Just finished my first mini mash

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jcarson83

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Ok I just got done with my first partial mash and it didn't go too bad. I did 4lbs of pale malt and 1lbs of crystal with a batch sparge. I did the first sparge and the gravity was still at 1.025 so I did another it lowered to 1.020. I added enough water to bring it to 6gals, assuming I would lose at least .5gal in the boil, and took a reading at 1.018. I stopped at that point and went to the extract portion with 4lbs of DME.

After I finished the boil, cooled it down and took another reading it was at 1.060. My calcs told me it should be at 1.050. What wrong? From my reading at 1.018 my mashing is at a 50% efficiency and with the final reading, assuming the DME adds 0.034, its closer to 70%. Also I made the temperature correction when I took the reading at 138F.l

I guess what I'm asking is, since its my first PM can I assume I'm getting 70% or 50% efficiency?

Also when people say to quit sparging when the gravity reaches 1.010 are they making the temp correction?
 
I just ran your grains and DME through ProMash and I get 1.065 for a 5 gallon batch at 75% efficiency. How did you figure the predicted gravity?
I always figure gravity after correction to 60 degrees F or what ever the hydrometer is calibrated to. 1.010 is the adjusted gravity that you don't want to go below while sparging. Just guessing I would say you are at about 65 percent efficiency.
It sounds to me like you did pretty good for your first PM. :mug:
 
Predicted gravity = (((gravity of grains-1) x lbs)/gal) x %efficiency

After thinking about it further either my reading or my temperature correction must have been screwed on the mash part of it.
 
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