Low Efficiency

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Durso81

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So I just upgraded my equipment and brewed today. I have a 15 gallon cooler for a Mash Tun and Keg for a boil kettle. I also just got pump. I have a CPVC maifold in my new mash tun just like I used in my other cooler which I normal get 70% efficiencey. Well today I got 56% and I think it was draining the mash tun too fast with pumping. I mashed at 152. I also batched sparge. I should have recorded it but I don't remember how long it took to drain I would guess 15mins for first runnings and 15 minutes after the sparge. I had the Valve wide open on the Mash tun but between 1/4 -1/2 open on the valve on the out side of the pump. Should I run the mash tun valve a 1/4 open and the valve 1/4 open on the pump out?

keg.jpg


CPVC Manifold.jpg


mash tun.jpg
 
After you drain your MT do you leave alot of liquid in the bottom of the tun? Could be leaving alot of wort left over in there, which could lead to poor efficiency. When I batch sparge I add the grain, stir, vorlauf, and drain. Takes about 5 minutes to drain. Slowing the drain down won't help but gain maybe a few points at best. What else have you changed? Crush of grain?
 
After you drain your MT do you leave alot of liquid in the bottom of the tun? Could be leaving alot of wort left over in there, which could lead to poor efficiency. When I batch sparge I add the grain, stir, vorlauf, and drain. Takes about 5 minutes to drain. Slowing the drain down won't help but gain maybe a few points at best. What else have you changed? Crush of grain?

Have not changed grains. I have my lhbs crush my grains so not sure if they changed anything. Not a lot of liquid left about a 1/4 gallon. That 1/4 gallon is my dead space.
 
Here's a great article by John Palmer and Paul Prozinski that discusses this topic in-depth. Interesting read.

http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue3.4/palmer.html

John Palmer is a fly-sparger. That article is all about fluid dynamics, mash tun shapes, etc.
The OP is asking about batch sparging.

It makes no difference how fast you drain with batch sparging. Drain as fast as you can without compacting the bed.

Are you stirring at points throughout the mash, and at sparge?
 
When all else seems constant and there is no great answer, then I would look at the crush.

Never assume that LHBS will give consistent crush.
Do they allow anyone to operate the mill?

Do they regularly check gap and readjust if needed?

For me, the only truly consistent crush to be had is from MY mill that I verify regularly.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
John Palmer is a fly-sparger. That article is all about fluid dynamics, mash tun shapes, etc.
The OP is asking about batch sparging.

It makes no difference how fast you drain with batch sparging. Drain as fast as you can without compacting the bed.

Are you stirring at points throughout the mash, and at sparge?

I stir in when I pour my grains in, let it sit for an hr,drain the mash, put my sparge water in and stir, let it sit for a few minutes and drain again. Should I stir before draining the first runnings?
 
When all else seems constant and there is no great answer, then I would look at the crush.

Never assume that LHBS will give consistent crush.
Do they allow anyone to operate the mill?

Do they regularly check gap and readjust if needed?

For me, the only truly consistent crush to be had is from MY mill that I verify regularly.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

No they don't let me operate the mill.
A mill is on my future purchase list, so much equipment to buy lol
 
Crush your own grain. Seriously, it changed the game for me. Now I'm hitting 80s. Before the best I could get was low 70s/high 60s. I didn't change anything else. LHBS usually set to .045 or bigger to save their equipment. I have mine at .038
 
Crush your own grain. Seriously, it changed the game for me. Now I'm hitting 80s. Before the best I could get was low 70s/high 60s. I didn't change anything else. LHBS usually set to .045 or bigger to save their equipment. I have mine at .038

^+1...I totally agree, best purchase ive made so far. As soon as I started using my monster mill, I jumped from mid 60's to the 80's.
 
I think it would be wise to also stir at the end of the mash, this may help rinse the grain prior to draining.

Thorough stirring before draining is beneficial in batch sparging. Some folks don't bother, but i like to stir well at the end of the mash and then wait for the wort to clear a bit before draining.
 
I second/third/fourth.. the crush your own grain concept. It is just one more part of the hobby. I have the kids help with that part!!
 
Personal experience, I had the exact same problem. What I tried:
Bought a big paddle, stirred the bejesus out of it - didn't do much
Bought an electronic thermometer checked my temp throughout the mash - maintained 2 degrees during the entire mash, so thats not the problem.
I had a mash tun with a kettle screen. Thought maybe that had something to do with it, so I got a false bottom - didn't change.
At my wits end I told my homebrew shop to mill it twice.... BOOM! hit all my numbers. Was this a fluke? I did 4 other beers back to back about a week ago, had the local homebrew shop mill grain twice for all batches... hit the numbers with each batch. Nothing dropped below 72%
If you cannot afford, don't have the room, or don't want to mess with your own mill, have the shop where you buy your grain, mill it twice. Thats what did it for me.
 
One additional comment: When I got my mill.. I 'thought' I had it set fine enough. The grinder moved freely. I still did not like my conversion numbers/so I adjusted again.. now, I have a bit of friction when the grinder rotates- my numbers make me happy. I am using a cheap corona style mill with a drill attachment.
 

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