Author: Jake Huolihan

A method that has seemed to experience a bump in popularity over the last few years, perhaps as a result of the growth of the Brew In A Bag (BIAB) movement, no sparge brewing involves eliminating the sparge step by mashing with the full volume of brewing liquor. As far back as 2002, John Palmer discussed the merits of this simplified all-grain approach to beer making in an article he penned for Brew Your Own, in which he states:

At the end of the continuous sparging process, the mash pH typically rises to around 6 as the sugars are extracted and the buffering effect of the malt and wort is replaced by water. This rise in mash pH tends to extract greater proportions of tannins, polyphenols and silicates into the wort that have a dulling effect on the taste. Batch sparging (in which first, second and even third runnings are combined to produce the wort) can exacerbate this effect because all of the wort is drained away, including the majority of the buffering capability, before adding the next sparge volume. ( Skip the Sparge!, J. Palmer, BYO, May/June 2002

In the interest of both speeding up my brew day and producing a beer with more malt character, I’ve tried my hand at the no sparge method numerous times, all successful to the extent that I made beer. As is often discussed, my no sparge batches tend to yield slightly lower efficiencies compared to when I batch sparge, but I can’t say I’ve ever noticed the finished beers as being all that different in terms of malt character or overall quality. However, I’ve never compared beers made using either method side-by-side, and since it seems more brewers are making the switch to no sparge methods, I figured it was good time to test it out!

| PURPOSE |

To evaluate the impact different mash methods have on beer, the same recipe was brewed simultaneously using either batch sparge or no sparge.

| METHODS |

Something about the warm Summer had me yearning for low alcohol yellow beer, so I decided to brew an easy drinking Kölsch for this xBmt, figuring it was light enough to allow any potential variable dependent differences to shine through.

German Kölsch

Recipe Details Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV 5.5 gal 60 min 25.7 IBUs 2.9 SRM 1.050 1.010 5.3 % Actuals 1.05 1.006 5.8 % Fermentables Name Amount % Pilsner (2 row) (Gambrinus) 9.5 lbs 95 Cara-Pils/Dextrine 8 oz 5 Hops Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha % Saaz 29 g 60 min Boil Pellet 3.8 Saaz 29 g 30 min Boil Pellet 3.8 Saaz 15 g 10 min Boil Pellet 3.8 Yeast Name Lab Attenuation Temperature German Ale/Kolsch (WLP029) White Labs 75% 65°F - 69°F Notes Water Profile: Ca 58 | Mg 5 | Na 8 | SO4 73 | Cl 68

A few days beforehand, I prepared a traditional starter with a very fresh pack of WLP029 German Ale/Kölsch yeast, which turned into one of the milkiest starters I’ve ever spun.

The night before brewing, I gathered all of the ingredients required for each batch including the brewing water, which required different volumes given the variable. For the batch sparge batch, I went with a fairly common liquor to grist ratio of 1.5 quarts per pound of grain, this amounted to 3.75 gallons while the full volume of no sparge water took up 8.75 gallons of kettle space. Immediately upon waking early the following morning, I began heating strike water, staggering the start of each batch by 30 minutes. Similar mash temperatures confirmed I’d input everything into BeerSmith accurately.

I was pleased to see that pH readings from both batches settled in right where Bru’n Water predicted based on the adjustments I made.

Note that the no sparge mash required quite a bit more acid (34.7 mL of 10% phosphoric) than the batch sparge mash (13.1 mL of 10% phosphoric) in order to hit the same mash pH, so to minimize any potential flavor impact, I added the difference of 21.6 mL of phosphoric acid to the sparge water for the batch sparge batch. Both mashes were left alone for 60 minutes.

I began heating the sparge water soon after mashing in on the no sparge batch. Once the batch sparge mash was complete, I collected the first runnings, added the sparge water to the MLT, stirred, then collected the rest of the sweet wort. When the no sparge mash was finished, I simply drained the entire volume of wort into its own kettle. All said and done, the batch sparge process took approximately 20 minutes longer than the no sparge process, which to me is a solid amount of time! I proceeded to boil each wort for 75 minutes, adding hops at the times listed in the recipe.

At the end of each boil, the worts were quickly chilled to my preferred fermentation temperature then transferred to separate fermentors. Hydrometer measurements showed the batch sparge wort was at a slightly higher OG than the no sparge wort, which amounted to a 3% difference in brewhouse efficiency (74% and 71%, respectively).

After placing the fermentors in my 68°F/20°C fermentation chamber, I decanted and evenly split the yeast between each fermentor then dosed both 60 seconds of pure oxygen. I observed similar fermentation activity 12 hours later.

From this point on, the beers appeared exactly the same. After 2 days of fermentation, I began gently ramping the temperature over the course of a few days to encourage complete attenuation and clean up any off-flavors. While fermentation appeared to be complete in both beers at the 1 week mark, I let them sit another week for good measure.

Hydrometer measurements taken 2 weeks post-pitch showed the batch sparge beer fell to a similar FG as the no sparge beer.

It was at this point I cold crashed, fined with gelatin, then kegged.

The kegs were burst carbonated in my keezer then left to condition for a few days before being served to tasters. It appeared the no sparge beer dropped slightly clearer than the batch sparge beer.

| RESULTS |

A panel of 26 members of the Aurora City Brew Club participated in this xBmt. Each taster, blind to the variable being investigated, was served 2 samples of the beer made using the batch sparge method and 1 sample of the beer made using the no sparge method in differently colored opaque cups then instructed to select the unique sample. Given the sample size, 13 tasters (p<0.05) would have had to correctly identify the unique sample in order to achieve statistical significance, while 14 (p=0.02) were able to do so. These results suggest participants were able to reliably distinguish a beer made using the batch sparge method from one produced using the no sparge method.

Following completion of the triangle test, the 14 tasters who correctly identified the unique sample were asked to complete a brief preference survey. Still blind to the nature of the xBmt, 7 tasters said they preferred the batch sparge beer, 3 liked the no sparge beer more, another 3 said they had no preference despite noticing a difference, and 1 person reported noticing no difference.

In chats with tasters after completing the survey, those who were correct on the triangle test had difficulty putting their finger on what about the beers were different. Some said they perceived the batch sparge beer as having a slightly different mouthfeel and “thinner” flavor than the no sparge sample. Another person noted the batch sparge beer left a slight lingering flavor in the back of their mouth.

My Impressions: I began tasting these beers sooner than the participants and I’ve never been able to distinguish them, despite knowing the variable. Obviously, this doesn’t align with the results, which is either an indication of my shitty palate or the fact these beers really weren’t all that different, just enough to be reliably distinguished by participants. Visually, the beers are clearly different, in fact the batch sparge beer remained hazier than the no sparge version until the kegs kicked. I found both to be fine and easy-drinking, but they had a slightly stronger fruity ester than I typically prefer in this style, something I’m inclined to attribute to fermenting on the warmer end of recommended temperature range. Kölsch being one of my favorite styles, I’ll certainly be brewing more, though in future iterations I plan to add a touch more Crystal malt and ferment a tad cooler.

| DISCUSSION |

Based on my multiple experiences with these beers, I was admittedly surprised by the results showing participants were able to reliably distinguish the batch sparge beer from its no sparge counterpart. While they didn’t share similar levels of clarity, they weren’t that different and looked identical when served in the opaque cups we use for data collection, which makes me think the differences tasters perceived were not a function of appearance but rather the different mash methods.

Speaking of appearance…

I’ve used gelatin to fine many beers, it works beautifully the large majority of the time, though occasionally a beer will remain hazy despite my best efforts. If the haze in the batch sparge beer was an actual result of the variable, it would seem to provide support for the idea that the sparge process extracts more “tannins, polyphenols, and silicates,” as Palmer and others have pointed out, which perhaps is what allowed tasters to tell them apart. However, the fact is I’ve made many crystal clear beers using the batch sparge method, hence I’m left wondering what’s really going on.

While these results appear to confirm the notion that the batch sparge method produces a qualitatively different beer than the no sparge method, more exploration on the topic is warranted before anything conclusive can be said. And even if the difference is real, the method one chooses to use remains wholly a matter preference, as stellar beer can be made either way. I will continue to use the no sparge method for 5 gallon batches because it’s easy, it works well, and I’m okay exchanging a minor hit to my efficiency for the time savings.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and experience with the difference mash methods you’ve used in the comments section below!

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