No Sparge

[Chris Craig]

I've been reading a bit about the no-sparge method recently.  It seems as if you lose about 10% efficiency this way versus batch sparging. Has anybody actually tried this?  I'd be willing to throw an extra 2lbs of grain in the mash to save 20 minutes of sparging.

[fakr]

Only 10%?  I would have assumed more.  Perhaps it depends on the size of your mash?
Yeah it it was just a couple of pounds extra then I might be game when I'm in a hurry.

It takes about 20 or so minutes for the boil to begin once i drain into the kettle so a couple of quick sparges fits right in there.

I think its worth doing at least one quick sparge.  I do two quick ones and still only get about 73% efficiency.

[Chris Craig]

I think it's worth an experiment

[Chris Craig]

Actually, I guess no experiment is necessary.  We can just measure the first runnings gravity and figure out the pre-boil gravity with enough top-up water to reach the target pre-boil volume.

[DandyMason]

I used to watch a bit of this fella Don osborn on youtube and he did a video on this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_W7e7RXxXA

This was also just him experimenting, but he found he didnt have any efficiency loss, although he did add water for a mashout...

I assume the idea is putting your entire volume of water in the cooler for the mash? So that your first runnings is your pre-boil volume... correct? So the water you were going to sparge with goes into the mash ... Maybe thats incorrect, but that sounds like the same process as BIAB

[Chris Craig]

I was thinking of mashing normally, getting the first runnings, and topping off the kettle with water to get the correct volume.  I hadn't thought of adding all the water to the cooler.  I'm not sure my 48 qt cooler would be big enough to hold everything.

[jeffsmith]

I was thinking of mashing normally, getting the first runnings, and topping off the kettle with water to get the correct volume.  I hadn't thought of adding all the water to the cooler.  I'm not sure my 48 qt cooler would be big enough to hold everything.

I think you'd take a much greater than 10 point hit only adding your strike addition.

[Chris Craig]

You may be right Jeff.  I found this article just now: http://www.promash.com/TipsNTricks/Comm ... ticle.html
He says he needs an additional 30-50% of the grain for this method.  It's a good article.

[fakr]

From my parti gyle experience i would say your loss would closer to 25% or more.

My first runnings totalled roughly 6gal with an OG of 1.091.
I filled the mash tun with water on the same grain and it sat for an hour while i boiled the first runnings.
The second runnings from the mash tun had an OG of 1.040 if I remember correctly.

So, i would definitely sparge.  Either that or parti gyle.

If you haven't tried parti gyle brewing, you should try it.  It's very interesting just how different both beers taste.

[Richard]

Yeah I was under the impression that no-sparge meant a thinner mash to compensate.

[fakr]

Thats what i would think too Richard.  The downfall is needing a huge mash tun for a thin mash...like a 3:1 ratio .