Which statement best describes the relationship between sparging in the lauter tun and the specific gravity of the wort?

• A. Sparging dilutes the wort, causing its specific gravity to decrease.
• B. Sparging increases the concentration of sugars, causing the specific gravity to increase.
• C. Sparging causes the specific gravity to remain constant throughout the process.
• D. Sparging has no effect on the specific gravity of the wort.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that sparging is the process of rinsing the grain bed in the lauter tun with water to extract sugars from the mash.
2. Recognize that the wort is the liquid extracted from the mash, containing dissolved sugars that contribute to its specific gravity.
3. Recall that specific gravity is a measure of the density of a liquid relative to water, and in brewing, it reflects the concentration of sugars in the wort.
4. Consider that sparging adds water to the wort, which increases the total volume but dilutes the sugar concentration.
5. Conclude that because sparging dilutes the wort by adding water, the specific gravity of the wort decreases during sparging.