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No Sparge

Started by Chris Craig, March 17, 2013, 07:58:26 PM

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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.
"If God had intended for us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs."

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

Quote from: "ChrisCraig"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.
"If God had intended for us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs."

Richard

Yeah I was under the impression that no-sparge meant a thinner mash to compensate.
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Kegged: air.
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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 .
"If God had intended for us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs."