Should a thin, or a thick mash, give higher mash efficiency?

jambop said:

....... However one has to realise this was not a full volume mash so I cannot say what would have happened had I done that. The firgure for the sparging points could have been lower because of the increased reciculating volume.
edit
Looking at the figures I am inclined to think that a full volume mash would deliver much closer to the total gravity points obtained that these calculations would suggest. For example if we take the total points obtained from the 20L mashing volume and compare that to the points obtained from notional volume less grain absorption we see that the sugars held in the grains prior to sparging is only 103 pts ... is it not reasonable to assume if we increase the mash volume to the full 36L liquor volume that these gravity points would have been eluted from the grains by wort recirculation during the 90' mashing period ? I personally am inclined to think that this is very likely.

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MashBag said:

Are you saying that 1000's of years brewing knowledge have been succeeded by a cheap Chinese thermometer.

I will accept they may have a plan to take over the world but this was really how I envisioned it. One beer at a time.

Brewtoof secret leapon

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peterpiper said:

Sounds convincing.
Experiment, comparing full volume mash with a thick mash + sparge, would be interesting. Using same equipment; recipe; temps; and total water.

EDIT:
Brulosophy did a BATCH SPARGE VS. NO SPARGE IN A KÖLSCH comparison. Findings: batch sparge gave a slightly higher OG than the no sparge wort, with a 3% difference in brewhouse efficiency, but no sparge was preferred in the taste tests.

https://brulosophy.com/2016/08/29/mash-methods-pt-2-batch-sparge-vs-no-sparge-exbeeriment-results/

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peterpiper said:

Thanks, interesting to hear what's worked out in best in long term.
If you ever brew with high % wheat or rye malts, do you change your process?

Sweet spot - is figure the total grain weight?

Is 20min 'doughing in', the time for grain bed rest without recirculation?

Could 25L min, be say either 25L x 1 min duration, or 12.5L x 2 min?

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