Batch sparging.... One or two sparges? Sometimes equipment/recipe combonation restrictions dictate this, but I have a 15.5 gallon 5 day cooler I'm going to turn into an MLT. I should have no problem doing a single batch sparge on most 10 gallon batches with that dude. Is there any advantage to splitting the sparge?

From what I read, approximately 1/2 the sugar can be extracted in the first runnings, 1/3 on the first sparge, and 1/6 on the third.

Fly sparging on a commercial scale can yield near lab extraction rates, but on a homebrew scale I feel it is marginally better than a split sparge for sugar extraction

I often do many small batch sparges. Never an exact system; but when the first is empty (or I'm bored) I add water until it's just at about the grain line, maybe a little lower, like a really thick mash. Then stir it really well, and let it flow. Letting it sit at this point wouldn't be a bad idea, but that's mostly so a grain bed filter forms and you don't have to recirculate as much wort. I find that if I'm pulling from it this step takes about as long, so I suspect that if anything my eff is better for it as it was flowing and mixing at the time.
Then when it's low or I'm bored I do it again.

I started with fly sparging. rather complicated to set up and maintain, so I don't bother.

I will be making a second 5gal mash tun. I'll batch sparge that, but what flows out of that would work nicely as a fly sparge for my other MLT.

Yep.... batch sparge twice.... stir a lot.... I like longer sparge rests than most, like 20-30 minutes, but 15 will do for extracting sugars. Stir every 5-minutes or so. A fly sparge may be better at extracting sugars (if done right) but I think they leave a lot of flavor behind. A good crush can make a lot of difference too.

Invest in a mill, it is one of my best investments, now I buy base malt in bulk, and my other malts 5 to 25 lbs at a time

Can, not cab

Santa brought me a barley crusher a couple years ago, I cryo treated the rollers to help in durability, and have since run around 500 lbs or better of grain through it, my first batch with the mill got me 75% eff. I adjusted it to .035 and got 80%, tightened it to .030 and am at 87% eff. On most every batch, turn the wick up to .026 orq .028 to mill rye or wheat and I am loving life!

I would start trying to improve your numbers with longer rests between draining the tun, and splitting your sparge into two if you don't already

Let me see if I understand.

Sparge #1: Rest for 15 min (minimum)
Rest for 10 min?
Sparge #2: Rest for 15 min - Or can this step be shorter?

Ok, so no rest between sparges? I think I must have mis understood.

After my initial mash, I mashout with the volume absorbed by the grain, I bring it to a boil and dump it in the tun, stir the piss out of it and vorlauf and drain, when its almost drained I heat my sparge water to 170-175 so its ready to go in as soon as the tun is drained.

I do this for the second sparge as well. As soon as the tun is drained I am ready to add more water.

So what is the point of the rests?

But if you use loose leaf tea and stir the heck out of it; it takes much less time.

jlw said:

Efficiency update.

Took the advice above on stirring more frequently during mash and sparge and made sure I got two 15 minute sparges and I ended up with 86% efficiency.

Oh and i went back to using equal batch sparges instead of the first being like a gallon and the second like 3.5 gallon's.

Thanks dudes for the advice.

thats what I'm talking about! A little more time sparging and your efficiency shot way up!!!