Can someone tell me what gravity and efficiency mean?

Shoemaker · 09-10-2009, 06:11 AM

I've been reading about all grain but I seemed to have missed this part of it....

**Schnitzengiggle** · 09-10-2009, 06:39 AM

Here is what you need to know about gravity:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_(alcoholic_beverage)

Here is what you need to know about Brewhouse efficiancy:

Brewhouse Efficiency for All Grain Beer Brewing | Home Brewing Beer Blog by BeerSmith

Here is a great All Grain brewing for beginners "primer" from a HBT member that is very knowledgeble:

All Grain

And, if you haven't found it yet this is an awesome free online resource: www.howtobrew.com

Good Luck!

**Edcculus** · 09-10-2009, 01:36 PM

Let me add that if you are doing extract, efficiency does not matter since you are merely diluting concentrated malt extracts.

**SamuraiSquirrel** · 09-10-2009, 03:13 PM

In the simplest sense.

Gravity is how much sugar is in your beer. Higher gravity equates to higher alcohol content in your brew. The more malt, grain, or sugar that you add the higher your starting gravity will be.

Starting gravity = gravity prior to adding the yeast.

Final gravity = gravity prior to bottling.

As the previous poster said, efficiency does not relate to extract since the fermentable sugars have already been extracted from the grain.

Efficiency is basically a calulation of the % of fermentable sugars you have extracted from the grain through your mashing process.

For example, say you mash 10lbs of pale 2-row. The max amount of fermentable sugar that can be extracted from this would yield a gravity of about 1.073 (This would be 100% efficiency - this is given based on the ingredients added)

If prior to pitching the yeast you take a gravity reading and you have 1.055 then you have 75% efficiency. Meaning that you have extracted 75% of the potential fermentable sugars from the grain. >>>>>>> 55/73 = 75%

smmcdermott · 09-10-2009, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeast_infection

In the simplest sense.

Efficiency is basically a calulation of the % of fermentable sugars you have extracted from the grain through your mashing process.

For example, say you mash 10lbs of pale 2-row. The max amount of fermentable sugar that can be extracted from this would yield a gravity of about 1.073 (This would be 100% efficiency - this is given based on the ingredients added)

If prior to pitching the yeast you take a gravity reading and you have 1.055 then you have 75% efficiency. Meaning that you have extracted 75% of the potential fermentable sugars from the grain. >>>>>>> 55/73 = 75%

Wow, that was a great explanation, I too have been wondering what efficiency meant. I am a new brewer doing extracts, but want to eventually go to all grain and am learning all that I can. Thank you for that post.

**SamuraiSquirrel** · 09-10-2009, 04:33 PM

No problem ....... I read through pages and pages of stuff regarding efficiency when going to all grain. And it all boils down to a few sentences and is an extremely simple concept lol