Slow sparge with decoction method

[wolfie7873]

Did my first decoction last Monday for my Christmas Ale. I actually liked the process, and of course I made some notes for what I could change next time. One of the things I noticed was that I had a really slow sparge (uncharacteristic for my equipment.) I think the slower sparge helped my extraction efficiency, but I'm worried that I might have been flirting with the line between slow and stuck. My first thought for fixing this would be to add some rice hulls just before sparging. Does this happen to anyone else?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

yes its common and different with different grains or a different crush, you can use the credit card method on crushing, its a wider gap and will not stick or rice hulls in the bottom, "smell them and make sure they do not have an odor" either way congrats its always fun do do something different

 

[wolfie7873]

I'm not sure what you refer to by 'credit card method' - I get all my grain from the same LHBS and there's a big, sternly-worded sign instructing users not to adjust the mill. You probably inferred this, but I meant to state it plainly, that I think the decoction itself contributed to the slow sparge by breaking down the grain further than ordinary crush from all the extra cooking.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

rice hulls then, and yes your right the hotter the sparge water like boiling will soften the grain and over time can compact at the bottom, its normal, you probably going to get a better efficiency using that method