-off gravity from the mash is usually 1.020 - 1.015 so don't need to worry about the tannin extraction issued or addition of DME. (efficiency an a batch is low and I have room to sparge longer or if it is high, I just stop sooner).

Thanks eagle good explanation. I am def sparging way to fast then and prob adding to much water over the top of the grain bed. I think it to like 20min to collect 8.5 gal. I was 20pts low but my beersmith was also setup for like 95% mash efficiency which screwed me too. I like the auto sparge but I really hate changing my process.

sharkguy05 wrote:Thanks eagle good explanation. I am def sparging way to fast then and prob adding to much water over the top of the grain bed. I think it to like 20min to collect 8.5 gal. I was 20pts low but my beersmith was also setup for like 95% mash efficiency which screwed me too. I like the auto sparge but I really hate changing my process.

You need a little extra on top of the bed with the auto sparge, but 20 min is way too fast... and BS thinking you're aiming for 95% didn't help out at all. Bribe it with a cookie to see if it'll let you try for 70%

How are you transferring from MLT to BK, pump or gravity? If gravity your rate is super easy to set with a measuring cup - just time how long it takes to fill a 16oz pint, you can multiply by 8 to figure gallons but usually just the 'pint-time' is a good reference (especially for brew to brew consistency). If you're on a pump it can be a little trickier, but you should have either a sight glass, a measuring stick or graduation marks in your kettle to go by.

It's definitely not a process to be rushed through. I'm sure you'll get it dialed in the next couple batches.

I have pumps to transfer everything. Re-running the number I actually got 69% efficency. I had to drop my total brewhouse efficency to 55% to get my mash to be 70% expected. I will have to go slower next time and try it out

For me I think a big attraction of fly sparging is the ability to just let the system do the work for you. You just need to open some valves and let 'er rip. Personally I batch sparge but there is an appeal in not having to recirc, runoff, add sparge water, wait, recirc, runoff.

Protesto wrote:For me I think a big attraction of fly sparging is the ability to just let the system do the work for you.

The key there is having a system that will do it... fly sparging with a janky system just to be able to fly sparge is just dumb.