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No Sparge brewing

kimbo

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Hi Guys
Just a few questions regarding No Sparge brewing.
Question - Is the brew efficiency low when you go to " no sparge brewing " i got a smaller than expected brew the last time i brewed , but was much easier & a big improvement on flavour.
I think i was sparging for to long and extracting undesirable flavours from grains.
Anyway no sparge brewing is easy and i get better results.
Question - is citric acid O/K to lower water PH, the mains PH was 7.2 the PH after mash was 6.4 should i adjust water PH or is this O/K.

My setup






 
kimbo said:
Hi Guys
Just a few questions regarding No Sparge brewing.
Question - Is the brew efficiency low when you go to " no sparge brewing " i got a smaller than expected brew the last time i brewed , but was much easier & a big improvement on flavour.
I think i was sparging for to long and extracting undesirable flavours from grains.
Anyway no sparge brewing is easy and i get better results.
Question - is citric acid O/K to lower water PH, the mains PH was 7.2 the PH after mash was 6.4 should i adjust water PH or is this O/K.

My setup






You can't over extract unless you go to great lengths to do so, and as far as no sparge goes it's not as good,you would leave quite a good deal of sugars on grains. In my opinion it's inferior.
 
If you want great efficiency from no-sparge, get a bag to fit your MLT, mill your grain much finer and do a mashout.. The other alternative is to forget the MLT and go to BIAB full volume.
 
Many people do no sparge brewing to get a more malty flavor from their grains.  It will not be as efficient as standard mashing techniques, but the trade off is the more rounded malt flavor.  As BOB357 stated, mashing in a bag will allow you to squeeze out more of the wort and improve your efficiency by an appreciable amount.

Your pH is too high post mash.  For good enzyme activity and more efficient conversion of the starches, you want to be in the 5.2 to 5.7 pH range, ideally in the 5.2 to 5.4 range.  You can use Citric acid, but beware that if you need too much, you may impart a citrus tang to your beer.  The use of a water adjustment spreadsheet such as that in BeerSmith, Bru'n water, or EZWater will help in determining the amount of acid needed, but to use them properly, you will need a water analysis to get the mineral and salt content.
 
Greetings kimbo - I would caution: yes you can over sparge.  If your final runnings fall below 1.010 SG, you will begin to draw tannins from the grain husks and that will affect the taste of your beer.

Also, Bob and Oginme offer great advise.  I would add: if you choose to use BeerSmith to determine the amount of acid to add to your mash, take the amount given and devide by half.  I can?t explain why, but BS over estimates the acid needed.

Lastly, I prefer to use Lactic Acid to acidify.  I only use a amall amount and it imparts no noticeable flavor at all.

Good luck!
 
I agree with KellerBrauer that BeerSmith overestimates the amount of acid needed to lower mash pH, and want to clarify his statement. When he said divide by half he meant divide by 2, or multiply by 1/2.

--GF
 
Thanks for all the advice, I will try and get a water analysis done & utilise one of the calculators you have suggested.
I made a mistake when I said the mash PH was 6.4 it was actually 5.4 after the no sparge brewing.
Its in the fridge now fermenting at 19 degrees. It looks good and tastes good so far ? fingers crossed.
The previous brew I reckon I over sparged and got a really bad smell & taste which I had to pour out. After reading some info I think I over sparged as the mash PH was 6.2 & SG was 1.003 at the end.
Is Biab brewing basically the same no sparge brewing. I have run out of home brew so hoping this brew comes out good as I have about 1500 king brown bottles I need to fill.
 
Yes, brew in a bag is very much like no sparge brewing if you do a full volume mash. The thing that sets it apart more than anything is that by using the bag you can mill the grain finer and improve your efficiency. Also, with BIAB you do everything in your kettle and don't need a MLT.

I use the BIAB method during the warmer Summer months and batch sparge when the weather cools to a pint that I can't maintain mash temperature. If my MLT were larger I'd use the bag in it and go with no sparge.

 
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