So, how long to do a 5 gallon all-grain batch?

The higher the gravity, the thicker the infusion needs to be, assuming you’re trying to get equal runnings.

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Does thicker mean less water per lb, like instead of 1.25 quarts/lb, 1 quart/lb? Or do you mean just more water and barley b/c it’s a higher gravity beer, thus thicker mash?

What you said first.  If you use your standard ratio with all that extra grain, you’d end up with too much first runnings so use a lower ratio.

I would state it Other than a small potential efficiency gain (always less than 5%) there’s no benefit to fly sparging.  Fly is more complicated so there are more opportunities for error (channeling, pH issues, oversparging, etc.).  Yes, if you hit every aspect of fly dead on, you might get a slightly higher efficiency, but batch sparging, by virtue of it’s simplicity actually gives the average homebrewer better odds at getting higher efficiency.

Just did a brew today and Id say it took me about 7 hours from start to finish… or  what I call, from “cleaning to even more cleaning” :smiley:

Takes me 6 to 6.5 hours from the time I drag my gear from my basement to the patio and then have it cleaned and put away.  Take away all the equipment movement and I’m looking at 5.5 to 6 hours from milling through clean up.  Takes less when I batch sparge by I am trying to mimic  commercial brewing techniques so I fly sparge unless I’m in a rush.  (Yah, I have the pro brewer dream  ;D)

It takes me 5-6 hours to brew, including getting all my equipment setup then cleaned & put away.  If you do a step mash or decoction mash this time will probably be extended.

Hello, my name is Dan and I’m a batch sparger.  4-6 hours.

Geez, If I were to include everything that it takes me to pre-clean, setup, post-clean etc…etc. I bet I spend almost as much time as I do brewing.  I try to get all that together during the week and the day before.  Without setup/cleanup I usually finish in about 5 hours.  I could cut it down if I had a plate chiller and I didnt do a recirc.

I also like the idea of using electricity to pre-heat my strike water.  I could do that while I sleep and wake up in mash in.  Gotta look into that. Thx!
-J.K.L.

I batch sparge every beer I make.  Depending on the size of your cooler, you might have to do a couple batch sparges for very large grist bills, but for 5.5 gal. of beers up to maybe a 90ish OG I can do one sparge and be fine.  My efficiency is the same or better than many fly spargers I know.  You should give it a try and decide for yourself!

My brewday usually begins around 10am and ends at 5pm. This is a fairly typical schedule. I take my time and spend a lot of that time doing other things inbetween processes. I could compress that schedule but really see no need to do so at the present time. I usually pour my first pint at flameout.  :slight_smile:

Yeah I like to take all day doing it, say dough in around 10.  Finish clean up by 6.

There are little short cuts you can take, batch sparging is one.  Any chance you can take to heat anything that has to be hot should be taken.  I don’t do a real mash out, I just light my flame under my 1st runnings, keep it low but generally they are 180-190 when I’m starting to run out my sparge, So part of the volume is closer to a boil.

Of course that being said, I generally step mash and take my good time where I can, its my day off.

Hello, my name is Jeff and I mainly do fly sparges and 10 gallon batches.

My minimum time was 4.5 hours, but that did not include set up the night before , which is an hour.  The maximum time was 10.5 hoiurs for a Bo-Pils, and I had set up the night before.  Just saying that if you change process, you can lengthen the time (double decoction, long boil, chill to 40F all add to the time).

For 5 gallons I could knock off some time as it would take less to heat and cool.

For Denny - I will do more batch sparges in the future.  I need to try the braid to get a better flow rate vs. the false bottom in the old round cooler I have.  My efficiencies have roughly been the same batch vs. fly.

Jeff, my experience is that if you have a good fly sparge system, your efficiency will be pretty much equal between the 2.  And just to be certain you understand, a fast runoff is an advantage, not a requirement, for batch sparging.  But my informal testing does seem to indicate that you can get clearer, more trouble free runoffs with a braid than a false bottom.

The reason I have been playing around with the barch sparging is to see if I can take time out of the brew day.  Advantage -yes.

On my pico system, I can get very clear runoffs.  That false bottom fits tight to the keg sides, so once you vorlauf and set the grain bed, it is very clear.

One other reason I have been playing with the old round cooler, is that with the 2 mash tuns, I oculd have a combined 100 quarts of space.  That way I could make a 10 gallon batch of beer that would be in Fred’s OG range.  ;D

Keeping up with the Bonjours, huh?  :wink:

Of the several he belongs to, my club is one, so - yes.

Been thinking of a Thomas Hardy type beer for a while.  Might as well do a 10 gallon batch to see how it ages.

;D ;D ;D

Set up to cleanup takes me 7 hours every single time. And I really don’t see what I can cut to make it any faster.