Brew Your Own Magazine – Basic Brewing Radio

Collaborative Experiment #6: Mashing Methods

We asked home brewers to compare and contrast two

common home brewing mashing and lautering techniques,
choosing between batch sparging, fly sparging, no-sparge,
and brew in a bag. Five brewers answered the challenge.
These are their full results.

The BBR episode (January 20, 2011) can be found in the

archives at basicbrewingradio.com.

Your name: Jeff Karpinski

Location:
Style of beer:
Mashing techniques
compared:
Yeast strain:
Describe in detail your
process, including time spent
lautering, weight of grain bill,
water to grain ratio, etc.
Parker, CO
SMaSH (Maris Otter & Chinook)
No sparge & fly sparge
US-05
Recipe:
MO / Chinook SMaSH
2.5G, 68 IBU, 8 SRM
5lb Maris Otter
.5oz 11.5AA Chinook @ 30min
.5oz 11.5AA Chinook @ 15min
.5oz 11.5AA Chinook @ whirlpool (15min)
US-05 10 days @ 58, 4 days @ 68.
Water Ca:84, Cl:41, SO4:91, CaCO3:89

No sparge:

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 45 minute mash @ 154, 1.5qt/lb.
15 minute recirculation of full pre-boil volume until 170 reached.
60 minute boil.

Fly sparge:
60 minute mash @ 154, 1.5qt/lb
Vorlauf followed by 60 minute runoff with 170 sparge water.
60 minute boil.
My Countertop Brutus 20 - Round 5gal MLT with stainless circular braid,
continuous recirculation ability.
Describe your mashing
equipment.
http://byo.com/stories/projects-and-equipment/article/indices/20-build-it-
yourself/1987-countertop-brewing-system
All samples chilled to 60...

What was the pre-boil specific No sparge:

gravity and volume of each 3 gal @ 1.051
batch?
Fly sparge:
3 gal @ 1.053
No sparge:
What was the original gravity 2.5 gal @ 1.061
and post boil volume of each
batch? Fly sparge:
2.5 gal @ 1.064
No sparge:
What was the final gravity of 1.015
each batch?
Fly sparge:

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Color differences (if any):
What differences (if any) in the
foam did you see?
Describe any differences in
clarity:
Compare the flavor, bitterness, differences, even though the fly sparge is about 0.5% higher ABV.
and aroma between the
batches:
Conclusions. Also, will this
change how you brew?:
1.013
Interesting that the fly sparge wort was slightly more fermentable. In
conjunction with the higher OG, this meant the fly sparge beer was about
0.5% higher ABV.
Fly sparge wort looked slightly clearer pre-boil. No color differences at all
throughout processes. Finished beers look identical.
http://www.red-shift.net/stuff/byobbr6-1.jpg
Fermentation was identical. Same amount of krausen, same lag, same time
reaching FG.
http://www.red-shift.net/stuff/byobbr6-2.jpg
Both are very clear when warm and both exhibit slight chill haze when cold.
No detectable difference.
http://www.red-shift.net/stuff/byobbr6-3.jpg
http://www.red-shift.net/stuff/byobbr6-4.jpg
Wife poured me a triangle test. Hard as I tried, I could not find any
Fly sparge head was SLIGHYLY longer lasting. Consistency of bubble size
was same, however.
About what I expected. No sparge had an 82% efficiency into the kettle. Fly
sparge had 87%. My MLT having a stainless braid instead of a false bottom
likely limited the fly sparge's potential in this test. On the other hand, the
CB20's ability to recirculate the full pre-boil volume through the MLT
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 minimizes the inherent inefficiency of no sparge.

Overall, I'm very pleased with my system and processes. For an hour
shorter brewday, I'm getting what I truly consider to be the same beer.

As for the beer itself, I love using SMaSH beers for experiments, and I
always use Maris Otter for its pronounced malt character. I'm also a big fan
of Chinook hops, but until this SMaSH, I'd never tried them with MO. I can't
honestly say they're a great combo. Something's clashing on my tongue
from the bottled samples. I combined and kegged the balance of the two
beers where it does taste better, probably due to the relatively low
carbonation level I normally run my kegerator at. It's more reminiscent of an
ESB off the tap.

Your name: Hank Rowe

Location: Tucson, Az
Style of beer: Belgian Blonde
Mashing techniques
Fly-Sparging & Brew-In-A-Bag
compared:
Yeast strain: White Labs Belgian Golden Ale WLP570 w/ starter
12.75lb grain bill (6.5 2-row, 4.5 wheat, 1 vienna & .75 carapils)

Fly Sparging: I struck with 4.5gals @ 170, resulting in a starting mash temp
Describe in detail your
of 157 degrees. By the end of the 1-hour mash, the temp had dropped to
process, including time spent
148 degrees. Slightly concerned about lack of temp control, I stirred grains
lautering, weight of grain bill,
about every 10-12 minutes. Upon the end of the mash period, I drew off the
water to grain ratio, etc.
wort to the boiling kettle, and set up the sparge - I had 5 gallons of water at
180 degrees, which gravity fed at a rate to result in a slow rotation of the
sparge arms, monitoring the draining liquid to the boiling kettle, stopping

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Describe your mashing
equipment.
What was the pre-boil specific
gravity and volume of each
when I reached my desired yield (resulting in approximately 4 gallons -
sparging over 45 minutes). *see note in conclusion.
For the BIAB, I wanted to make sure I hit my target volume directly from the
removal of the grain bag. I used a variety of sources and determined to start
with 5.25 gals to steep the initial grain bed, and follow up with an additional
2 gallons of boiling water to bump the mash temp to 170 degrees for the last
10 minutes. I began with 5.25gals with a strike temp of 165 degrees, which
when the grain bag was added resulted in a temp of 154 degrees. As I was
mashing directly in my boiling pot, I was able to closely monitor the temp
over the 1 hour mash time, with temp ranges kept between 152 and 154
degrees. At the end of one hour, I added 2 gals of boiling water to the kettle.
This brought my mash temp to 165, which I left at for 10 minutes before
pulling out the bag. During the mash process, I stirred the grains about
every 8-10 minutes or so. Once lifting out the grain bag, I placed it in a
strainer over a smaller brew pot to drip into. After approximately 10 minutes!
, the water drained was added to the brew kettle.
The one-hour boil was applied equally to each batch, with additions of .6oz
Hallertau @ 45min, 1oz Hallertau @ 30min, and 1oz Saaz + .4oz Hallertau
at flame out. A coil chiller was added at 10 minutes (to sterilize), and wort
chilled in ~30 mins to 70 degrees pitching temp before transfer to
fermenters.
Mini-Brew 15gal Mash Tun w/false bottom, with fabricated closed-cell foam
insulator for sideas and top.
Brew in a Bag: 24"x24" Nylon Straining Bag
Fly-Sparge: 1.043 ~6.5 gals
BIAB: 1.048 ~6gals
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batch?
What was the original gravity
and post boil volume of each
batch?
What was the final gravity of
each batch?
Color differences (if any):
What differences (if any) in the
foam did you see?
Describe any differences in
clarity:
(gravity adjusted for temp)
Fly-Sparge: 1.048 ~5.5 gals
BIAB: 1.055 ~5gals
1.010 each
The color of each was a sandy yellow/brown, though much more noticeable
presence of particulates in the BIAB.
Cannot speak to this as one container was a bucket-style fermenter - though
it should be noticed that fermentation for each began at similar times, with
equal rate noted (initial bubbling ~6 hours, with equivalent rate of aggressive
bubblers noted the next morning (12 hours). Fermentation rates remained
similar, down to a trickle 2 days later
Cannot commenton difference in fermenter. In the bottle (pre-refrigeration),
both appeared to have similar clarity, with equivalent (slight) deposit at the
bottom of the bottle (nothing that would distinguish one from the other).
Poured in the glass, the BIAB had ever-so-slightly more carbonation
(understanble with gravity difference). It was noted that the Fly-Sparge brew
poured ever so slightly darker in shade - though when viewed through the
light they appeared equal in color and clarity (a golden-sandy color ~3
SRM).
Among me and my samplers, the following was noted:

BIAB: A citrus bouquet, with a hint of orange. This also came through in the
Compare the flavor, bitterness,
taste. Somewhat sweet. Light and fizzy one the tongue.
and aroma between the
batches:
Fly-Sparge: A slightly more blended taste - less of the citrus aroma and
orange. One of my samplers noted that because the citrus taste didn't come
on quite as strong, that this beer would be more "drinkable"

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 I learned a great deal with this experiment. For one, I should have done the
Fly-Sparge first, as it would have given me a better gauge of how much
water to use for the BIAB. I do believe that the significant factor in any
difference in the tastes of these two were due to the difference in
water/grain ratio, as otherwise, the end results came through very similar.

Being new to All Grain, I would definitely recommend BIAB to anyone who is
Conclusions. Also, will this
considering trying to step into AG for the ease, as well as the cost efficiency.
change how you brew?:
For me personally, my desire is for larger capacity (I generally brew 10 gal
batches). While I did read of some who do use BIAB for 10 gal batches, the
process seemed like it would be more cumbersome due to the simple fact of
the grain mass. For going beyond that (as I am looking towards), I do not
see BIAB as a viable option for larger batches (though I would definitely use
for smaller experimental batches).

Your name: Christopher Owen

Location: Louisville, KY
Style of beer: American Pale Ale
Mashing techniques
continuous vs batch
compared:
Yeast strain: WLP001
Grain bill:
8 lbs 2-row
Describe in detail your
1 lb carapils
process, including time spent
lautering, weight of grain bill,
Mash @ 4 gallons to 9 lbs
water to grain ratio, etc.
Mash temp: 152
Mash duration: 90 min

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 Boil 75 minutes
1 oz cascade @ FWH
0.5 oz cascade@ 60 min
0.5 oz cascade@ 15 min
1 oz cascade@ 5 min
0.5 oz dry hop - 7 days

39 IBU
~5.9% ABV

Describe your mashing 8 gallon stainless steel kettle, using a weldless fitting, ball valve and hose
equipment. braid.
Batch
PBG: 1.046 @ 5.5 gallons (75% efficiency with correction for thermal
What was the pre-boil specific expansion)
gravity and volume of each
batch? Fly
PBG:1.050 @5.5 gallons (81% efficiency with correction for thermal
expansion)
Batch
What was the original gravity OG: 1.058 @4.25 gallons
and post boil volume of each
batch? Fly
OG: 1.062 @4.25 gallons
Batch
What was the final gravity of
FG: 1.014 (76% attenuation)
each batch?

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Color differences (if any):
What differences (if any) in the About 1-2 mm higher head in the fly sparge beer than the batch sparge.
foam did you see?
Describe any differences in
clarity:
Compare the flavor, bitterness,
and aroma between the
batches:
Conclusions. Also, will this
change how you brew?:
Your name:
Location:
Style of beer:
Mashing techniques
Fly
FG: 1.016 (74% attenuation)
The batch sparge beer is slightly darker in color than the fly sparge beer.
You may need a meter to know exactly how much, as it is subtle. But, the
bottom inscriptions in my glass are more obvious, reflecting light more
brightly and are easier to decipher in the fly sparge beer than the batch
sparge beer. I am curious if the extra color comes from more tannins being
extracted and getting into the wort.
Neither remained very long.
Initially, the fly batch was slightly clearer and lighter. This may simply be
brewhouse error, possibly as more suspended grist got through from having
to repeat the vorlauf process in the batch sparge beer. After fermentation,
no real difference is detectable. There is also a slight haze in both beers
from the dry hopping.
Beers are equal in hop aroma and flavor. The batch sparge beer has a
slightly dry, astringent sensation (the slightest bit) on the finish compared to
the fly sparge. This may be consistent with the slightly darker color of the
batch sparge beer, as it may be getting more tannins.
I will continue to fly sparge as it is more efficient for me, resulting in more
sugar in the wort. It also eliminates the risk of getting extra tannins in the
wort (though some write that batch sparging reduces the risk of extra
tannins). I will definitely fly sparge for extra-pale pilsners, helles and the like.
I imagine with dark beers I wouldn't notice a difference.
Andreas Schermaier
Export, PA
Best Bitter
No Sparge vs. Fly Sparge
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compared:
Yeast strain: WLP041 Pacific Ale Yeast
Grain Bill (10 lbs total)
9 lbs Maris Otter
1 lbs Uk Crystal (10L)

8 gallons filtered tap water

21 grams Five Star 5.2 Buffer (added to 8 gals)

.65 oz Gypsum [60 mins]

1.5 oz Bramling Cross [60 mins]

1/4 tsp Super Moss [10 mins]

Describe in detail your
1/2 tsp Wyeast Nutrient [10 mins]
process, including time spent
lautering, weight of grain bill,
.95 oz Kent Goldings [1 min]
water to grain ratio, etc.
.45 oz Fuggles [1 min]
.5 oz Bramling Cross [1 min]

All 8 gallons of water had 21 grams of 5.2 Buffer added to it then it was split
up . In the case for no sparge all 8 gallons was used, but in the fly sparge
method 4 gallons went to the mash tun and the other 4 gallons was used
later for the sparge.

Water was brought up to temperature and then milled grain added. Direct
heat was applied to keep the mash at temperature. After rest then direct
heat was added to bring to mash out temperature of 168 F, then lautering
began.

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 In the fly sparge method, while the mash rested the sparge water was
brought up to 170 F and then transferred to a 5 gallon cooler.

Runoff was collected and brought to boil. After 60 mins of boiling, wort was
run through a plate chiller and into a carboy. Carboy was shaken and yeast
was pitched.

Fermented at 64-68 F. In primary for three weeks, then bottled with 68

grams priming sugar.

No Sparge

* 3.2 quarts per lbs of grain

* 70 mins rest @ 150 F
* 25 mins to drain mash tun (when I drained faster the run off got too cloudy,
so it drained slower)

Fly Sparge

* 1.6 quarts per lbs of grain

* 70 mins rest @ 150 F
* 70 mins to complete runoff/sparge
Mash Tun
Describe your mashing
* 10 gal Blichman Boilermaker
equipment.
* False bottom

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 * Auto Sparge Arm for Fly Sparging
No Sparge
* 9 brix (1.036)
What was the pre-boil specific * 6.5 gallons
gravity and volume of each
batch? Fly Sparge
* 12 brix (1.048)
* 6.5 gallons
No Sparge
* 11.5 brix (1.046)
What was the original gravity * 5.5 gallons
and post boil volume of each
batch? Fly Sparge
* 14 brix (1.057)
* 5.5 gallons
No Sparge
* 5.75 brix (1.008)
What was the final gravity of
each batch?
Fly Sparge
* 7.25 brix (1.011)
Color differences (if any): The No Sparge batch looked ever so slightly darker.
What differences (if any) in the
No difference in foam.
foam did you see?
Describe any differences in
Both beers cleared equally the same.
clarity:
Compare the flavor, bitterness, Aroma
and aroma between the The No Sparge beer (NS) had a little bit more of a pronounced hop aroma
batches: while the Fly Sparge (FS) I got some hop aroma too but with a little bit more

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Conclusions. Also, will this
change how you brew?:
Your name:
Location:
Style of beer:
Mashing techniques
compared:
Yeast strain:
Describe in detail your
process, including time spent
lautering, weight of grain bill,
water to grain ratio, etc.
of the sweetness of the carmel malt coming through.
Flavor
NS has pleasant taste from hops and a little bit of sweetness. Unfortunately
the FS I get a bit more of a sharp taste, sort of astringent.
Bitterness
The NS beer I perceive to be more bitter than the FS beer.
I will change a bit how I will brew in the future. I will try to fly sparge more
often even though it takes a lot longer to do. I would like to get better at fly
sparging and maybe I can eliminate that sharp taste. I would also like to
have a more reliable efficiently to create recipes from.
Dan Kerkman
Lake Villa, IL
Hoppy Alt beer
batch and fly sparging
Wyeast 2565 Kolsch
Trying a decoction mash for the first time. Found this online BYO article on
the process with an included recipe for an Alt beer. I followed that recipe
(though I think it may be a bit hoppy for the style).
Used the same recipe for both batches: 4 lbs 2-row; 2 lbs wheat malt; 2 lbs
Munich malt; 0.5 lbs 20L Crystal. 8.5 lbs total grain mashed into 4 gal (~2
qts/lb) water.
Mashed in and achieved a 128°F initial temperature. Pulled a 19.5 lb
decoction which was heated to 150°F then rested there for 15 min before
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Describe your mashing
equipment.
What was the pre-boil specific
gravity and volume of each
batch?
What was the original gravity
and post boil volume of each
batch?
What was the final gravity of
each batch?
Color differences (if any):
What differences (if any) in the
foam did you see?
boiling for 20 min. The decoction was returned to the mash tun to produce a
150°F sacrification temperature. After 15 min pull a 19 lb decoction which
was boiled for 20 min before returning to the mash tun for a 10 min 168°
mash out.
Vorloff until reasonably clear (~0.5 gal) then either batch or fly sparge (done
on successive brew days). The amount of time spent sparging was similar
regardless of the method (though I didn't measure this precisely).
Calculated the efficiency of the two methods (initial gravity points/potential
gravity points from beersmith.com). Efficiency was the same since there
was the same amount of grain (therefore the same potential gravity) in each
batch and each batch had the same post boil OG. 52/61.9=84%
False bottom mash tun/boil kettle made from an used stainless steel half
barrel.
Batch sparged recipe was 6 gal with SG of 1.041.
Fly sparged recipe was 6 gal with SG of 1.040.
Volume and OG was essentially the same for each batch post boil (5 gal,
1.052 respectively).
Batch sparged recipe a had final gravity of 1.011.
Fly sparged recipe had a final gravity of 1.010.
No difference in color
Better foam on the batch sparged recipe, but I mistakenly pulled a smaller
than desired first decoction for this batch and cooked it almost dry (added
some more mash liquid). Since the decoction was too small the mash
temperature didn't reach sacrification temperature when the small decoction
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 was added back and I had to do another decoction.
Describe any differences in
Clarity was the same for both batches.
clarity:
Both batches had aroma that hinted of a Belgian Ale. Smooth mouth feel
Compare the flavor, bitterness, with an initial hint of sweetness that is quickly overcome by the beer's
and aroma between the hoppiness.
batches:
The fly sparged recipe was slightly drier than the batch sparged recipe.
I found the two beers to be essentially the same and will likely try batch
Conclusions. Also, will this
sparging more often (I've only used fly sparging until now). I'll definitely try
change how you brew?:
decoction mashing again!

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