30 replies to this topic

[neddles]

Braukaiser does the best job explaining lautering efficiency, but he does not offer a way to predict lautering efficiency, which I contend is entirely based on experience with your own equipment. Using Kai's analysis you should be able to better predict your efficiency in the future though. You must be careful though since it's easy to throw off your numbers by measurement error.

 

https://www.braukais...sion_Efficiency

That's a very useful chart. I use that chart to predict my pre-boil OG on every batch. It is spot on almost every time and has never been off by more than 0.001. Has been consistent with post boil OGs from 1.034 to 1.086. My methods are probably not relevant in this thread though.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I use that chart for water/grist ratio and conversion gravity for just about every batch as a check. Kai's the man.

[djinkc]

Schwanz had some good point.  Oversparging can lead to astringency also IME.  Even if the pH is OK.

 

"Keep an eye on things. If the water builds up you'll have too much hydraulic pressure on the bottom and you won't filter through the bed properly."

 

That hasn't been my experience with a 70 qt Coleman Extreme (blue of course ).  I've had water sitting 4" or so over the grainbed more times than I would like.  Efficiency stayed the same at my place.  I would much rather have too much water in the tun than let the bed go partially dry when flying.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Schwanz had some good point.  Oversparging can lead to astringency also IME.  Even if the pH is OK.

 

"Keep an eye on things. If the water builds up you'll have too much hydraulic pressure on the bottom and you won't filter through the bed properly."

 

That hasn't been my experience with a 70 qt Coleman Extreme (blue of course ).  I've had water sitting 4" or so over the grainbed more times than I would like.  Efficiency stayed the same at my place.  I would much rather have too much water in the tun than let the bed go partially dry when flying.

 

It could lead to a stuck sparge depending on your tun geometry. For something that is taller than wide, like my tun or a water cooler, it's more of a problem. The Coleman exteme spreads the bed out a lot more and it's likely less of a problem. There's several reasons why commercial lauter tuns are generally close to 1:1 height to width. Managing hydraulic pressure is likely one of them.

[djinkc]

It could lead to a stuck sparge depending on your tun geometry. For something that is taller than wide, like my tun or a water cooler, it's more of a problem. The Coleman exteme spreads the bed out a lot more and it's likely less of a problem. There's several reasons why commercial lauter tuns are generally close to 1:1 height to width. Managing hydraulic pressure is likely one of them.

 

Yeah, that's why I mentioned the tun. I guess it could be an issue when the lauter tun has a smaller footprint.  Then OTOH you load it up pretty good when batch sparging - maybe the bed density never gets there with the faster runoff.

[positiveContact]

Understood.

 

My main point was that the difference between batch and fly sparging is how you lauter, so all things being equal otherwise, your lautering efficiency is mainly what is affected and what I argue is hardest to predict in batch sparging.

 

So a good question would be, can you accurately predict your preboil OG when batch sparging no matter the post boil OG? I personally had a hard time with it and I believe I've asked a variation of that question before here. The resounding answer before was no, you just have to try it for yourself and adjust as needed.

 

I tend to be within a couple of thousandths (+/- 0.002) of my predicted gravity which is good enough for my non-pro brewery

Edited by Evil_Morty, 02 February 2016 - 05:37 PM.

[Brauer]

Braukaiser does the best job explaining lautering efficiency, but he does not offer a way to predict lautering efficiency, which I contend is entirely based on experience with your own equipment. Using Kai's analysis you should be able to better predict your efficiency in the future though. You must be careful though since it's easy to throw off your numbers by measurement error.

https://www.braukais...sion_Efficiency

I find that Kai's Batch Sparge and Party Gyle Simulator spreadsheet accurately predicts batch sparge lauter efficiency on my system.

[Brauer]

I find that Kai's Batch Sparge and Party Gyle Simulator spreadsheet accurately predicts batch sparge lauter efficiency on my system.

Added a link for that...

[positiveContact]

Just a tip regarding getting the most of your batch sparge.  Once my sparge goes to a trickle I start the boil but continue to allow the sparge to drain into a small pot.  This usually yields me another 1-2 qts of wort.

[porter]

Just a tip regarding getting the most of your batch sparge.  Once my sparge goes to a trickle I start the boil but continue to allow the sparge to drain into a small pot.  This usually yields me another 1-2 qts of wort.

 

I do this too.

[positiveContact]

I do this too.

 

wort hoarders unite!