Problem sparge

[thomas99]

Hi, I changed my all-grain system from gas to electric.
I bought a Brewferm kettle and I built myself a kettle for sparge (with a maximum capacity of 5 litres).
Since I am limited with the size of the sparge kettle, if I need to make more than 5 liters of sparge can I add the (cold) water to reach the volume of 23 liters directly into the wort? So if I needed 10 liters to get to pre-boil volume, I would make 5 liters of fly-sparge plus 5 liters of cold water which I would pour directly into the wort. Would I compromise something or should I be fine?
Thank you.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Top-up water into the wort would work just fine. You mention that you are fly-sparging so I imagine you're are transferring the sparge water from your 5L kettle by gravity or a pump. So you could add the cold water to your sparge kettle as it empties to get a little more sparge water over the grains. Sparge temperature isn't so important so this would work too.

 

[Minbari]

Hi, I changed my all-grain system from gas to electric.
I bought a Brewferm kettle and I built myself a kettle for sparge (with a maximum capacity of 5 litres).
Since I am limited with the size of the sparge kettle, if I need to make more than 5 liters of sparge can I add the (cold) water to reach the volume of 23 liters directly into the wort? So if I needed 10 liters to get to pre-boil volume, I would make 5 liters of fly-sparge plus 5 liters of cold water which I would pour directly into the wort. Would I compromise something or should I be fine?
Thank you.

As mentioned, nothing wrong with top up water. Only thing I would suggest is check your gravity before you blindly top up a set amount of water. You might not want exactly 10 liters.

 

[Ward Chillington]

I built myself a kettle for sparge (with a maximum capacity of 5 litres).

So are you doing a 3 stage system and this us your Hot Liquor Tank?
Is there any reason you can't do BIAB?

 

[Donoroto]

Hi, I changed my all-grain system from gas to electric.
I bought a Brewferm kettle and I built myself a kettle for sparge (with a maximum capacity of 5 litres).
Since I am limited with the size of the sparge kettle, if I need to make more than 5 liters of sparge can I add the (cold) water to reach the volume of 23 liters directly into the wort? So if I needed 10 liters to get to pre-boil volume, I would make 5 liters of fly-sparge plus 5 liters of cold water which I would pour directly into the wort. Would I compromise something or should I be fine?
Thank you.

Short answer: you are fine. Cold is ok pre-boil.
Longer answer: maybe you can warm up some water on the stove. Your spaghetti pot should be able to handle 5 L and you can certainly heat it up to 170°F if you really like. The only difference will be that the warm water may extract a little more of the sugars from the grain than cold water, but I'm not sure if that's true or not, I am just speculating. Either way, you'll still be fine.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

he only difference will be that the warm water may extract a little more of the sugars from the grain than cold water, but I'm not sure if that's true or not, I am just speculating. Either way, you'll still be fine.

I'm not sure which podcast I heard it on, or magazine I read it in, (meaning take this with a grain of salt plus a few) that the extra sugars you get from a warm/hot sparge are minimal. The main advantage is reduced viscosity making for an easier sparge.

 

[Craigerrr]

I'm not sure which podcast I heard it on, or magazine I read it in, (meaning take this with a grain of salt plus a few) that the extra sugars you get from a warm/hot sparge are minimal. The main advantage is reduced viscosity making for an easier sparge.

Surely you aren't minimalizing the value of a fermentable sugar! Every gravity point is sacred!
There was talk somewhere recently about separately boiling down an amount of wort, then adding back as a syrup. I might just try that with some second runnings one time. Add those additional sugars, but minus a good amount of the volume of water from a sparge. I wonder what style of beer would benefit most from something like that.