erock2112
Well-Known Member
Hey guys. I just brewed a porter today and I tried several new things to improve my efficiency. I've been hovering around 65% for the past few batches. This time, I did a thinner mash (2qt/lb) for 75 min instead of 60 min. I also used Primo water (www.primowater.com) from the grocery store instead of my tap water.
The recipe, for 5.5 gal:
8 lb 8 oz 2-Row ---------- 76%
1 lb 2 oz Crystal 60L ----- 10%
1 lb 0 oz Victory --------- 9%
0 lb 6 oz Roasted Barley -- 3%
0 lb 4 oz Chocolate Malt -- 2%
Mash @ 153 for 75 min
Est. OG at 70% Eff: 1.053
2 oz Willamette @ 60 min
I've been doing a double batch sparge, but this time I used a single batch.
FW Volume: 4.1 gal
FW SG: 1.056
Second Running Vol: 3.2 gal
SR SG: 1.021
I boiled down and ended up with about 5 gallons of wort at 1.053. I can't complain too much, since I hit my OG, but my FW SG suggests that I could be doing a lot better, and I should have ended up with 5.5 gal of wort. I had hoped between mashing longer, using store-bought water, and mashing thinner, I'd get a big jump in conversion efficiency, but I was right where I've been, at about 77%. I'm pretty sure the grain crush was good, but this is what happened at the LHBS: They typically let you crush your own grains. I started to do so, when the crusher stopped turning. I went and got the guy, and he fixed it, but the rollers had moved apart, and not much was getting crushed. We went through a couple of different settings and milled all of the grain three times at progressively narrower gaps. It was the finest crush I've had yet, and I'd have a hard time believing that was the problem. I haven't checked the pH, but I hoped I would have fixed that issue through the use of store-bought water. I dough in by transferring the strike water from kettle to mash tun and then slowly pouring in grain while stirring. I stirred every fifteen minutes during the mash. Any ideas on what's keeping my conversion efficiency down?
The recipe, for 5.5 gal:
8 lb 8 oz 2-Row ---------- 76%
1 lb 2 oz Crystal 60L ----- 10%
1 lb 0 oz Victory --------- 9%
0 lb 6 oz Roasted Barley -- 3%
0 lb 4 oz Chocolate Malt -- 2%
Mash @ 153 for 75 min
Est. OG at 70% Eff: 1.053
2 oz Willamette @ 60 min
I've been doing a double batch sparge, but this time I used a single batch.
FW Volume: 4.1 gal
FW SG: 1.056
Second Running Vol: 3.2 gal
SR SG: 1.021
I boiled down and ended up with about 5 gallons of wort at 1.053. I can't complain too much, since I hit my OG, but my FW SG suggests that I could be doing a lot better, and I should have ended up with 5.5 gal of wort. I had hoped between mashing longer, using store-bought water, and mashing thinner, I'd get a big jump in conversion efficiency, but I was right where I've been, at about 77%. I'm pretty sure the grain crush was good, but this is what happened at the LHBS: They typically let you crush your own grains. I started to do so, when the crusher stopped turning. I went and got the guy, and he fixed it, but the rollers had moved apart, and not much was getting crushed. We went through a couple of different settings and milled all of the grain three times at progressively narrower gaps. It was the finest crush I've had yet, and I'd have a hard time believing that was the problem. I haven't checked the pH, but I hoped I would have fixed that issue through the use of store-bought water. I dough in by transferring the strike water from kettle to mash tun and then slowly pouring in grain while stirring. I stirred every fifteen minutes during the mash. Any ideas on what's keeping my conversion efficiency down?