Lautering is the method most brewers use to separate the sweet wort from the mash. It usually consists of 3 steps: mashout, recirculation, and sparging. Mashout is only required for a mash ratio thicker than 3 litres/kg, and consists of raising the mash temperature to about 77°C. Recirculation involves drawing the ‘first runnings’ from the mash, and pouring it back onto the mash bed. This is because the first runnings are almost always cloudy with proteins and grain debris. After this, sparging may be commenced.
