Beer Making, Part 2: The Sparge

Sparging those grains in a three-tier homegrown tower!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• beer
• brewing
• homebrewing
• mash
• sparge
• craft
• home

[thurstonstanley]

Hi John,

Can you explain the process of recirculating the wort? Is it part of the sparging process? I've read about it and you did it to a small extent but I'm too stupid to figure it out on my own. Like your set up.

Cheers!

[JohnRockwell]

That's exactly it. Some folks will use a pump and continue to put he runoff back into the mash tun until the runoff is clear.

[pointyelbo]

I'm jealous of your temp controlled room. Unfortunately I live in an apartment and can't do that.

So far, because of temperature, I've only been able to make Ales and Stouts, no Lagers.

Got any advice on how I could make Lagers without keeping my house at 45 degrees?

[JohnRockwell]

Get a separate fridge, and put it on an external temp control.

[sabek210]

dude. stop drinking and clean up your yard.... haha. good luck with your beer.

[JohnRockwell]

Good advice, but I think I'd rather drink than play with a lawnmower...

[PowerliftingWSM]

Hot water against plastic... aren't you worried about bpa getting into your brew? Doesnt seem too healthy to me.

[aj19fleming]

@JohnRockwell Recirculating isn't so much of a sparge technique (which helps with sugar extractions). Rather, recirculation causes the wort to clear itself up. By repeatedly puring your wort over the grain bed, the grains serve as a natural filter by grabbing small particles.

[broken14us]

how big is the false bottom and where did you get it

[MindfulMalcolm]

well - not a spigot - but a hole drilled into the side of the bucket with a hose clamp - hehe. Hey - if it works!

[MindfulMalcolm]

He didnt seem to have a ball valve on his HTL (hot liquid tank) - I am referring to the one used for heating - sp he heats it then xfers it to the top of his 3-tier system. The bucket did have a spigot of some sort - which allows for his ghetto sparge sytem. I used to do the same thing.

[dvdfrnzwbr]

Why did he transport his sparge water from a metal pot, which he used to heat it, into a plastic bucket before sparging it onto the mash tun. Maybe for measurment? Can anyone comment.

[deathrail]

"it goes brittle after a few....... hundred batches" lol thats awesome

[BobbyFromNJ]

Clear no, husk free yes. You're going to clear it with hot break in the kettle anyway. My beers finish crystal clear with no astringency.

[brichards700]

Really? Your wort runs clear after a half gallon. Do you mean Chuck-free or clear? I use a pitcher that is about a half gallon in size and I usually go through about 5 of those at least before my grain bed is set up just right to where my wort is looking real clear. This is typical of what I've seen others do as well on other systems. Whats your secret?

[BobbyFromNJ]

I never had to vorlauf more than a half gallon to get it to clear.