Why Sparge at 170?
Sparging Is the Rinsing of the Mash Grain Bed to Extract as Much of the Sugars from the Grain as Possible Without Extracting Puckering Tannins from the...
Sparging is the rinsing of the mash grain bed to extract as much of the sugars from the grain as possible without extracting puckering tannins from the process. ... The water should be no more than 170°F, as husk tannins become more soluble above this temperature, depending on wort pH.
Why do we Sparge at higher temperatures?
Sparge water is heated because hot water dissolves sugar more effectively than cool water. However, if the sparge water is too hot, it will dissolve not only sugars, but also tannins from the grain husks. A small amount of tannins are present in any beer.
What happens if you Sparge too fast?
If the flow is too fast it can create a vacuum around the false bottom that will also cause a stuck sparge. The flow should be about a trickle and ideally the sparge water is being added at about the same rate as the wort being lautered out of the mash and into the boil kettle.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
