RBlagojevich

Recipes 

is this a factor of mash time/temperature? in both of these batches, i aimed for 90 minutes at 150.

Homercidal

Recipes 

150 is on the lower end of the mash temp range, but still doable. What kind of beer? Also, 60 minutes is usually enough for most styles, but some do 90.

Also, make sure your thermometer is accurate. If it's off 2 degrees, you might have a problem.

carl spakler

Recipes 

A cool, long mash is the recipe for a highly fermentable beer. Up the temp, assuming your thermo is accurate as has been suggested.

It also could be a function of the recipe, might want to post them as well.

chefmike

Recipes 

Recipe and hydrometer readings as well.

There are a lot of small factors that could create big problems. Was the grain crushed?

Kind of like checking to make sure the toaster is plugged in first!

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RBlagojevich

Recipes 

well, the one that I just bottled is a derivation of jamil's Orval clone from the brewing classic styles book. I mashed directly in the kettle and got ****ty efficiency, and of course the brett has thinned it even further... but still I feel there should be more mouthfeel. I used 10 lbs of organic 2-row pale and 1 lb of caravienne as well as some cane sugar. Maybe I should have used more caravienne and/or some caramunich. the brett element tastes great though!

JKoravos

Recipes 

Don't put so much water in it!

JK, try 155 for 60 minutes.

What has your efficiency been like?

blackwaterbrewer

Recipes 

how did you sparge? i always look at the sparge first when people say they are getting watery/bodiless beer or low efficiency. the sparge should be very slow and very hot. make sure the wort gets up to 170 and that you stir several times during the main mash.

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RBlagojevich

Recipes 

I did it brew-in-a-bag style; basically i teabagged the bag of grain in a second kettle with of water at 170. Should I increase the sparge temperature? (my efficiency only came out at 60%).

oldschool

Recipes 

This has been said, but a lower mash temp will give you a lower bodied, highly fermentable beer and a higher temp will do the opposite. I also think you should raise your mash temp. What gravity were you beers finishing out at?

mattmcl

Recipes 

When I did brew in a bag, I got 60% as well. I then made a home depot cooler mash tun and haven't done one since. I'm getting around 70% now.