Your sparge setup?

[vw addict]

How many are using a rotating sparge arm? I am fly sparging now and thought of replacing the rubber tube with holes in it that my BrewMagic system uses for recirculation/sparging with a rotating arm for sparge. I am thinking it may boost my efficiency a bit because the hose with holes dosen't really let out water very uniformly. You guys having luck with am particular method to fly sparging?

[kujo]

I use a sparge arm on a converted keg.

http://flickr.com/photos/bkjones/237784958/in/set-72157594275146311/

I fully admit that after brewing for several years, I have not the foggiest idea what fly sparging is. I'd love to see a description of all the sparging methods in one place.

[Magnew]

I have a whirly sparge arm, but I am sort of stopping using it. I can't keep it spinning with the flow as slow as I want it to be. What I do like is just a clean piece of 1X lumber with a 3 inch screw through it. The lumber floats, the hose slips over the screw so the water always flows off the piece of wood. All you really need is a way to keep from having a stream of water going into your grain bed. That does the trick.

[MichaelM]

here is my sparg setup.... was going to batch sparge but I had some fittings sitting around so I made the arm instead lol

http://www.morganwhips.com/homebrew/spargemanifold.jpg

[paulcgi]

I have one of the whirly sparge arms. it is sitting un-used on a shelf. currently I have a manifold made of 1/2" copper
http://www.cgiconsulting.net/bm3k/esb/images/recirc2.jpg
it is hanging from the silver bar you can see in the pic. The only issue with it currently is that it doesn't want to hang there evenly. it wants to tilt to one side. Once it tilts, the sparge water comes out of just one side (2 holes) instead of all 4. I dont think it matters though, as I hit (according to beersmith) 82% on my last batch.. if you have a high-speed internet connection, then you can also see things in action during sparge on the Get Real ESB. and if you have speakers crank em up for the full effect ;-)

http://www.cgiconsulting.net/bm3k/esb/brew2.mpg

[HogieWan]

I have a rotating arm and I use it. I bought it when I first started because I was building too much other stuff and I just want one store-bought piece. I use it for every batch, but as someone said, you just need something to sprinkle the water softly.

Kujo - after looking at your pic, you need to leave about and inch of water at least on top of that grain bed.

[kujo]

Heh - yeah - I know I need to leave an inch on top. That pic was taken at the very start of my sparge. Just adding the strike water did not leave an inch on top of my mash, so the beginning of the sparge we wait until there's an inch on top of the mash and we can tell it's suspended before we start running off.... lest we run head first into a stuck mash. :-(

If there's supposed to be water on top of your mash before you even start to sparge, then that's news to me, and I hope someone will enlighten me, because it hasn't ever been that way with any of my batches.

Thanks!

[HogieWan]

what is your water:grain ratio?

[kujo]

a ha! That was, indeed, a picture of us screwing up. When I went back to look at it, it didn't seem right to me either. Then I noticed the other picture right next to it that had beautiful wort that was more than an inch over the top of the bed. Then I looked at the picture details, and it proves beyond a doubt that I indeed had plenty of wort in there, but must've took too much initially before starting to pump the water to the sparge arm :-(

My bad.

[barleyburps]

I must be the only one that still pours water on top of the grain bed via cupfulls

[vw addict]

Originally posted by kujo

If there's supposed to be water on top of your mash before you even start to sparge, then that's news to me, and I hope someone will enlighten me, because it hasn't ever been that way with any of my batches.

I leave about an inch the whole time because I recirculate via pump during the whole mash. This way the grain dosen't get disturbed too much. On a seperate note what do you guys do for stirring the mash? I was stirring about every 20 minutes. On my last batch I had a buddy over that said he only stirred right after mash in just to make sure all the grains were wet. How ofter are you supposed to stir?

[danno]

I direct fire my mash tun for step mashes, so I'm stirring all the time... but during the rests, I don't stir it at all...

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by danno
I direct fire my mash tun for step mashes, so I'm stirring all the time... but during the rests, I don't stir it at all...

I started to recirc instead of stirring. When I directly fire, I recirculate a few times and the temp stays pretty even and gives me a jump of recirc

[Jared]

I use a phils rotating sparge arm thingie in a converted keg. It works pretty well. One thing I have done to prolong my sparging is to shut it off every so often. And turn it back on when the liquid level is almost to the top of the grain bed. doing this I can get a 30+ minute sparge with no probs.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by Jared
doing this I can get a 30+ minute sparge with no probs.

you are better off leaving it going than turning it on and off - you want a constant pressure through the grain to keep the filter working optimally. My first batch lautered in just under 20 mins and it was a damn fine beer with 82% efficiency

[toneyc]

Originally posted by kujo
I fully admit that after brewing for several years, I have not the foggiest idea what fly sparging is. I'd love to see a description of all the sparging methods in one place.

Ok, I'll give that one a shot. There's basically three types of sparging, fly sparging, batch sparging, and no sparge.

1) Fly sparging is draining the mash tun very slowly (an hour is the time frame I hear most) while trickling your sparge water into the mash tun at the same pace, taking care not to disturb the grainbed. Phil's Sparger, a pie plate, Corky's nail.

2) Batch sparging is using two or three equal amounts of sparge water. After the mash, dump enough sparge water into the mash tun to make one of two or three equal "batches". Let it sit 10 minutes, vorlauf, and drain completely. Add the next batch of sparge water, let sit 10 minutes, vorlauf, drain completely. Repeat if necessary. I normally do 2 batches, half-n-half.

3) No sparge, I think is simply a single batch sparge. After the mash, add all of your sparge water, wait ten minutes, vorlauf, drain completely.

Feel free to correct me!

:)
Toney.

[thekulman]

Originally posted by barleyburps
I must be the only one that still pours water on top of the grain bed via cupfulls

That's what I do also. I use the round lid off of a tupperware tub (about 8" round), it floats on top and I just pour water on top of it.

Here's my question. I understand that a good fly sparge should take about 45 - 60 minutes. It looks to me like those devices that "rotate" and sprinkle are delivering water way too fast. If you set them to the right flow, would they even turn?

Or perhaps the holes are pinhole size? This past weekend I really tried to set the flow as slow as I could but still sparged a 5 gallon batch in 20 minutes. My efficiency is in the low 70's so I know I need to slow 'er down some more.

Kul

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by thekulman

Or perhaps the holes are pinhole size? This past weekend I really tried to set the flow as slow as I could but still sparged a 5 gallon batch in 20 minutes. My efficiency is in the low 70's so I know I need to slow 'er down some more.

Kul

the holes are very small. My sparges take around 40 mins

[Quin]

I don't use a sparge arm. I direct the sparge water to the top of one side of the cooler and let it trickle down the side. If you are maintaining clear water over the grain bed and not distubing the grain, it shoudn't matter where the water is applied.

[Mad Scientist]

I put a small ramikin (holds maybe 1/2 cup, ~3 inches across) in the center of my mash, and put the hose in it, and add water that way. It does not disturb the grain bed and allows me to add water when necessary, at high rates if need be.

[Magnew]

Originally posted by thekulman

Here's my question. I understand that a good fly sparge should take about 45 - 60 minutes. It looks to me like those devices that "rotate" and sprinkle are delivering water way too fast. If you set them to the right flow, would they even turn?



That's what I find. However, because there is a layer of water on top of the grains, you just turn it off when needed and let it drain. When the water layer gets low, turn it back on.

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by Magnew
That's what I find. However, because there is a layer of water on top of the grains, you just turn it off when needed and let it drain. When the water layer gets low, turn it back on.

If it's flowing too slow as to not turn, there's not enough water coming out to disturb the grain.

I like to find a drain speed for both the HLT and MLT and let them go until the kettle is filled.