My total water for a no sparge batch is 8.5 gallons. Should I use my usual 1.5 qt per pound ratio (4.5 gallons) for a 60 minute mash, mash out, then add the remaining 4 gallons and lauter. Or should I add all the water at the start of the mash?
If I add all the water at the start of the mash how does that effect my salt additions?
Typically you add all water up front and make your salt additions on the full batch and full measurements. It can be batch sparged if you want…that’s the great thing about this hobby. If you batch sparge, you should make sure each water addition works for pH levels. The online calculators cover all of that pretty well.
For a true no-sparge, I would mash at the intended ratio, then add the rest of the water at the end of the mash.
For salt additions, split them between mash and the final addition as you see fit for pH control or based on volume, your option. I’ve done it various ways and I’m honestly not sure what difference it really makes anyway as long as mash pH is in the ballpark of 5.4-ish.
If I mash out at 170f for 20 minutes then why adjust the remaining water? Why not just mix it in and drain?
So what you’re talking about then is still just sparging, no matter how fast or slow you add the sparge (continuous, two batches, one big one…) You want to adjust the sparge water as you would for any method, to make sure the pH doesn’t rise too high during the sparge, as the mash is diluted. If you do a standard water to grain ratio for mash, then treat the sparge water as for a regular sparge in your calculator. Then mash off, add, mix and drain as you like.
No-Sparge, in my view, means creating the recipe around a full volume mash. I prepare additions, adjust pH, etc. all based on the total volume and mash-in with that volume.
There are so many more ways to no sparge then I thought! I’m confused behind the thought processes of any of these other methods, it seems like it goes against the simplicity of no sparge. I brew single vessel BIAB no sparge (SVBIABNS for simplicity sake), and I mash with my full volume. I usually use about 8 gallons of water, with a mash thickness of 2.75 qt/lb. I use Bru n water and set my sparge volume to 0 and my mash volume to the full volume. I adjust my water profile to got the my preferred mineral profile and mash pH.
Or it’s really all the same, depending on how you look at it. You’re using a certain full volume of water with your grain. You add it in one increment, two, three, a dozen, all from the beginning, or starting to break up batches during the mash (for stepping) or later (for “working” the sparge)…
Point is, X water: Y grain. Minerals in proportion. Mix it all up as suits you. The water passes through the grain, that’s the short version.
There are many variants, but it’s just minor details if you keep the big picture in mind. Your preference. Wax on, wax off.
The only advantage I see to breaking up the water additions of a no sparge batch would be to aid in temperature ramping.
Or space in MT maybe
As some have said, you want to determine:
a.) Your desired pH;
b.) Your desired mineral contributions;
c.) Plan your mash based off of that
Obviously a full volume mash at the outset means that the concentration of minerals will be different than if you restrict the volume initially and add water later, or if you do step infusions, etc.
pH can also be affected by step infusions.