So in the shower I was pondering my next brew and I was thinking; what really is the point of the vorlauf step? I think most of us do it just because your supposed to. Does vorlauf actually make the final product clearer? Or does it somehow improve efficiency? Is there another reason to do it? I'd love to hear a good explanation.
There are people who don't do this. I use a false bottom, and if I didn't have some sort of filtering step a great deal of husk material would make it into my kettle. Otherwise, I fly sparge, and helping to set the grain bed makes it easier for me to measure, and adjust, the amount of liquid I have above the grain bed.
I don't vorlauf because I run a HERMS, which in effect is continuously vorlaufing. The When I doesn't have the HERMS I did do a vorlauf; the reason why, little effort for potential gain.
I do it as more of a preventative measure to set the grain bed and make sure I don't get a stuck run-off.
I'm with @JohnSnowNW in that I'm using a false bottom and need to vorlauf in order to keep the husk material levels down. I also attach a paint strainer bag to the end of my tubing since I drain directly into my kettle and end up w/ some husk material regardless of how long I vorlauf, particularly on my very last runnings.
I just have a hose braid and batch sparge. I usually vorlauf about a quart. It's not crystal clear, but the grain bits are out of the runnings. I'd be willing to skip vorlauf in a lighter style beer or a beer that you shouldn't use a decoction mash, (can't think of any off the top of my head).
It depends on the system. Boiling the husk material can extract tannins, so that is one reason to keep the chunks out. With my system with a false bottom I recirculate till clear. It is pretty chunky at first, so I must recirculate with the pump for a couple minutes. In the cooler with a hose braid it clears quickly. It will only take a few quarts to run clear. Brew in a Bag Brewers have a very fine cloth bag, they do not do a vorlauf.
I vorlauf all batches and use a false bottom and a braided hose. Still s Get some fines, but no Husks. Always was told that the wort should be as clear as possible.
I like to vorlauf, I like a long mash, I prefer a 90 minute boil, I just really, really like brew day.
