bjohnson29

Recipes 

I typically hit 75-80% efficiency, but just built a small mashtun for test batches (1gallon)...got terrible efficiency. Used 5.25# grain...can I add .3# brown sugar to boost the gravity?

bigbeergeek

Recipes 

3 lb of brown sugar in a one gallon batch will most likely make an awful brew. For 1 gallon batches you'd probably do better with BIAB. I make my yeast starters from 2 row on my stovetop. Crack the grain, add it to a pot of hot water, wrap everything up in a blanket for an hour, pour it through colanders/sieves to remove most of the grain -- I get over 70% efficiency this way. I crush my grain pretty fearlessly.

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"Good people drink good beer." -HST

bjohnson29

Recipes 

Not 3#... .3# (~5%).

bigbeergeek

Recipes 

Whoops, my bad!

What's the batch size? What's your gravity before sugar?

__________________
"Good people drink good beer." -HST

bjohnson29

Recipes 

No worries. 1.5 gallons...preboil gravity of 1062, hoping for 1090. Yah, TERRIBLE efficiency. Added. 3# of brown sugar to boost the abv by drying it out a bit...don't know the og yet, but should know pretty soon...

bigbeergeek

Recipes 

Just BIAB next time. You'll be way better off.

__________________
"Good people drink good beer." -HST

bjohnson29

Recipes 

Honestly don't know much about BIAB, but will look into it for this weekend. Used to 5-8g batches...lot of work for just 1g, but wanted to do something small to see how this test batch turns out

tektonjp

Recipes 

You'll need to use a lot of grain to get 1090 and you'll find terrible efficiency getting there with BIAB. Biab has an upper limit of about 1060 or so. To get above that takes some tricks and juggling.

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Tempest Bebende!

bjohnson29

Recipes 

Thanks for the headsup...not sure my efficiency was any better w the traditional AG way sadly. Oh well...give it another go on Sat.